Softball Positions - Should You Have Just One?

I was watching some TV the other day and a show about kids and softball came on so it caught my attention and I watched it. Oh and by the way Jennie Finch just happened to be on there too. Ok, she caught my attention too...

These kids really knew a lot about baseball, they were mostly boys but a couple of girls were there too. They were young, probably under 9 years old but into the game.

Jennie was interviewed by a boy and a girl. They asked her all kinds of different questions about her playing in the Olympics and the fastpitch softball WCWS and things like that. She was asked if there was a difference in how to throw a curve in baseball and in softball. There is by the way. It's quite different.

Then she was asked if she played anything besides pitcher because most baseball players seem to only play one position. Her answer was a good one I thought.

She said that she played several positions other than pitcher. She is just most famous for pitching in the world series and the Olympics. She told them that she played first base, shortstop and some outfield when she was younger. She went on to say that she feels it is important for every kid to play as many positions as possible. Helps them to learn the game better.



I have to agree completely with Miss Jennie
. I have always been an advocate of kids playing several positions. Over the years the kids that play several different positions become better overall players than those that stick to just one spot on the field.

I have been around coaches that believe a kid should be pigeon holed into a single spot and left there. The thinking there is that the kid will learn that position better and be the best at that spot. I don't agree with that line of thinking and here is why.

When you are stuck in one spot on the field whether it is pitcher, catcher, outfield or wherever, you begin to get tunnel vision. By tunnel vision I mean you only see the game from one angle - from your position.

Tunnel vision keeps you from understanding how the play develops. You have a hard time understanding when to backup a throw and more importantly - why to back up a throw. You will have a hard time understanding why the other players don't catch your throws or why you don't catch their throws to you.

Playing other positions will give you a "view" of the game from a different angle. You will get a different feel for it. Maybe you should be trying to move to a slightly different angle to make a catch across the infield at your regular position, maybe you need to learn to use a 4 seam grip to throw across the infield to 1st to keep the ball from tailing off just as it gets to the 1st baseman. If you never play shortstop or 3rd or outfield you may never know why that ball does that to you. If you never play 1st you may never understand that you are making bad throws over to 1st. It's kind of like the old saying - "The shoe feels different on the other foot".

When it comes to bracket play and your team really needs to win, then maybe the coach should put the best players at the positions. I agree with that completely, but if the players have not experienced the game from those other spots when it comes down to make or break time, your team just might break down.

Now, most players are not gonna be able to cut it at all positions, maybe 2 or 3 different spots. There are a few kids that can play any spot on the field as well as anyone and they should be given the chance to do it. Even those kids will have a best spot. I feel that coaches shouldn't pressure players into a single position until college days or beyond. I will concede that there are some kids that will only be suited for a single position. If they are happy playing one spot and taking the bench a lot that is fine. I always wanted to be on the field myself.

So, if you are in a single spot situation ask your coach to let you try some other spots just to get a feel of how the game looks from the other side of the field. Coaches, give it a shot and try it out in practice first then maybe in a couple of pool games switch the positions up and see what happens (I would not suggest moving everyone at the same time though).

Just keepin' it real...