What's the definition of "Travel Team"?

Its really a generic term that is up for interpretation.   Generally I think you need to play at least 7 or 8 tournaments.  But really who cares.  We are too caught up on what we call things.  There is always somebody better til you are the absolute best ever.  So call yourself whatever you like.

One could probably divide it into "local travel teams" and then "national or regional travel teams."  My sons travel team (back in the day) was more of a local travel team.  Generally they "traveled" to a local or regional tournament (usually within the state) once a month and scheduled weekend doubleheaders or round robins against other local travel teams in between tournaments. In the 6 years he was on the team (2005 to 2010) I only recall three tournaments out of state - Cooperstown, Sports at the Beach and one at the Ripken complex in Maryland.  Otherwise the tournaments were in Richmond, Hampton Roads or Northern VA.

 

His travel team was never about winning tournaments though we did win one I think, but its stated goal was to prepare the players for HS ball.

 

American Legion teams I would qualify as travel teams.  His Legion team played all over central VA - Staunton, Fluvanna, Albemarle (Charlottesville), Richmond and Fredericksburg.  Staunton was anything but local - usually a 3 hour drive home after a long day of baseball.  Usually would play Fluvanna and Albemarle on the way out (Friday and Saturday) then Staunton on Sunday before heading home.

 

Then you have "showcase" teams that aren't about winning, but more about showcasing the players skills.

Don't get tied up into what the "name" of the team is. Follow these guidelines.

 

1.  Play baseball in the summer

2.  Play on a team that challenges your ability to crack the lineup but not so tough you can't get playing time or so easy you dominate it - challenge yourself

3.  Make sure the team plays very good competition - challenge yourself

4.  Make sure the team plays in prestigious events, tournaments, show cases

5.  Play on a team that will play in front of scouts / college coaches

 

If you do those things you will have a very positive experience and you will benefit from it.  The other team may be a 16U Classic Travel Elite team versus your Super Duper Flippity Doo Stud Muffins.  It doesn't matter if both teams are the 5 things I listed above.

"Travel" in my area means you play teams from other towns (30 min to 1 hr away) and a handful of tournaments vs. just playing with the local towns kids at the local park.  Some teams may do more regional travel and go to a few overnight tournaments in neighboring states.

Travel can be community teams or open selection (tryout or invitation). The teams can be in a league or play tournaments. How far a team travel depends on the need. When I ran a team from 13u to 16u USSSA was 45 minutes away. Within 90 minutes was Sports at the Beach (CABA), Ripken and Diamond Nation (Cust). 17u/18u teams are typically regional or national to provide the players the right college exposure.

 

When my son was nine and ten he played community travel in the summer after his spring rec league. Travel was LL and Ripken all star teams. At eleven and twelve he played in a USSSA AA Sunday doubleheader league concurrently with LL. All stars went into August both years. From thirteen to fifteen he played USSSA Majors tournament ball. We had teams from several states coming to our area. At sixteen and seventeen he played on a travel team that traveled the east coast providing college exposure.

If you are filling out College Recruiting Questionnaires, many have blocks for High School Team and Coach and Travel Team and Coach. So "travel team" then is your non-high school (summer) team. Not much to read into there.

Originally Posted by coach2709:…

3.  Make sure the team plays very good competition - challenge yourself…

 

I agree with the overall post but I’d like to go a little deeper on this one. IMHO people often interpret “good competition” as meaning teams with top players, when it should mean something different. Teams and players are “challenged” when they have to play their best to have a good chance to win. Not every team has the talent and depth to play against the best teams in the country, but if they find teams to play that have equal or better talent and depth, they will be challenged, and that’s “very good competition”.

I agree with this 100% and thank you for clarifying this because that is what I intended by that statement.

Great advice, since tryout season is just around the corner.

 

1,2,3 is easy ... not sure our Legion team will do 4,5. (The 18U team does go to California and Oregon to play big tournaments, but none of the younger divisions do.)