Whats best for the team isn't always best for the player

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
Son has started at SS the last two years on V. The coach has talked to him this summer about what is best for the team. What is best is that he switches to first so he can start on the mound. The problem is that he will never be on the mound again after HS and his future is in the field.

Any advice I can give to my son on how to approach this with his coach? It is also happening on his summer team on the advice from his HS coach.

Is it at all possible that those two coaches are without using words, telling you and the boy something? If as you seem to be implying, he doesn’t have the pitching talent to pitch at a higher level, it also looks as though he doesn’t have the talent to be the #1 F6 on the team either. If you believe his best shot at higher level play is at F6, and that’s what you feel is in his best interests, then the choice is simple. Contact the coach privately and explain your thoughts, then tell him the boy is no longer allowed to pitch.

There is a player in this area whom was recruited and given a scholarship as a catcher. Before his senior year he went to his coach and said that they needed another starter on the mound and asked if that starter could be him, the kid had never pitched in high school. He knew "HIS future" was not on the mound but knew the TEAM needed it to succeed. The TEAM went on to win a league title and the CIF Div 5 section title. The player went on to win Area player of the year and CIF Div 5 section player of the year. Now that his HS season is over he is going back behind the plate where "his future" is.

Not to clear, but it sounds like you are saying the V coach talked to him this summer or are you saying the V coach talked to his summer coach? Either way - they have a plan for your son and it sounds like the coach respects your son as a quality player because he is sharing the plan well in advance. Hence giving him the summer to work on his pitching.

bballdad2016,
You have it right about the coaches. He is a heck of an athlete. Anywhere you play him he looks like he was born to play that spot. But probably not a pitcher even though he was clocked at 89 again this week at the JO's. He will be looked at as a first baseman/ pitcher/outfielder when he is really an outstanding middle infielder. The other guys on the team don't have the bat to play anywhere else. I just feel it will hurt him when it comes to recruitment.

quote:

The problem is that he will never be on the mound again after HS and his future is in the field.

Isn't that the decision to be made by college coaches if he went that direction.
You describe your son as a "heck of an athlete." From previous posts you have certainly let us know he has tons of power(pull I believe ). Now we can read he also probably has a plus arm, sounds like a quality kid respected and liked by both his HS and Summer Coach, and I'll just guess he has at least better than average speed.
Against all of this, you "feel" his being a team player, as requested by the coaches, will "hurt him" when it comes to recruiting????
What makes you feel this?
From what you are posting, my impression is most good college coaches who do their homework will find everything you posted to add and help your son in recruiting.
Do you honestly believe good college coaches won't be able to recognize a quality player, possibly a middle infielder if he is on their roster and in front of them nearly every day on a baseball field?
If they didn't, my impression is you would either write them off or make sure they knew!

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
bballdad2016,
You have it right about the coaches. He is a heck of an athlete. Anywhere you play him he looks like he was born to play that spot. But probably not a pitcher even though he was clocked at 89 again this week at the JO's. He will be looked at as a first baseman/ pitcher/outfielder when he is really an outstanding middle infielder. The other guys on the team don't have the bat to play anywhere else. I just feel it will hurt him when it comes to recruitment.

Mike Trout started at MIF, than his summer coach moved him to CF where he would help that team out, seem to work out pretty well for Trout who is alos a "heck of an Athlete"

Also, the 1B for the Razorbacks was a HS SS that got moved to 1B.

Here is another take on it. My #1 is going D1 as a pitcher only. He was also my starting short stop. He threw 8 balls per day to first, made his double play feeds, and threw 4 more double play turns. That is all he was allowed. The day after his start but before our next lead game he was not allowed to throw any balls. He made only 1 throwing error all year. I am not saying that your sons head coach will go for it but it is something you might want to bring up.

I got this advice from a friend who had a player in the same situation, had a D1 kid, and he was also a first round draft pick.

What a player wants and what a team needs are two differnt things. A coach has to do what is best for the team.

Keep this in mind...

Your son may be seen as not being a team player, by not switching positions when respectfully talked to about it. It's not like the coaches demanded he do this out of the blue. That may hurt your son should it come down to him or somebody else for a scholarship. No coach wants a kid that is more out for himself than the team. Not saying that's the way he feels, but it's not hard to see what image means to colleges.

My advice is to have him do what his coaches have asked, but request he still gets some work at shortstop during practices, and possibly some innings there during games. That way he does what's best for the team, but still has a shot at moving up at shortstop if necessary.

During my coaching tenure I had one thing in mind and that was the team thing. a lot of people talk about batting average ERA etc etc. there was only one stat that I was concerned about and that was at the end of the game we had at least one more run than the other team. In order to do that you have to put kids in a position to achieve that.

You do not ask a player to move to another position to fail? You do it because as a coach you have confidence that he can play well. At least that was my thought.