number of players and positions

Question
QUESTION: In fielding a 12U fastpitch softball team what is the min. and max. number of players you would field.  Also, how many positions would you have players playing and how many players at that can play each position.  I am finding that having 3 to 4 players for one position is creating a lot of un-necessary competition on my daughters team and also crating hard feelings over playing time at certain positions.  Any suggestions?  THANKS!!!

ANSWER: Vickie,

I have plenty of suggestions, I not sure how many you will consider helpful!  You have run into a very typical situation for a travel ball team.  Most if not all the players play the major skill positions on their LL or Rec. team.

The only real suggestion for this is to recruit your team by position.  I don't like this as it may cause a girl to think she has her spot locked up and this could cause a problem with effort.  This also causes you to send good players down the road

My 15 year old daughter catches and plays SS on her JV softball team.  Top of the talent.  On my TB team she will most likely never see SS or catcher.  Some first base, but mostly outfield.

Your job is to teach these girls the whole game.  They are only 12 yo's.  

You know who your pitchers and catchers are.  For the rest of the postions I would have one main girl and 1 or 2 others that played the postion occaisionally.  You will likely have your defensive set that you use for the tougher teams and experiment with different line-up's against the weaker teams or in games that don't matter.

The best way to work with this in my opinion is to be completely up front with the parents and player.  Everybody will have the opportunity to earn the postion they want, but you will play the girls where it is best for the team.  Anybody that has a problem with this will be a problem all the time.  Be ready to replace them when they quit.  You should also be prepared to answer valid questions as to why who is playing where based on perfomance (statisics).

One last thing, I would carry at most, 12.  I prefer 11.  Makes playing time easier to deal with.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The pitchers on this team are playing 3 other positions when not pitching.  They pitch, catch, played 1st. or 3rd, and outfield.  Other players that normally play these positions are sitting for pitchers to play elsewhere.  What is your opionin of this and should pitchers being playing this many positions in competitive ball.  They seem to get tired or could get injured so they can't fulfill their pitching duties.

Thanks!!

Answer
I'll answer this using my daughter as the example.  Very good pitcher, can play the corners on the infield or play outfield.  She does a good job.  Last year in 12U ball, she hit 4th.  

Hot summer days.  If she was pitching the 2nd game, she was on the bench the first game.  She would bat in the DP spot and we would use a FLEX position for the field.  If she pitched the first game and might see time in the third game.  She sat the 2nd game.  Usually I would stick her in the outfield.  The other pitcher on my team played SS when she didn't pitch.  I rarely let my daughter run the bases, the other pitcher was much faster and a better base runner, so we left her on.

How you handle your position time depends on the level of play.  If you are making a run at ASA nationals and your roster refects this, then you lock your players to their postions.  You might be in a situation were your pitchers watch the game when not pitching.  Lower levels of play that are more focused on developing players, you can move people around a bit.  You may even lose a game on a mistake from a player spending time developing their skills at a position that a girl doesn't play all the time

Injuries are always a possibility.  Again as the level of play goes up, your decisions as coach might have you protecting your pitcher more.