And this, more than anything else, is the problem with the continued growth and success of baseball. You are spot on with all your assertions, and I wish Id been able to absorb something like this when my oldest two were starting out. Do I think that she will go pro? You all make very good points to consider. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. The piece in America by John W. Miller posits that America sold out Little League through the widespread adoption of high-dollar travel baseball: The father on the phone was upset. . It was excellent, by the way. Again, its an interesting post but when it comes down to it is the field that you or other high achieving people are in really all that much different? With American Specialty Express' online . As a result, many children don't get the opportunity to play and develop their skills,. It can be a huge change in commitment, skill level, and dedication depending on the type of team and price you go into. I grew up wanting to be a major league baseball player, and Im so glad I never even got drafted. As a mom of a 10 year old girl who has played both travel and rec softball we have seen first hand the pros and cons of both. Several thoughts on that: Their chances are greater for continuing their sporting lives, whether at college or recreationally as adults, if they arent burnt out on competition by the time they turn 18or 13, as Ive seen occur far too often. (This, too, however, isnt a litmus test. Hello, Im Paul, a 45 year old passionate baseball fan and the owner of this website. All your doing is increasing the strain and the chance of injury for no appreciable gain. When people refer to travel baseball, they typically mean a team of higher-level athletes who play in competitive tournaments and probably work out at their own facility. While my son made a ton of new friends and had fun, I felt he needed more. But today, Havenwood Little League does not exist. The journey the Lord had me on led to me being cut from the team after I did not play summer ball following my sophomore year. Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. What better way exists. Then again, some games I find my older daughter listening to her ipod while we watch the games. Our eldest, now six, is in her second year of playing though she has moved over to softball. My son (now aged 26) was approached from age 10 on to play travel ball, but we declined year after year because it would pull us away from church plus cost us a small fortune. But if you don't make it into your dream team, the loss is much heavier on people's pockets as well as their minds. Gallatin Little League Baseball: T-ball, Coach Pitch & Baseball You can print a registration form (PDF). They chronicled 850 baseball deaths in Death at the Ballpark, spanning professional, amateur, Little League, and even backyard pickup games. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. Travel is not glamorous but grueling. A job is not a game. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. They will actually improve more at each sport because a variety of new skills enhances old ones in ways that cant be quantified. No. Every year, MCLL designates players in our All-Star Tournament teams to represent MCLL in the Little League Tournaments within various age groups. Usually, coaches in travel baseball are more experienced and competent than their counterparts in the recreational leagues. I know you were saying that theres no one answer for everyone. Jan 25, 8:31am. In the US, the program involves kids ages 4-16 and is organized into the following divisions: For a lot of kids, Little League is the first time they meet with the organized baseball. Extend your season, make sure that all teams are drafted equally. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. There have been times when our kids insisted that the entire family wear Orioles stuff. Totally agree with your article. Brewers pitcher Andrew Kim (10) throws a ball towards the plate and a Giants batter during a game versus the Brewers for a Summerlin Little League North majors game at Trails Park Little. So, teaching them the core baseball concepts is more important than competing. We have expanded our season to now include winter training, a competitive league spring travel schedule, tournament season as well as a competitive league fall schedule. Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty. Most professional golfers look the same. Travel baseball is very competitive, especially compared to recreational leagues. We have had a sub par experience, and I have that guilt every Sunday that we are at a tournament instead of honoring God in His house. Let them play the game. There are no playoffs unless otherwise noted. Unfortunately with all the sacrifices Ive made that relocation doesnt seem likely but as usual, Ill pray about it. NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live Al Mohlers Culture Shift What Is Travel Baseball? 12YO & 11YO players who are trying out for the National League. And you are right about MLB not being all its cracked up to be; several of my sons college teammates were drafted in the top 10 rounds (as high as supplemental 1st round), and with only one exception, they all complained about the grind and monotony (not to mention extremely low salaries) once they entered the minor leagues. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? Are those stewardship issues as well? For millions of American families, paying private for-profit clubseuphemistically termed travel teamsthousands of dollars a year to organize athletic games for their children is now an unquestioned way of life that shapes family routines, work schedules and commutes. Spoiler: I wasnt good enough to keep playing. . I love excellence. In fact, Little League International pays all the expenses of the dozens of teams that reach the World Series level in Little League Baseball and Softball, including travel, meals, and lodging. They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. What will travel ball mean for your other kids? I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. The best coaches and the best players stop playing rec ball in favor of travel ball, leading to fewer teams and a lower level of competition in the rec league. We have commodified the play of millions of children intoa $19.2 billion business, weakening volunteer-based programs that promise affordable sports for all children. Do I think you are sinning if your kid plays travel ball? Non-Christians exist because what they worship is false. No player evaluations are required for the Fall season. There may be instances in which its the right thing, and when a kid gets to be 15 to 16 years old, its understandable that commitment levels and demands are going to rise and choices are going to have to be made. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. Odysseus. And given the number of kids playing and the number of available spots, even a partial baseball scholarship is terribly unlikely. After a few weeks of intense practices, it was clear my son would not see much playing time. Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. Not posting some long winded bs. The travel ball system is no different. This upcoming spring season will include some division changes we have made to improve the experience for players at all levels. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. Dont get me wrong there are alot of rec leagues that are great but if you live in the middle of no where lile wr do that was out only option to make her the best that she could be and to teach her to challenge herself and not settle for just good enough. I have coached in a recreation league for almost five years, and now my eleven-year-old daughter is in soccer travel ball. First, not all travel ball destroys a childs love for the game. They dont need to have baseball practice every week all year long, and you dont need to be their taxi for that every week all year long either. And thats a problem for baseball at every level, all the way up to the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. And you should. Players invest a lot of money and energy into it. I wrote about this for Camden Chat in 2016: Orioles baseball will not be the most important thing that we teach our daughter about. Little League baseball is a program organized by a non-profit organization based in Pennsylvania and it features local youth baseball competitions all over the world. This is related to the previous: the best players leave the rec league for travel ball, and then the mediocre players get tempted to do so, and then all the kids get burnt out and stop playing baseball. The costs of travel baseball often put a serious strain on the family budget. You need the church, and the church needs you. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. . Operating Policies and Position Statements, Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty. Editor's note: This is the first story in a four-part series examining the pros and cons of youths playing extensive travel baseball versus Little League, or a combination of the two. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. That is why I was sympathetic to the angry dads argument and, in the end, took his son for the team. This is decided by the player's ability from the previous year of play and/or how they look in tryouts. A fun, family-friendly, reasonably affordable activity you can do with the kids? I had played non-stop from the summer before my freshman year, through fall ball, winter weights, the spring season, then summer ball before it started all over in my sophomore year. Having coached both my sons in travel an rec ball, and being on the board of our local rec league, serving as president for several years. Little League also hopes that parents understand the costs often associated with Travel Ball may be prohibitive. Maybe my son will get a chance to play as long as he continues to love the game. My older brother played sports from t-ball to college, probably would have went pro if he hadnt hurt his shoulder (yes, he was THAT good, Im not just saying it, he had an unhittab,e curve ball), but the decision was made when he first started that God and His church would always come first, and he would not play if there was a conflict between his first priority and the game. I am offering these thoughts for parents who are considering whether to put their kids on a competitive team, or a travel-ball team, or a tournament team, or whatever it may be called in your sport and locale. Check out: The Nehemiah Institute (nehemiahinstitute.com) I dont see anything wrong with having children that play recreational sports. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. A lot of travel baseball programs have their own training facilities where players have excellent conditions to develop their skills. By your argument, we should never have church services because, if were in church and the lost people arent, how are we going to win them? Since 2015, it has been known as The Emirates FA Cup after its . My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. No one should expect to make the show. Coaches pitch from a shorter distance than Rookie with a softer exterior ball. My 5 year old has peers that are playing baseball year round already! However, they are much more severe. My Kids Dont Play Sports Very good and same principles work for hockey too. The Reno Mustangs Travel Ball organization provides an opportunity to our Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play . If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. She excelled once she wasnt under my leadership and under the leadership of a professional. Well-roundedness: Despite the cultural drive for pursuing one sport, well-roundedness as a child makes for happy, well-adjusted adults. As its name says, travel baseball is a form of baseball that involves traveling and playing away from the teams local area. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. They had to draft 8th graders to play for the high school JV team so the others could step up and play the Varsity. Little League now includes a senior division for players age 13 to 15 and a big-league division for age 16 to 18. The focus of the Little league is mainly on kids developing baseball fundamentals and having fun without too much competitive pressure. The local Little League and the teams players, manager, or coaches, do not need to raise any funds to be able to participate in the Little League Baseball World Series. He said he had seen it happen. (Also, the boy could really hit. But if missing church on a Sunday for travel ball is condemning, then missing church for family vacations, work, sickness or any other reason is the same. Manage Settings Perfect! When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. I pray that God keeps me humble and rightly focused. I have friends I respect whose kids have played (and some who do play) travel ball, and I mean no offense to them by this post. Other parents might be emboldened to speak up. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? That covered SOME tournaments and a bat bag. And for the good of rec ball leagues everywhere, for the good of your family, and for the good of your kids, I would urge you to avoid travel ball until the kid is old enough to commit to a more demanding regimen. Girls have been admitted since 1974. Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. Ive heard of travel ball teams that play 60 games in a summerfor kids under 10!and then they practice at least once a week through the winter. The team brings the kids together and provides a common ground upon which they can build lasting friendships. We have truly enjoyed getting to know our travel team family! My son is 11u, and this fall was his first (and possibly final) season of travel ball. Im not saying that travel ball is a sin, but it seems to be something that Satan can use to tempt people away (especially dads). All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. Member since Aug 2014. It also has a successful 18u rec program. and our (Little League, 1) Paperback - September 24, 2013 by Matt Christopher (Author) 290 ratings Book 2 of 5: Little League See all formats and editions Kindle $6.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $7.24 37 Used from $1.28 10 New from $7.24 Paperback $7.99 66 Used from $1.29 20 New from $6.75 Audio CD Our daughter played travel softball for 9 years. Your marriage matters a lot more than some sport your kid plays. On the contrary, travel baseball is pure commitment! I also grew up watching sports slowly take over Sundays as the team practices/warmups got earlier and earlier until they happened during church times. 12527 posts. I also need it every day of the week. I recognize that although it isnt common for kids to be offered college scholarships for sports, it obviously isnt impossible. Baseball is the greatest game ever, it is exactly that, a game. Little League. 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