Picking up players is always a controversial subject, whether it is for Nationals or throughout the season. ?Do they play like any other member of the team? ?Are they just there "in case"? ?By adding players to the roster someone is obviously going to have their playing time affected. ?Team chemistry can also be affected, that "pick-up player" brings skills and abilities, but also a personality. ?You would like to think that as players mature, they would be able to manage those differences for a week, but that will not always be the case. ?The team mentioned earlier that will be down to 9 on Friday is a sprained ankle away from being eliminated regardless of how well they play. ?Nobody can foresee injuries, but they do happen, and a team travelling several hours out of state, should know the versatility of their team members and take reasonable precautions so a week isn't ended prematurely. ?
The idea of "dancing with the one that brought you" is has a certain appeal to it, and if your bases are reasonably covered for injuries etc, I would generally stick with that plan. ?Personally, though I think the underlying issue here is playing time. ?Nobody wants to be a regular player for 8-10 weeks and suddenly become a bench warmer. ?I would, however, suggest considering a slightly different perspective. ?There is great competition at any of the Nationals and any teams ability to advance has as much to do with the "luck of the draw" as the teams ability. ?Your team goes to Nationals with the players that were there all year. ?You have a good team, but not an exceptional team. ?Your draw is OK, but you end up in the losers bracket after the second elimination game. ?You win one in the losers bracket and then are out after the following game. ?Your team played 4 games plus whatever pool play games. ?Your coach used a rotation just like the rest of the season and your DD played 3 out of 4 games. ?Same as all season. ?Scenario 2 team picks up a strong pitcher and also a quality hitter/fielder. ?With the additional players instead of 4 elimination games your team makes it farther and plays 8 games before being eliminated. ?Because of the additional members on the roster, your DD only plays 50% of the time. ?Obviously she sat more, but she also actually played more. ?Please don't misunderstand, because when I go to a tournament, I love to watch my DD play and not sit the bench, and playing time is important, it is why the girls want to be there, and also why we as parents do what we do. ?I just think sometimes we get caught in looking at the percentage of playing time, and not the amount. ?There has been a lot of discussion off and on about "ideal" roster size/playing time etc. ?If you watch many (not all) of the top tier Gold teams, they have rosters that would send most of us screaming to another team. ?16-18 players is not that unusual. ?Managing playing time becomes part of the coaches job and strategy, instead of players knowing, "Oh its game 2, must be my turn to sit".
Just another perspective. ?
