By Cal Ripken, Jr.
Over time, players naturally develop an interest in a specific position. This typically begins to happen right around the 10 to 12 year old playing level. Players gravitate towards the positions at which they have the most success, which is easy to understand.
As kids get older, the game starts to become a little more serious. As a coach at higher levels, you begin to make your position decisions based more on a player's athletic ability and the merit of their skills. But always keep in mind that kids mature at different rates emotionally, mentally, and physically. Your decisions might be based on skill level, but you should keep an open mind and allow your players to try new positions if they are interested.
Your objective should always be the development of well-rounded ballplayers. Denying a player the opportunity to try out a new position will only discourage them, and it could very well drive them away from the game entirely, and that's the last thing we want. On the other hand, exposing your players to more positions will help them develop a better overall understanding of the game, making them a more valuable member of your team and any team they play on in the
future.
It's imperative to ensure that your kids get equal repetitions at the positions that interest them. Many of your best defensive players are probably also your go-to pitchers, so you need to focus on developing players who can fill-in capably when one of your reliable position players has to take the mound. You set players up for failure when you force them into unfamiliar positions in a game situation.
If you've been around the game for a while, you know that the ball inevitably gets hit to the player who is already out of his element in an unfamiliar position and unprepared to make a play. So, be sure to prepare your players to take on as many roles as possible. Otherwise, you'll find you're placing your players in tough situations where failure is the most likely outcome. Try to avoid that as much as possible. If your players fail too often because of the
unrealistic or unfair situations you've had to put them in, they'll fault themselves and eventually lost interest in the game itself.
Pitchers are an especially precarious group to deal with at younger levels. If you have players whom you envision as potential pitchers, you first need to make sure those players are interested in pitching. The mound is the most pressure-filled spot on the field, so asking a player to pitch when he really doesn't want to can be disastrous. Preparation is also key, don't just throw somebody on the mound because they have a strong arm - make sure you prepare them for
the responsibility properly. Tossed into the fire, an unprepared pitcher is bound to find failure and frustration.
Find out who on your team wants to pitch, and help them learn the fundamentals necessary to throw strikes and get hitters out on a consistent basis. Before throwing anyone on the mound, make sure they are confident in their own ability to pitch.
Even during the course of a relatively short youth baseball season, you just never know what is going to happen. So you're best bet is to prepare all of your players to assume a variety of roles. You'll find more flexibility in your lineup, and your players will also develop into better all-around players. Always make sure you work on the fundamentals that apply at every position - fielding groundballs properly, catching pop-flys, and using sound throwing mechanics.
Building that strong fundamental foundation substantially improves the chances that your players will find success wherever you place them.
The more success your players have, the more they're going to enjoy the game, and that will keep them excited about playing baseball.
