Travel ball has been good for my son. His coaches have a superior knowledge of the game over his high school coaches, they are more motivated to see him placed on a college team and they have better connections to make it happen. He will be a junior in high school this year and so it's still too early to tell what will happen but I would take travel over high school in a heart beat. Plus, for me, the high school season is too stressful with juggling practice and studying and worrying about why kids aren't playing more. I don't enjoy it and if my son said he wanted to skip high school I would support him with private instruction.