what is the magic roster number ? 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 ..........

[default]

With 6 months to go until spring and the 2013 season... Will you carry 10, 11, 12, 13, now? more or less? please explain your strategy.

couple things to consider:

1) since its early and tournaments dont start until next April.... does it matter if you have more or less now? what is more... what is less...
2) will you carry more now, knowing you might lose 1 or 2 to injury, sickness, boredom, dont like you, etc... leaving you with a thinner roster come next spring? or carry less now and deal with it later if it happens?
3) will you carry an extra girl(s) now so they all know your coaching style and have team chemistry for next spring vs. getting a sub at the last second and just throwing her in the mix with no chemistry?4
4) What is the max # on the roster ASA can carry? If you put too many on now, how will it affect you if you lose 1 or 2 and need to add a few later? Or, can you drop and add more later with no issues with ASA? 5
5) what about the girls? 1 sitting on the bench vs. 3 that can socialize together?
6) do you carry the min. 9 or 10 best of the best, hope nobody gets hurt and play them all. If you need a sub, roll the dice and hope you can find one and a good one that will help you late in the season?
7) from your experience if you have 11 or 12 now, will you have the same 11 or 12 by June 2013? will some quit, get hurt, get sick, have financial difficulties, quit because they dont like you, etc....
8) how hard will it be to find players in spring or summer if you are not prepared or lose players?
9) can you rotate 11, 12 even 13 players all season long without getting pressure or complaining from parents or is that just flat out impossible to avoid parents complaints? lol
10) are you really developing players or chasing trophies? ;&

Thanks for your input!

 

[default]

this should be good ;&

 

[default]

Age and strength of schedule are two big factors when answering this question. Playing with 13-15 as a College Exposure team is a little easier than playing with 12 players on a 10/12u team. Parents are a little less crazy at the older ages-I did say a little.

 

[default]

Alot depends on the age group, as you may need a couple more at 18u than you would at 12u.

 

[default]

You obviously can't end up with 9 and assume everyone is going to stay with the team and never miss a game, and I think it's crazy to even think about playing with only 10 though some teams, especially at younger ages get away with it, and it would certainly be OK only having 9-10 at this point in the year. I think most teams either carry 11 or 12, with 11 probably being a better number to get everyone enough playing time, and 12 being better to give the coach more flexibility with his or her lineups, and a little cushion in the event of injuries, defections, etc. If I was coaching an 18-U team, I might prefer 13 just because of the inevitable conflicts/other priorities that are going to come up at that age. Anything more than that is pretty much impossible to manage playing time without some of them quitting and getting you back down to a lower number anyhow. If you went through a tryout process in August, I do think you should expect to keep all but 1-2 of the girls through next summer, though I have seen some exceptions to that around the 16-U level when some girls decide their priorities have changed.

Just my opinion ...

 

[default]

Personally, I think at 12u there is a fine line between an 11 and 12 player roster. In a perfect world, I would prefer to carry 11. That way you have 2 on the bench and its a little easier to work them into the line up and keep everyone happy. With that said, we ended up carrying 12 this last season, and its a good thing that we did. Because of injuries and a couple badly timed vacations (parents kill me sometimes), we would of had to forfiet 2 tournaments this year if we didn't have 12 girls.

 

[default]

At 12U and younger, 11 players seems to be the perfect number. Believe it or not, adding that 12th player suddenly becomes a little crowded.

Best case scenario....carry 11 players throughout the season, and find a local player that's decent but doesn't want to play a full tournament schedule. Only charge her for uniforms, and "call her up" so to speak, if the need arises.

We had a 12th player like this last year, who's parents sought us out. All parties were honest up front about her role and participation and she surprisingly made it to most of our practices. Talent wise, she was clearly behind most of the other girls, but she was an enthusiastic kid with a great attitude and wonderful parents.

It never hurts to have a safety valve if you can find the right one.

 

[default]

I played with ten most of last summer and it worked well because who ever was next in the pitching rotation sat and the pitchers and parents understood. Now that did create problems the few times I had someone sick/injured or someone on vacation. FYI, it was at 14U.

 

[default]

We have 11 and I like that number. It gives all my girls alot of playing time and you can't develop a player if you don't give them the opportunity to play. We haven't had any issues with players missing tournaments (knock on wood), they are all very committed so it has worked for us. We are very upfront with our intentions from the beginning and it keeps the drama to a minimum.

 

[default]

9u: 12-13
10u: 12
11u: 11
12u: 11
13u: 11-13
14u: 11-13
15u+: 12-16 or even more

Depends upon many factors. First, season goals and approximate schedule/game count. How many pitchers and catchers you have that are at the "expected" level required for your team. In our area, depends upon the parents are understanding the team's requirements, ability as a unit, and individual commitment. If the parents don't get the communicated message, Sally rotating time or sitting 40% or more could be a problem. For some, sitting any is a problem. Not all teams share sitting time or have the same "deal". Not all teams care about how much a player sits. Some say perform or else. It's all relative to the given situation.

For me, I like the idea of having 12... but... hard to manage because I'm a nice guy. That's just me. So, 11 is our magic number at the moment.

 

[default]

Well said Les.
I do think that to play at a national level you need 14+ on the roster and everyone needs to be good enough to start. But expectations and expectations really drive the situation.

 

[default]

Well said Les.
I do think that to play at a national level you need 14+ on the roster and everyone needs to be good enough to start. But expectations and expectations really drive the situation.

agreed

 

[default]

Les, a nice guy, now that's funny right there. I don't care who you are.

 

[default]

9u: 12-13
10u: 12
11u: 11
12u: 11
13u: 11-13
14u: 11-13
15u+: 12-16 or even more
...

Interesting - why are the numbers higher at 9u and 10u?

 

[default]

We played with 11 at 9U through 12U then went to 12 at 13U to 15U...At the request of the parents we went to 11 at 16U and that was a mistake...

Last year at 18U we started with 12 and 2 subs 10 were 2nd year 18U and seniors in HS... After the fall three committed with their college team and decided not to play a full summer travel schedule so we had to pick up three more. It hurt loosing three quality starters but it worked out for us eventually having 9 of the 15 go on to play in college.

For 2013 we will have 12 with two subs.. 3 second year 18U players that are seniors and the rest first year 18U juniors or Soph...

 

[default]

I wouldent be against carrying 16 or more at the exposure level, between home comings, and every thing else that slams you during the fall, 16 may even fall on the short side of numbers

 

[default]

I love 11. I love that Western PA will allow you to bat 2 EPs. That said, my team is an 11 YO team that will carry 11 for the 3rd year now. I bat all 11 every chance I get. My organization nor myself are in this for pig iron. It's about developing talent. It won't develop on the bench. I bat 11 and sub every inning defensively. I have yet to have 1 complaint from my parents about playing time and this will be the 3rd year for 7 of my 11. I understand more numbers, the older you get as outside opportunities come knocking for many players, but if I HAD to put a number on it.......11 for me.

 

[default]

Interesting - why are the numbers higher at 9u and 10u?

you don't know what you have basically. In our area, we are drawing from a slow pitch heavy area. Sickening really. So, in my experience, if I did it again, I'd go higher in those first couple years until a team was set with known factors. Some ultimately sign-up and then figure out the commitment, the cost, the travel, and time required just aren't a fit. So, some coverage. And then, if all stay, competition within is a good thing to get them working harder at home. All positive motivators with the proper management.