I coached rec ball when I was in my early twenties. Kids had to make teams. All-stars were the equivilant of today's travel teams (given geographical constraints). When I returned to coaching with my kids everyone made teams. This diluted the quality of play. The "everyone gets to play at the highest level, feel good" approach drove the market for travel ball. Fortunately our LL was very competitive. Some may not like the level of competition scared off less talented kids to the Ripken program. Our LL was criticized by some locally for being very competitive.quote:Anyone that's been around youth baseball for 20 years have seen the migration of talent from rec ball to travel ball.
When I coached BR baseball every kid was a former LL all-star since they had to make teams. They knew the game. They competed. This new feel good approach has made 13-15yo rec ball brutal in our area. There are kids who just can't play the game. Therefore, my son has played USSSA Majors (plays against fillsfan son) full time since 13U (now 16U).
I do like the memories I have of going from LL all-stars into BR all-stars with four teammates and then BR all-stars into Legion with eight of the players. Four of us played in the same LL (starting at nine) and all-stars and Legion together from eleven to eighteen. Three of us lived on the same street and played whiffle ball together at a very young age. Eight of us went through six years together. At 16U my son is playing with one player from his LL.