At 5-7, every kid should play half the game. Period. That’s the deal for this age.
Build your lineup card the night before. Write down 12 kids, maybe 14. Divide your fielders into two rotations. One group plays the first three innings, the other plays the second three. Outfielders especially: five kids means two rotations of play time, not one kid sitting the whole game.
Assign positions by capability, not by kid favoritism. The most advanced kid plays shortstop in rotation one. The next kid plays shortstop in rotation two. This teaches everyone the position and gives everyone playing time.
For batting, alternate: kid one bats first inning, gets subbed out bottom of second, comes back in fourth inning. It’s not elegant, but every kid gets three to five at-bats.
Yes, you’ll probably lose some games. You might lose the playoff game with this system. That’s the cost of coaching 5-7.
Post the rotation before the game so parents know what to expect. “Emma plays the first three innings in left field, then moves to first base in the second half.” No surprises. No angry parents wondering why their kid was on the bench.
This system takes 10 minutes to build and saves you from an entire season of parent anger. Do it the night before every game.