Changing Positions?!?

The key to be a good catcher is "wanting" to play the position---it takes a special mentality just as pitching does---a kid cannot help the team if he doesn't want to be behind the plate

What about the coaches kid making the switch ?

Gosh,..we are just the opposite. Son went from catcher to HS ss/3/2.
It was an adjustment.

I will say ( son is a HS junior ) I think he's no worse from the change. ( I gotta admit though, I do miss watching him catch! )

Catchers get to handle the ball. Its an exciting position to play but its not an easy position.
I'd have to lean with playing where the coach's put him. They must need him there for a reason. The more he plays, hopefully the more he'll like it. The better he gets,..the chances are the more he'll like it.
Adaptation is key and you'de be suprised how well & fast these kids can learn/grow.

Sometimes its harder on us parents watching our kids change positions than it is for the athlete.
Things usually have a way of working out. Sometimes it means playing where they put ya to remain on the team.
I wish you the very very best of luck. I'd be willing to bet things work out!!
Keep us posted!!

shortstopmom


Do you believe that a kid should be "made" to play a position even if he doesnt like it ?

I want my players to be happy where they play and catching is such a special position both physically and mentally

Made to play? Well I know that sometimes there are sacrafices that need to be made for the sake of the team. Has happened to my son,..has happened to many others. Probably because the coach sees something in a player and feels he knows where they will fit best or perhaps believes they have the ability to handle the change and do their best to adapt to that position.
Our HS team positions have changed every season for the last two years. Will probably change again this year too. No one is in a locked position. Every year new kids on the team, with new talent, and adjustments are made even in the middle of the season.

Thanks for your responses!!

TRhit: Not sure about the coaches son playing Catcher?!? Of course it's his call since he's the coach. He may actually think that my son would be a better catcher than his would, I just don't know. I just heard this last night after son got home from tryouts, so it's still kind of fresh. Coach may have just been dropping a "bug in his ear," to see what response he got, I just don't know. Wife says I'm worrying about nothing, let's just hope that he makes the team. I do agree!! But being his dad and a past coach, I just had a few concerns I wanted to voice. Great program, great school, great coaches!!

quote:

Do you believe that a kid should be "made" to play a position even if he doesnt like it ?

Good question TR. The word "Made" is a tough one to define.

Is it for the best of the team?

Sometimes a coach asking has the same inference as being "made" to change. Do many players say no to a coaches request? It is a team and the goal is to put the best team on the field. The only change of thought here is that coach Dad is involved.

Is the change going to hurt his progression?

In HS, variety is the spice of life. If you take a proactive look at the situation, a switch hitting catcher is a very valuable commodity. Once you move on to college you set yourself up for the possibilities to play many positions with a smaller learning curve. A 3B is basically that unless there is a lot of time to train at a new position.

jstrawn1,...alot of us have been in your shoes. Its called the gray haired parents syndrome! ha!
We love our kids and it seems as though we naturally get assigned the worrying and wondering task for them.
Its our job.
Not always an easy job. Sometimes just hearing from other parents, knowing that alot of us have run down the same path, at some point in time, can give comfort and hopefully lessen our worries. ( even if its just a little bit. )
Eases the need for an extra margarita every once in a while! ha!

Welcome aboard!!!! Its gonna be a great ride!!!!!

rz1: Good point about a switch hitting catcher having the possibility to be a very valuable commodity. A friend I spoke with last night said the same exact thing!! Interesting to hear it again!

I guess my BIG concern is the learning curve because I have coached some really good catchers at his age, and I've seen some poor catchers as well. Our son is a go getter...I think if given some quality time, he could develop into a quality catcher, I guess. He has the basics IMO. (Strong arm, good work ethic, quick release). Etc.

First of all...welcome aboard the HSBBW jstrawn1.

Your son is on a team that does not have a catcher...this does not happen very often, but it is what it is. The team needs a catcher...that is obvious.

TR,shortstopmom and rz have all offered good advice.

I agree with them that a catcher, to succeed, must want to play this key and crucial position and that the more he plays it the more he'll like it.

The problem is your son is an established 3B and he's comfortable with that...and he most likely is apprehensive in making the switch from 3B to catcher. His coach sees potential in him as a catcher...and he needs a catcher!

This may very well be a great opportunity for your son so long as the coach has a bunch of patience and works hard to lessen your son's apprehension. The coach needs to get your son up and running as a catcher while at the same time keeping the pressure off of him.

Really the pressure is on the coach to come up with a successful solution to the problem of his team not having a catcher. The coach needs to put much productive energy into this. It must involve the whole organization.

My only advice to you would be to watch carefully if your son chooses this path to help his team...you certainly would not want the coach's or team's possible frustration to weigh heavily on your son's shoulders. That certainly would not be fair. Your son needs to proceed with confidence.

The entire team and their supporters and fans need to go forward together, in a positive and realistic fashion, to help build your son into the catcher they all very much need.

Please keep us posted on the progress...this is a very interesting situation.

Shortstopmom: Thanks for the kind words and support. That's the main reason that I started this post was to find some peace of mind and talk with others who have direct experience with this topic.

Thanks

In one respect I agree with TR. There are two positions that really require desire to succeed - catcher and pitcher.

Does your son play select ball summer and fall, js?
If so, I wouldn't worry about much about what position he plays in HS.

If the HS coach wants him in a certain position & he doesn't want to play there, he may end up sitting as the alternative. Or possibly not.

If he is willing to work at it and has the aptitude, excellent catchers are hard to come by.

quote:

I think if given some quality time, he could develop into a quality catcher,

Yes sirrrreeeee!!!...and it doesn't mean he will have to play this position forever.
Just another new experience and one that will add to your son's wealth of knowledge on the field, as a whole.

gotwood: Your post was extremely helpful! Especially, "My only advice to you would be to watch carefully if your son chooses this path to help his team...you certainly would not want the coach's or team's possible frustration to weigh heavily on your son's shoulders. That certainly would not be fair. Your son needs to proceed with confidence."

This struck a chord with me because you're exactly right...I don't want our son to feel the weight on his shoulders for following this path, if there would be any possible frustration. It would not be fair to our son because in his eyes (and ours) he is a very good 3B and would have had no problem filling that role at all!! I know life's not fair, believe me.

Great post and better advice, thank you!

Texan: I also agree that a catcher really has to "want" to be behind the plate. I think all great catchers have that internal desire!!

The previous two years he played competitive USSSA baseball including many, many tournaments, State tourney, and even World Series event last summer (Finished 5th out of 40 some teams).

Fact is, his high school began a summer baseball club a couple years ago to provide the players another option for more games/experience. Now you get into the dilemma of what's best for a player, playing with high school team or finding a summer travel team, different topic I know!! I know my opinion.

I will probably know more by the end of the week...when tryouts are over!!

Thanks

We ( well, actually I have nothing to do with it ),..my son rather, and his school is going through baseball try-outs this week also. ( eeek!)

( It's a nerve wracking time on us parents huh? Even if we have all the confidence in the world about our son's abilities,...we also know that anything can happen. )

Fingers, toes, gloves, and gear all crossed for good luck.
I have my rabbits foot in my hand and horse shoe around my neck for everyone going through tryouts!!

Best of LUCK to ALL!!!! GO GET EM' GUYS!!!!!

I know I am from another generation or two but I find it hard to understand the trepidation and fear parents today have regarding their kid playing the game---I let it fly--the boys did what they had to do for themselves--no rabbits feet--no candles lit--if they had the talent they would make it as far as they wanted to go

My son threw in the 90's on the mound and stopped pitching at the varsity level in his soph year because the coached misused him--he did it on his own--but he pitched every now and then with his summer travel team


I preferred to sit back and watch and let the boys do their thing

A little luck never hurt anybody, IMHO.

As a parent I can't make my child's dream happen for them,..but I can guide them and hope ( pray, wish, light candles, hold rabbit's feet, whatever ) that their dreams due indeed come true. That they get the opportunity to shine. That the right people happen to be there to see it.
I can hope they they don't get injured. I can hope that they are as prepared as needed in the face of competition. I can hope that the judges/coaches are fair. I can hope that politics don't play a role in the decision process. I can hope that if there is a tie, others will have the educated wisedom to choose who will be the best for the team.

As a mother I can always hope and pray,....& yes, even send them luck telepathically from home,
...sittin' in my bathrobe, on my day off, typing on the computer.
Perhaps it will have no impact,...chances are it won't,..but it makes this mom feel better.
Makes me feel, as foolish as it may be,.....
like I am a little tiny part of their dream.

So I say again,...to all you players out there trying out for their school team,...I send you the best of luck!!!

mom

Talented players make their own luck

Thank goodness I have a never ending supply of ducktape for my mouth.

I'm going to moderate myself.
I'll be out in center field watching/reading.

I warned you shortstopmom...never...ever relinquish control of the duct tape...let this be a lesson to you...now hang in there while I get the scissors and the bottle of Goo Be Gone...

JSTRAWN1, Just a little short story about a dad who didn't want his kid to ptich. The kid was probably the best cather in the State of Texas. But the coach wanted him to pitch. The dad and the coach went round and round over this. The kid ended up pitching in college and the major leagues , still there. And was rookie of the year. Kid already has stuff from his first major league start in the Hall of Fame.

If it allows your son a chance to play...
...then go for it. A kid I used to coach started catching at age 14, fulltime at age 15, and got a D-I scholly. The key, as others have mentioned, is WANTING to be back there. Also, if he embraces it (heck, a cannon arm and quick release is needed in catchers), send him to all the instructional camps you can. You will be suprised at the doors that will open for a passionate and talented catcher.

My son changed to catcher going into high school. He had always been an outfileder. He loves the position, however we have been told he is a football player that plays a little baseball. I agree there is a mentality to catching that you have to have to be behind the plate. Worked out for my right hand thowing/left hand hitting son. He signed early and is starting at the college level as a freshman. My other son is a pitcher and he says no way he would get behind the plate.

JStrawn1,

I agree with all the input you have received so far, even though some of it comes from different points of view. Catching and pitching are two positions where a kid really needs to want to be there, but some kids may LEARN to want to be there, for various reasons. Maybe he learns to want it because...

...he knows it is his best chance to be in the starting lineup, or
...he realizes he is the best option for his team at that position, or
...he grows to love the position when he gets better at it!

My son is a pitcher, and two of his HS years he was pitching to catchers who did not consider it THEIR best position, but were catching because the team needed them to. It was frustrating sometimes for the catchers, and made the pitcher's job a little more difficult too, but everyone understood that the catcher was doing his best to help the team. Even in college (D3) there has been one year so far when both catchers were basically playing their secondary position, and I recall my son commenting several times how much he and his teammates appreciated that, rather than complaining about a pass ball, etc. (And the next year, the primary catcher got to move back to his preferred position of 3B for his senior year, and excelled there.)

I'm not suggesting that your son needs to pretend that he wants to catch, I'm just sharing some of the things we have seen happen. It kind of looks as if 3B might be taken this year, if the coach's son plays it and his son is reasonably close to being as good as yours. Maybe your son can tell his coach that catching is not his preferred position but that he is willing to try it if that works best for the team. And maybe you could practice with your son how he could express any concerns he has to the coach, such as letting him know that he is nervous about being inexperienced at catcher and not wanting to let his team down. (I mentioned the practicing part because when my son reached his freshman year of HS, he handled all conversations with coaches from that point on, but we talked with our son about pitch counts, etc. In my opinion it would be best if your son is the one who discusses the catching issue with the coach.)

Good luck, and let us know how tryouts went!

Thank you all for your responses. It definitely helps to hear from those who's sons' have been in the same type of situation and how they dealt with it. So far it's not come up again but tryouts should be complete by Friday, maybe Saturday at the very latest. I'll certainly provide an update when I get it.

Thanks again and keep posting!!

As a freshman, my daughter made her HS softball JV. First week of practice, coach asked her if she would like to try catching. Her response: "Coach, I have never caught before, but if that's where I can help, I'd be happy to learn." ( I am still SO proud of that answer!)
Starter soph catcher broke her thumb third game of the season, and my daughter started every game the rest of the season!
She loved being involved in every pitch and learned a lot.

Nice post, shortstopmom.

And you have one more power! You can show them the "Help Wanted" ads the next time they refuse to fundraise!

Updated Information: Just found out this morning that our son did make the frosh/soph team. He just got his "letter of Congratulations" this morning following the final day of tryouts. He seems excited and his parents are both ecstatic. Not sure yet what will develop as far as positioning changes but should know more this next week as they begin team practices.

The position changes seemed to take a back seat to him "just making the team" during the last few days. There were a lot of good players and even more "tweeners" who are good enough to play baseball at other high schools, but won't make the team simply because of the number of team slots available. Roughly 32 to 34 players, 16 or so slots, 8 or so returning sophomores from last year.

Thanks for the comments throughout this post. It really has helped to hear your thoughts and opinions!!

Duck tape is removed from SSmom's mouth and she is hollerin', " WAY TO GO JSTRAWN1's son!!! ".

Congrats on making the team!!!!
Keep us posted as the season gets rolling. Would be great to hear how things are going!!!

( Heck,..we're parctically neighbors! ha! )