I'd like to hear some opinions from you guys on this scenario. It's a long one, sorry.
Here it is:
We have two kids(not mine) on my son's 11yr old select team that can play short. Actually more than two but I don't want to muddy the waters.
Kid A is phenominal, he has unbelivable range, strong arm, baseball instincts well beyond his years.
Kid B has a decent glove, but very limited range, an average arm at best, which is made worse by a seeming lack of a sense of urgency. He fields very mechanically. Always the same speed no matter the circumstance.
We play for an "Academy" owned and managed by a couple former minor league players. The team is also coached by a former MiLB player. For the first part of the season they kept putting Kid B at short and while he would make a few routine plays he has not shown much progression and is actually becoming error prone. The last two tournaments they have begun using Kid A some at short. The difference is night and day folks. It ain't even close.
Then at the last tournament Kid A plays two pool play games at short. Makes a play on a fly ball behind third base at the foul line and another diving behind second and throwing from a knee to first for the out. Range, I'm tellin' ya! Then come Sunday and the elimination bracket and out comes Kid B to short.
I'll fast forward to the last inning where we take a two run lead in the top and in the bottom with two outs and the bases loaded a slow grounder is hit to short and he does not charge the ball and then attempts a soft underhand flip to get the kid at second. The throw was not even close, ball game.
This was the final straw for many parents and rumblings have now become out right questions put to coach and managment.
Here's what was said:
Management says Kid B "projects" to be a short stop by the time he reaches High School and their focus is on developing for the future regardless of out come. Management says Kid A will be too small based on parents height(dad is only 5'2") and they do not "project" him to be a short stop in high school.
Now I understand about developing the kids. That's why I have my son with them in the first place. I do not agree that you can predict the future with enough certaintity to short change one player's chance over another and if you continue to play a kid in a position where he fails it will hurt his confidence to the point he may quit. This does not even go in to the fact that the loses tied to this situation are tearing the team apart. How much developing are you doing if you run everyone off from the team? There has to be more of a balance of winning and development as I see it.
Your thoughts please...
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