Do kids still have secondary positions?

[anaomip]

Need some insight on player development and positions. Hopefully some good peer opinions and feedback will help! My daughter just moved up to 14u this September. In 12u she spent both years playing for one organization/team. She played primarily SS/2B and got some outfield time as well. She earned her starting position and this past summer killed it at 2B during TCS and PGF, with 46 games played in 3 months and only 7 errors made, 62 total chances, with 53 of them ending in put outs. Thats just under .900 fielding percentage. Just want to give you an idea of the type of player she is. Remember is was only 12 at the time. After a great summer she decided to step up her game going into 14u to a well known organization with highly competitive teams. When she tried out they had her play middle infield. She did not play outfield during tryouts. The coach explained that every girl will have a primary AND secondary position. I expressed that it was important that she play middle infield and outfield both, which ever they felt was her primary was ok, as long as she had the opportunity to develop at the other one. They said definitely during practice and friendlies that players will get to develop their secondary positions. So we agreed to commit. Fast forward to 3 weeks in and she was told she will be an outfielder. Totally fine, she will play where the team needs her, but she expressed to the coach she wants to be able to continue to develop at middle infield as a secondary position during practice and a little at friendlies. Last practice she bounced back and forth. This past weekend she was told she will not play infield at all at practice or friendlies. The coach said she thinks she can be a really good outfielder, and that she is way behind all the other infielders (which is hard to believe based on her summer stats). The team is not overloaded on middle infielders either. Is this a red flag to be cautious of? Or is this normal at 1st year 14u to be pigeonholed into a single position? I have not spoken to the coach, as I am trying to teach my kid to speak up for herself. I understand that stepping up to a bigger more competitive organization my kid will need to work harder and have more competition, but she is struggling on working harder when she feels the coach wont give her the opportunity to earn anything but outfield. If a secondary position at 13 years old is not an option with a team should I be concerned? Any feedback would be appreciated as I want to handle this right, but I dont know how to help my kid. Should 1 coach define her at 13? Thank you!

[notthisagain]

Wrong team to be on.
No other explanation needed after the description of your daughters likes and game experience. Sounds like jerk coaches picked DD up to fill in where they wanted.. and tossed out what your daughter wanted. Move on.

[curveballerguy124]

Wrong team to be on.
No other explanation needed after the description of your daughters likes and game experience. Sounds like jerk coaches picked DD up to fill in where they wanted.. and tossed out what your daughter wanted. Move on.

I would agree to a certain extent with Not.... However, there is the possibility that although she played well at middles in 12U she doesn't have the hands or the range to play SS or 2nd at 14U and beyond. The game is only going to get faster and playing middles gets tougher. Perhaps these coaches see that and are merely pointing out the inevitable now.

[Battle]

Stats with another team really means nothing to a coach of a different team moving from 12 to 14 so all that is out the window. What really matters is win practice. Beat the opposition at practice. Hit better, run harder, don't lag when everyone else is....etc... If you don't like what the coach is doing, change his mind with your play. Take advantage of your opportunity. For instance, if someone gets banged up and he fills that spot with you, be ready and shine. That's really the only way to change a coaches mind that is made up and with all that said, he still may play the other player. That's just how it is but team jumping at 14U is not the way. IMO...yes you should be concerned. Concerned at how she will handle this with the coach.

[anaomip]

Wrong team to be on.
No other explanation needed after the description of your daughters likes and game experience. Sounds like jerk coaches picked DD up to fill in where they wanted.. and tossed out what your daughter wanted. Move on.

I would agree to a certain extent with Not.... However, there is the possibility that although she played well at middles in 12U she doesn't have the hands or the range to play SS or 2nd at 14U and beyond. The game is only going to get faster and playing middles gets tougher. Perhaps these coaches see that and are merely pointing out the inevitable now.

Curvballer...I get that....and they may be right that she is destined to be an outfielder with her build, speed, and skills. But my concern is do kids not have secondary positions at his age? Why arent they allowing her to build a secondary position in the infield even if its not her strongest position? Thats why its considered secondary. At 13 years old I would think they would all have secondary positions. But again this is our first time with this organization and 14u so I could be way off with this.

[anaomip]

Stats with another team really means nothing to a coach of a different team moving from 12 to 14 so all that is out the window. What really matters is win practice. Beat the opposition at practice. Hit better, run harder, don't lag when everyone else is....etc... If you don't like what the coach is doing, change his mind with your play. Take advantage of your opportunity. For instance, if someone gets banged up and he fills that spot with you, be ready and shine. That's really the only way to change a coaches mind that is made up and with all that said, he still may play the other player. That's just how it is but team jumping at 14U is not the way. IMO...yes you should be concerned. Concerned at how she will handle this with the coach.

Battle...she is not given the opportunity to beat the opposition. That was my point that they wont allow her to prove herself by having a secondary position to work on. She is proving herself in the outfield and with her bat, and working hard. We havent been playing long enough to have game time opportunities with injuries or what not. And I am not looking for her to be the starting second baseman, im just looking for her to be able to develop those skills at this young age. Not just throw all of her past playing experience out the door because 1 coach said shes an outfielder. She may be an outfielder on this team, and thats fine, but at 13 shouldnt they still have secondary positions that they work on in practice? Even if they dont play there in tournaments? Im trying to avoid the team jumping, and yes I am concerned with how she will handle it, thats why I am seeking advice on if this is something that is normal at this age or if its something we should work on our own and get other development opportunities outside of her team to fill that gap. Which is someething we shouldnt have to do.

[notthisagain]

The answer to your question is yes players have secondary positions.
No 1st year 14u coach has the competance to decide for you what you want to do. From what the OP described, the coach said one thing and is doing another. The reputation is already shot. Gone is any Integrity in conversation because they will just serve you another shit sandwich for lunch. If you are in California they are only one team in a hundred. There are other teams that will develope players and not pigeonhole them.

[jonriv]

Frankly, I was not overly impressed with the fielding stats you presented. Perhaps your desire to have your daughter play “up the middle” since those are historically more recruited position has clouded your judgement. The coach is telling you fro his/her observations that those positions might not be the best for her. Sometimes hearing the truth is tough. My daughter had been a catcher up to 14u. Chronic back pain and a coach(who was wiser than me) made her a full time outfielder to better utilize her speed and arm. She played outfield all the way through college. This same coach converted another catcher(who was an Allstate Hs catcher) to a shortstop/2b because it better showcased her athleticism and got her a D1 scholarship. As parents our view of our kids talents and abilities is always biased. It is difficult, but very important to listen to critical and honest observations. I have seen too many players crash and burn because they know better than the coaches where their kids can play

[notthisagain]

Not just to kick people in the leg, however several feedback in this discussion are assuming the coach has any credentials.
It's a 13 year old. Look how people react. Someone they don't know is telling you something that might be a big decision for your daughter. And they don't even know who's telling you this! They automatically think a first-year 14U coach can make that decision without even giving your daughter a chance to show her skill sets.
Big mistake! That's a fool. Dont be one too. This is travel ball folks. You can play whatever position you want. And you can develop whatever position you want. The original poster has described the situation clearly and has a clear view. What they are being told is by one person who is only seeing their daughter for under a month. As the original poster describe the coach hasn't even seen her play another position nor given her the chance. That's a lousy coach. Who also lied to them from the get-go!
What is the coach's name and what team is it? That might help others opinions. Coaching experience? Who what where?
My opinion is already clear.

[anaomip]

Frankly, I was not overly impressed with the fielding stats you presented. Perhaps your desire to have your daughter play “up the middle” since those are historically more recruited position has clouded your judgement. The coach is telling you fro his/her observations that those positions might not be the best for her. Sometimes hearing the truth is tough. My daughter had been a catcher up to 14u. Chronic back pain and a coach(who was wiser than me) made her a full time outfielder to better utilize her speed and arm. She played outfield all the way through college. This same coach converted another catcher(who was an Allstate Hs catcher) to a shortstop/2b because it better showcased her athleticism and got her a D1 scholarship. As parents our view of our kids talents and abilities is always biased. It is difficult, but very important to listen to critical and honest observations. I have seen too many players crash and burn because they know better than the coaches where their kids can play

Jonriv.....i used her stats to show that shes not a terrible infielder, not to show she's a superstar there. For a 12 year old at the time, 7 errors in 46 games and the put outs was really high is not bad. I am realistic, she is not the starting middle infielder on this team, but should 1 coach at first year 14u make the decison for her to stop working and developing there? Is that normal this young? I guess im having a hard time relying on 1 coaches opinion when up until now shes been told differently. Maybe they are right, or may be they are only focusing on where they need her for the team instead of her development. It's hard to tell.