@Smitty28 posted:Don't overlook doing your own research. Look at the players on the team - where do you fit talent wise? Look at the tournaments they attend (PG, USA Baseball, PBR, etc) - do these fit your recruiting strategy? Look at the committed players on the team - are they committed to schools that are a fit for you?
You can also look at rosters and stats from previous tournaments to see how this team managed playing time or used guest players. You might have to pay an access fee for this info.
Also, do you know anyone who played or plays for this travel team? What do they say about it? Have they gotten better? Do they have a clear idea of how the coaches will help them in recruiting?
Spot on Smitty!
You have to have an idea of what you want to get out of travel ball before asking questions. A lot of time and money can be wasted if the research isn't done up front. Yes, I know as a 2025 you probably don't have all the answers yet, but eventually that time is going to come when the rubber hits the road. Take it from me, we made our share of mistakes but they didn't hurt us in the long run. For my son's situation this how we looked at it:
1) What is more important showcasing or winning national tournaments? - In my son's case, we found out it was equal based on how the organization operated. We were fine with it.
2) What is the Travel coaches network of college coaches? What doors can he open up? - This was huge for us in terms of a starting point, and later learning the ropes of leveraging my son's athletic and academic skills. The travel coach taught us to fish and we took it in a new direction because he lacked the network, experience and understanding for D1 HA schools (Ivy and Patriot). We had to learn that on our own.
3) Playing time expectations - It was very clear what my son's role was and what was expected of him. But I think this question needs to be asked 100% of the time.
4) Cost expectations - What is included and what is not included. As I've learned over the years, this varies considerably. The best travel organizations are transparent where the money goes and doesn't go.
As always, JMO and experience.