I've told this story more than once on OFC, so I apologize to those who have already heard it. But the story seems so appropriate given the initial post.
At one of the very first NFCA Coaches College courses that we attended, the great Donna Newberry (Muskingham's NFCA Hall of Fame coach whom fastpitch lost last November to cancer) attended as a student (which kind of freaked out the instructors). John Tschida, head coach of the then Division III National Championship St. Thomas squad, laid out an imaginary softball diamond in the room and asked all the coach students to go stand at the positions that they felt were most important. So there was the predictable cluster of people in the pitching circle, at catcher, and at short stop. Donna Newberry went directly to the outfield. When Tschida asked her about that, she said "infielders often can cost or save a run, outfielders more often can cost or save games."
Newberry was well known for recruiting the best athletes and turning them into outfielders. But I suspect she was quite happy when her most athletic recruits also had quality experience as outfielders.