The focus for fall is individual player development. It’s a time to learn new skills, new positions and put in the work to make yourself a better softball player. For example, a player who knows they will be competing in the spring for a spot on a high-school varsity team may focus their efforts on something which might give them a strategic advantage during tryouts, such as working on a new pitch, improving their slap hitting or picking up a new position, like outfield which might help them earn a coveted roster spot.
612 is required to age-up players to the age group they will play next summer. This is developmental. In this case 8U players will get their first taste of live pitching and stealing bases – new rules and more competitiveness. 10U players moving to 12U start playing with a 12” softball and move their pitching distance from ’35 to ’40 feet. 12Us moving to 14U may notice when playing with second year 14U players the speed of the game changes. Pitchers are faster. Players are bigger and stronger. Outfield can become way more important defensively to keep teams competitive. 16U and 18U players have a good sense of their personal strengths and weaknesses and can use this time to work with our coaches to address their weak spots. Younger players are aging up and older players practice their leadership skills.
Park and Rec players often use the fall season to make the leap to travel softball. It’s a great, relatively low-cost way for families to give it a shot. They will get a taste of the travel and competition and hopefully the fun community and culture of travel softball. They might learn new skills, get more advanced coaching and see stronger pitching. Parents and players keep in mind this is a process. Especially at ages 12U and up, players will compete for roster spots with players who have played multiple seasons of travel ball. To play more competitive softball requires effort from all parties and improvement comes faster if players commit some time outside of scheduled practices and in the offseason.
Coach development is part of Fall Ball. The fall season is a season where an assistant coach becomes a head coach for the 1st time. With a lighter schedule there are more opportunities for coaches to get in-house training, network with other coaches. Experienced coaches are placed with new coaches to help them get a feel for the role and position them for future success. Brand new head coaches and assistants join the organization and start to learn the “612” way.