2 position player???

[D00bie]

If she is only 10U then I don't see why not. My daughter's pitching routine back then was seeing her pitching coach once a week and doing a bucket or two per day 4 days per week. Which in reality is probably a 1/2hr per day 4 days per week. Not sure of your pitching schedule/routine but if it is along those lines you have plenty of time to figure out what she likes best. I would encourage things at that age that benefit her liking and her enthusiasm of the game and keep the pressure off. At that age they just love to play so it is a perfect time to do both and see what shakes out later.

[Fanof12]

I totally agree with Sam pitchers don't catch and catchers don't pitch and neither play short stop.

I tend to agree that doing both pitching and catching, especially in the same day, is quite demanding. However we don't know the kid and how hard she's willing to work. Some kids thrive on constant challenges.

[Pridefpsb17]

Kids need to be softball "players" first especially at 10U. They should be taught to play as many positions as possible.

Most 10U games are not that taxing. Their energy level is a lot different than 14U or older.

I can't stand it when someone says "that kid should only be a shortstop, or that kid should never pitch" or try to play more than one position.

In college, DD played 3B, 2B, SS, RF, LF, and C, even one game 1B. Coach counted on her. She was a softball player, an athlete, not just a catcher.

And I do know DI College players that have pitched and played shortstop; and a shortstop that could catch.

[Sam]

If the kid is 10U, playing rec ball....let her do both. Travel managers hate situations where a pitcher also wants to catch. Catchers get dinged all the time...they also get ploughed into and injured. If your pitcher is also a catcher...and she gets injured in the first game Sunday AM elimination....you don't just lose a pitcher, you lose your second catcher.....in effect, its like two injuries. As they get older, the catching wears out their knees and it increases the chances of overhand throwing issues (tendinitis) because the catchers throw the ball so much.

In the end, it makes your kid less valuable.

[Pridefpsb17]

. . . As they get older, the catching wears out their knees and it increases the chances of overhand throwing issues (tendinitis) because the catchers throw the ball so much.

In the end, it makes your kid less valuable.

It does wear out the knees and I sure agree about the tendinitis, however if a player is not overused and allowed to play other positions at younger ages it becomes less of an issue.

Younger teams need to carry a good sized roster. Watch the number of games they play and make sure they are a couple deep at each position. Especially at the 10U and 12U level.

I too was once one of those dumb parents, that did not pay attention to overuse issues when DD was younger, and that certainly did play a role in DD's knee and arm issues once she got to college. Did she miss games, no. However I believe it did sometimes affect her performance.