Ok, this statement is for everybody... Ask your kids in 15 years if it was worth it, then ask them if they will steer their kid, if talented enough, toward a club team. When you're at your next tournament, look around, see if everybody is really having fun. When was the last time you took your son camping, fishing, biking, or something else he likes to do? Or does he do anything else? Commitment is a valuable lesson, but so is being well-rounded.In America we put everything on steroids. Literally, look at steroids in HS sports. If I build a 500hp hot rod, you build one with 800hp... We're obsessed with how many gold medals we win at the Olympics. It's not healthy. But that's just my opinion, and you now what they say about those...
Why can't a kid play competitive travel ball and still be well rounded? My son started playing travel ball over rec ball because it was more fun. He enjoyed (and still enjoys) playing with kids that were at his skill level. People tell me my son is very talented. He is a high school sophomore who was the only freshman to make his varsity team last year. Yes, that took a lot of work. And I beleive he really enjoys putting in the effort. But he still does things outside of baseball. For example, we spent this weekend on the lake. He was out on a jet ski all day. On the drive home, we were talking about our plans for the school break at New Years. We have a few choices: Go visit family up north. Stay around home and hang out with friends, or go to Florida for a PG showcase. If it was up to him, I would be making reservations for Florida. (And we still may. Plenty of time to decide.)
My point is, it does not have to be baseball or everything else. You can play competitive travel ball and still have other interests. And if you think travel ball is time consuming, high school ball truly does take every free moment. So, should these boys not play high school ball?
You are not typical. I was at a (soccer) tournament yesterday and saw a Dad chewing out his kid and said kid crying, a kid telling his coach that the ref said they weren't getting calls because of said coach's conduct - to which the coach replied "question is, why are you talking to the ref," and two separate coaches yelling at kids and jumping around like monkeys on the sidelines during the game... Sheesh... Really? Including drive time we spent 18 hours consumed by this tournament. And I've spent around $1300 dollars this season... My son just finished travel baseball, same stories, more money. For what? All because of the greed for money and glory. I stand by my statement, it's a puppy mill for sports.
I'm sensing something didn't go well this weekend.
My kids had great travel ball experiences in multiple sports. None of them were excessively expensive. None involved long trips until showcases. The key is doing the research before jumping in. I had my kids pass on what I felt were the wrong situations.
Re: July 4th - Travel ball didn't exist when I played. I had a game every July 4th from LL through college summer ball. In Legion and college summer ball it was usually a doubleheader.