Knee Questions

I would say 2 catchers should be able to handle most of the work, with an extra one on ready-5 in case one of the two regulars are unable to catch for a certain reason. However, at that age, it is a good time to let anyone who wants to catch have a go at it.

quote:

However, at that age, it is a good time to let anyone who wants to catch have a go at it.

I love this part of your response....to me, at 10U everyone is a catcher and everyone is a pitcher (assuming they're interested in the positions). Sure, some kids won't be as good as others, but work with everyone in practice and give them all a chance to excel, and the overuse issues will solve themselves.

Great advise Emanski. Young kid's minds have been convinced that they are a shortstop or second baseman early on. I always tried to move my kids around to learn different positions. I would always try to convince them if they think they are only a 2nd baseman, what happens when you get to high school & Chase Utley is starting at your position? Do you play another position or do you set the bench because that's the only position you know how to play? Teach them as many positions as possible while they're young.

I'm coaching a middle school team and I can't tell you how many convos I've had with parents around positions! My son is THE ...(name position). It chaps my tail at how near sighted parents can be. 'He doesn't need to learn a new position, he's the best player on team!' Funny how every team has 5 best players! I'm not great at math, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't equal out. I'll stop my vent before I get too long winded.

Back to the original post. Not only at this age, but all through a catching career I would suggest a series of stretches before and, just as important, after the game. Not enough catchers stretch after games and when done properly it can really slow down the soreness and long term effect catching can have on a players knees.

I really think that kids at that age should limit the amount of games they catch. The bones and tendons are about to start growing rapidly and catching 3 games in a day can put a lot of stress on those areas. JMO

quote:

Originally posted by TheRick:
I'm coaching a middle school team and I can't tell you how many convos I've had with parents around positions! My son is THE ...(name position). It chaps my tail at how near sighted parents can be. 'He doesn't need to learn a new position, he's the best player on team!' Funny how every team has 5 best players! I'm not great at math, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't equal out. I'll stop my vent before I get too long winded.

You gotta love this. What I love is the kids that freak out when they're put at a position that isn't one of "their" positions. We had a kid this summer who I didn't know much about, but I knew our 2B, SS, and 3B at the moment were pretty solid. I asked this kid to go play first for a few innings. He kind of hemmed and hawed, so I asked him what was up....what positions do you typically play. He says 2B, SS, or 3B. So you can play the three most difficult infield positions, but not the position generally considered the easiest? This completely blew my mind.

Couple of quick ones,
In our Pony league, we had a kid who said he always played SS but when watching him, he alwats took to ball to the side even when it was hit right at him. We tried him in center field and this kid could track a ball better than any 12 year old I had ever seen but hated playing the outfield. We asked him one day way he hated it and he said his dad had told him only the kids that can't play very good play in the outfield. After reminding him of a couple of players, Griffey and Bonds, he loved playing there.
The first year of High School ball, on my son's team, they had a SS that did the same thing. I was talking to the coach and told him what we had done with the other kid and he tried it. Needless to say, he was even better. So good the following year he was the starting CF on Varsity and went on to be named all league for Jr. and Sr. years. Found out later the two players were cousins.

As for Catching, my son had done it from the time he was 6 years old, so his Freshman year, he didn't tell the coach he could catch and wanted to play 3B. During a game about a third the way into the season, both catchers got hurt during the game. The coach asked if anyone could catch. One of the others players told him my son could. Three years later and 2 all league awards later, he was recruited as a catcher (even injured) at a top rated j.C.

It's funny how alot of kids perceive the outfield as the place for lower level players.My son loves to hit and I brought up the fact that most of the 3&4 hole/power hitters are outfielders(Hamilton,Ramirez,Guerrero,etc...).His face lit up when I ran down some names.He now has a different outlook at the outfield.

I played MIF allmost my whole baseball experience and thought I did a pretty good job there as well(I'm sure everyone does ).When I was put into the outfield,I had a very hard time judging the hard hit flyballs probally due to the lack of practice that I've had fielding them.I try to keep that in mind with my son and have him take flyballs in the outfield as well as practicing his other positions(one of which is catcher).

I couldn't agree more with having your kids play as many positions as they possibly get the oportunity to.In my mind,it can only make them more well rounded.