Girls Fastpitch Softball: I want to play the Infield

^{Organized Girls Fastpitch Softball starts as young as 5yrs old.}

^{But even at that age a girl can get locked into a field position she never knew she wanted - and once locked in - find it hard to move out. My daughter started playing at age ten when she was drafted on to a mixed age 12U team with an inexperienced coach and mostly 10U players. They lost every game but great friendships were forged, so we signed her up again the following November for Fall Ball.}

^{On opening day, the player who had been drafted as a catcher didn't show up, so the new coach (in a panic) instructed my daughter to put on the catcher's gear and get behind the plate. At the time it seemed like an honor. Talk about being in the game...catchers and pitchers are the only defensive players guaranteed to be in every play. And catchers have the added advantage/responsibility of seeing the entire field....it's a great position, if it's the position you want to play...forever.}

^{My daughter did okay behind the plate. Throwing down a steal to 2nd or beating out the runner at first happened often enough to make her feel genuinely successful.  Catcher , was never my first choice, but if our little softball player had found her niche; we were all for it.  Shortly after investing in the complete line of catcher's gear - helmet, shin guards, catcher's mitt, and chest protector - we realized we'd all been fooled.  Catching was never her idea, she'd been randomly thrown into the position, then flattered into continuing and guilted into staying. All before getting a chance to try her hand elsewhere on the field.}

^{It was a simple case of the girl willing to put on all that gear, squat behind the plate for what seems like an eternity on a 8o degree day  WITHOUT COMPLAINING - will be catcher. That IS the beauty of softball - there are no physical requirements. ANY girl willing to work hard can get better. All sizes, all shapes, all positions.  If your tiny 10 year old wants to be a pitcher - who cares that Jenny Finch is 6 ft. tall - get her a pitching coach and go for it. But remember...it's hard to earn a new field position if you don't get the chance to play in that position. Practice is not enough - you need real game time experience.}

Needless to say, by the following Spring, my daughter was done with catching. She didn't want to be called a catcher, drafted as a catcher, or asked to catch. She wanted to play other positions; but what? Having had a taste of being "in every play" outfield was not on her radar.

She wanted infield, and she wanted to play, so she chose the one position she was most familiar with that requires the most training - PITCHER. A very specialized field position - that is not taught by rec league coaches - and requires disciplined practice off the field and a healthy attitude on the mound. As a catcher, pitching was the ying to her yang. She worked hard and quickly earned her spot as a starting pitcher for her rec league.  But going forward into high school, her team will have at least 2 senior pitchers with years more experience before her, the quandary: what other position will she play? What other position has she played consistently in the past 2 seasons other than pitching? None.

Funny enough, two seasons ago we played on a 12u team with a girl who was new to our league. After moving her around a bit she eventually came to be our go-to short stop. During the final championship game - someone "let slip" that our short-stop was really a pitcher. The girl's father had kept it secret all season because he wanted his daughter to play other spots. He made the right decision, if the coach had known all along she was a pitcher - she would have been pigeon-holed and probably never gotten to be as adept at shortstop.

Here's a mistake you don't have to make: When you sign up for a rec league - don't be so anxious to pigeon-hole your daughters. Even if they are pitchers and catchers who only want to pitch/or catch) don't label them. Get them interested in playing other field positions.  If the coach insists on a label tell them she plays "where you put her".  In the meantime, the best you can do is play catch with them. Get them out there fielding ground balls and shagging high flies; work on their throwing accuracy and quick responses. Teach them how to stop the ball and how to stay on it when they don't. And get them to the batting cage - if your daughter can hit - the coach will find a spot for her on the line-up. Good Luck!