High School Baseball vs Travelball

I'm a high school baseball coach and I understand where you're coming from but I can't jump on the bandwagon with you. I think high school baseball is awesome but there are sadly too many instances of a lot of negatives. But the flip side is you can also say that of travel ball or whatever you label the team you play in the summer.

You could label the positives about travel ball until the cows come how and I could do the same about high school ball. You could list all the negatives about high school and I could list all the negatives about travel until the chickens came home to join the cows. Really no point in doing this because it's been done before on here. The ironic thing (I guess it's irony - I teach history) is that when you start looking at the positives for each side and find MANY similarities in both. Same way for the negatives.

This is a pretty big country and each area and region has it's own identity for baseball. Some areas high school baseball is more important while some areas summer ball is more important. But you will probably take off and truly enjoy the sport more when you realize that both are important. You mention that some treat high school as a warm up to summer ball and that is for each person to make that choice but I think it's such a waste. High school baseball is very important and needs to be very important because you are stepping on a field and playing and competing. That's why it's important. It might be because it's the local high school that only has 300 kids K - 12 and everyone beats them by 10 runs each game. I've seen those teams in the summer too. But those games are important because you can get something out of them. It might be learning how to focus when it's very easy to let your mind wander or getting backups some much needed time on the field. But regardless of high school or summer it's a chane to be on the field and compete - that makes it important.

As for the scouts thing there is a ton of truth that college scouts don't get a good chance to see you during the high school season. But it's a very valid reason since both are playing at the same time. But if you're relying on hoping the scouts see you at some game somehwere then you're doing it wrong. The player has to be proactive and make contact with schools, attend college camps, call coaches to find what showcases they will attend and send out summer and high school schedules. You might get seen playing somewhere but there are a ton of shoulda, coulda, woulda players out there who thought it would just happen. If you want to play baseball at the next level and you have the talent then you have to make it happen. High school or summer ball doesn't make or break you if you put the work in.

Maybe I'm wrong but your last sentence leads me to believe that your son didn't have a good high school experience. If that's true then I'm sorry for that but it really shouldn't impact how he plays. If your son is lucky enough to continue to play baseball at higher levels he's going to encounter many coaches who are terrible. Terrible coaches are everywhere - high school, summer, college, college summer, minor leagues and MLB level. Just like there are terrible teachers, lawyers, doctors, plumbers, carpenters, taxi drivers and a whole bunch of other whatevers. It's left to the individual to take something positive from everything. This might be a stretch here but I don't think so. My best friend has a 7 year old son who's autistic and he made the comment today it's hard to have a bad day around him. His son is a very happy child naturally and when I'm around him his dad is right - I have a great time although I can't really understand what he's saying due to him being behind in developing language skills. It makes me think that life should be like this - enjoy the heck out of it because it all ends the same way. So I apply this to baseball and I'm going to be happy out there. Yeah losing sucks, sitting on the bench sucks, playing for idiot coaches suck, being around idiot parents suck but you love the game of baseball so find something good about it no matter if it's little league, babe ruth, summer, USSSA, American Legion, college, MiLB, MLB or a whiffle ball game in the backyard. Enjoy the moment.

I'm sorry if it seems like I drop kicked the preacher to take over his pulpit to deliever a baseball sermon. It just seems like that there is more and more of an attitude that high school ball is irrelevant and the importance is all on summer. Baseball is baseball no matter where you're at. You can drop an American kid off someplace with 8 other kids from other countries and none of them speak the same language. You can still play the game correctly because that's how great it is and not too many sports can say this.

Anyway I'm done rambling on semi-coherently (I hope it's that good) and please don't take this as me attacking you because it's not. I just get fired up sometimes.

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It just seems like that there is more and more of an attitude that high school ball is irrelevant and the importance is all on summer.

the attitude comes from those who did not bat 1st play shortstop etc etc etc. as far as travel ball is concerned in some cases get kids together collect their money and travel.

I respectfully disagree with the premise of this topic. I see high school ball and travel ball serving two important yet different purposes in the development of a ballplayer and both are equally important in my humble opinion.

The difference between high school ball and travel ball is competition imho. Many travel teams are hand-picked (by the Dad's running them), thus competition for playing time is often neglible. In our situation for example, my son had a graduating class of over 1100 and well over 100 kids tried out for the freshmen team. There were several travel teams that fed into that "one" freshmen team and it was a big deal to make that team let alone find your way on to the field and play.

In high school ball, who makes the team and who plays is out of the player's and sometimes their parent's control for the first time. Some kids don't react well when the option is produce or sit which is what it is like in college ball. Travel ball often does not offer that dynamic imho. The best training for college ball is learning how to beat someone else out and playing under pressure.

Travel ball in general, offers better competitors in which to play against. In that arena, kids can compare themselves to the better players and hone their skills against them. Thus, both high school ball and travel ball are essential developmental tools for fairly different reasons imho.

Like a lot of things in life, the value you get from high school baseball depends mostly on what you put into it.

If you treat it like a joke, it will become a joke, albeit not a very funny one; if you treat it like something that deserves your best effort and concentration, you will emerge better from the experience.

My son's high school team was pretty weak, but even though it was frustrating at times, he wouldn't have wanted to miss out on playing with friends he had grown up with. And, as Coach2709 suggested, he learned important lessons in leadership, perseverance, and responsibility from going through the adversity his high school experience offered.

On the other hand, some of his travel teammates played for very strong private or public school teams, and my conversations with their parents led me to believe their rivalries with other strong schools gave a level of significance to their high school seasons that travel games seldom match.

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High School Baseball vs Travelball

Never understood this topic that pops up quite a bit.

Do they need to compete? Both can be great! Both are important! Why compare? Does one have to be better than the other?

Doesn't nearly every single "travel" player also play High School baseball?

CD and Swampboy,

Well put. Each has value, it is up to the player to find the value.

Example...like Swampboys' son, my oldest son's hs team was not very good. This provided additional opportunities for him to learn new positions, and get more ABs all year. Bottom line is his overall game improved year after year. He would not get those opportunities on his national travel team where he was a successful starting pitcher and lefty pinch hitter.

While we have had fantastic experiences with travel ball, by far our single best pre-college experience has been with our younger son's HS baseball team.

Great team, great coach, great teammates, great school, great atmosphere...and very competitive. Wouldn't trade it for any of the travel ball experiences.

In fact I would say, next to our older son's trip to the College World Series in 2008, our younger son's HS baseball experience was the best baseball thing yet for this family.

So I cannot agree with the original premise of this thread...at least not for us.

Before last year I would have agreed 100% with the original poster. My son had learned everything he knew about baseball from travel. The HS coaches had been indifferent at best and horrible for the most part. I had always thought of HS like it was LL. Fun to play with your friends, represent your neighborhood and just get some at bats.

We got a new HC last year. It makes all the difference in the world. The guy reminds me of Coach May in how he cares about the boys, teaches the game and his amazing knowledge about baseball and life.

So to answer the question, for me it is not HS vs. travel. It is "how good is your HS vs. travel coach." I truly feel blessed to have Coach Casey at our school. You have no idea what a great HS head coach can do until you get lucky enough to get to experience one. It is truly the best baseball experience possible.

Doughnutman thank you for that tremendous compliment.

I am with PG on this one. There is no need to compare them.

I hate to disagree with PG and Coach May, but in AZ, most HS programs have voluntary(mandatory) fall and summer programs. There is a conflict between HS and travel ball. Some programs do not allow kids to play travel from Sept through June basically. It is getting to the point where kids and their parents have to make a decision. PO the HS coach or don't play for a great travel program.

Two sport kids have it worse. Year round sport specific workouts are the norm.

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In high school ball, who makes the team and who plays is out of the player's and sometimes their parent's control for the first time.

sooner or later that is the way it works better sooner than later

I didnt think people would take this topic personal but it was a general observation. My last sentence after 4 years of varsity baseball, not alot of kids can say they were a 4 year varsity starter so he had an above average HS career. I can sum it up as in summer ball your surrounded with a bunch of high quality individuals and high school your kind of stuck with whats the pick of the high school. Its amazing how nice it is to be a part of a team of players who are tops from their area and there is a reason they are top players. HS doesnt always get you that. So you can see there are limits up front with HS. Not to say there is not good High School sitauations out there. But hey we get around we hear from other parents most time what you here is travel ball is a better situation all around. I think its because HS is all local everyone knows everyone plus a mix of good players not so good players and players who think they are good plus local politics and some schools have coaches that were picked due to the fact high school baseball is not high priority in most high schools as its not a revenue generating sport. Our basketball coach was an all summer long drawn out deal with a commitee and lots of newspaper articles about the process and articles about the top five canidates and the big announcement who they picked, same goes for football. In baseball its AD picked this guy thats not even been a head coach before and doesnt even make the papers. You have to hear by word of mouth.

The problem here is most people who think travel is more important are those who's only purpose of having their kid play is to go to the major leagues when realistically, 99% who play HS ball will be doing something else for a living at some point. The elitist snob attitude if you will. HS ball is what it is. An extension of the education system and those who are good enough from that school make the baseball team and play other schools for some school and town pride. Nobody is gonna care who wins between the River Dawgz vs The Mud Hens but many will care when a good school rivalry is on. The one thing I will say for summer ball is that the more serious players tend to play summer ball, but in the end, if people would stop getting hung up on which scouts come to their HS games, perhaps they might enjoy what HS baseball is supposed to be about.

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if people would stop getting hung up on which scouts come to their HS games, perhaps they might enjoy what HS baseball is supposed to be about.

And I also agree with PG and Coach May and CD.Why do we have to compare?

Just for what it is worth I have seen on this board in the last few years that most seem to care about is how many scouts will show up at their games.If that is your only goal then I feel you are missing out on a lot in the years of your sons playing baseball.

I am sure many HS programs arent good, and there are politics, but HS baseball was some of the best four years of my sons and our baseball experiences.We won the Section title for he first time in school history.The crowd, the community storming the field.It was like winning a world series.Best of times.

Enjoy the journey and the experiences. I know politics can dictate playtime, but honestly in 99% of the time the best players will play.It may take some time but they will rise to the top.

I wish so many would stop making every experience about exposure, and scouts.Just enjoy the experiences.

I'm confused . This is the High School Baseball Web, correct? This website was originally intended to help parents/players prepare and succeed throughout the high school period. Obviously the site has expanded over the years to include just about everything baseball related from youth to the professional ranks. There is a wealth of information on the HSBBWeb, and members/posters with a tremendous amount of knowledge that take the time to help other parents/players through the process. IMHO, and I'm not one to the stir the pot on this site...But perhaps someone needs to start The Travelball Web? All of the disgruntled high school parents can gravitate towards this site and complain about coaching, playing time, politics, lack of competition, etc...This group of parents will find that the same situations that occur in HS, will come in to play on whatever road they travel. Again...JMO.

Travel teams come and go -- even the best ones. I love travel baseball and competing at the highest levels, but it is all so itinerant.

On the other hand, their is nothig like playing for your school and your community. No doubt, it is better when the program is perennially strong and successful, but it is good even when it is not and even when the coach is not great -- because it has meaning that travel ball can never match. And it is meaning that lasts a lifetime.

So.... I guess I completely disagree with the original post.

Perhaps it is the town you live in, and the culture surrounding your home town. Our son loves his high school team and teammates. These are the kids he played Dixie Youth ball with. He has known every kid on the team since kindergarten. From a baseball standpoint they are about average, but they play hard for my son as he does for them. These are his best friends. We have only 1 high school in the small town, so there are no divided loyalties within the town. He also really enjoys his travel ball teammates and coaches. They are pretty much expected to come prepared to play. He likes playing with and against a steady stream of high caliber players. I agree that HS and travel are apples and oranges. I enjoy watching both, and I know my son enjoys playing both.

The reason this topic keeps coming up like tainted food mixed with too much liquor, is because there are two different philosophic perspectives, and while they are two completely different perspectives, they inevitable overlap, and the angst comes from that overlap.

I’m of the perspective that I believe at least 70% of all amateur baseball participants and/or observers share. I couldn’t care less if a player will play at the next level, whatever that next level might be. I’m interested in the team I score for and the venue they’re playing in. FI, if the team I’m scoring for is playing during the regular HS season, that’s all that interests me. I’m not worrying whether or not there are scouts or recruiters there, and in fact, if I had my choice I wouldn’t allow them through the gates because from my perspective they’re a disturbance that takes away from the game at hand.

Now if I was scoring for the same team in a summer tournament where only the top players and teams would be showing up, and it was fully expected that scouts and recruiters would be there, and in fact even encouraged, then the entire perspective changes, and I’d adjust my perspective accordingly. In that situation, it’s not about the team, the school, the player’s education, team camaraderie, playing with friends, or any of the other things I think makes HS baseball a wonderful experience. In that venue its all about individuals and what they want.
Team wins or losses mean absolutely nothing unless it gets the players into another game to have another chance to play in front of people who they think can help them in the future. Frankly, I don’t care for that venue because it leans way too much toward “I”, even though the skill level of the average player is general much higher. I don’t need to watch the best of the best to be entertained and enjoy the game, and I find it very fulfilling to try to project what the players will do in the next at bat much more than whether they’ll be able to hit college or pro pitching.

I have nothing against those who would rather participate or watch travel/tournament/showcase ball games because I understand why those people are there, but I’d much rather watch a regular old HS game during the season.

I would love for the terrible miss conception that only top level talent play on travel ball teams....in other words, if you play travel ball, you must be a top/great player!

While I do agree that most of the truly top level and talented players are on a travel ball team somewhere. IMO, most travel ball teams do not have any playing for them. There are just simply waaay to many travel ball teams and travel ball coaches who will gladly take a player to play for them.

For example, how many travel ball teams does Ca, Fl, Tx, Ga have for each age group? I am willing to bet the number of travel ball teams in the state of Ga is very near the number of HS teams (to include Freshman, JV and Varsity) as you can expect most TB programs to have multiple teams split by age group as well as some programs that have multiple teams in the same age group. Does anyone have any numbers on the total number of TB teams?

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Originally posted by parent2011:
Is it me or have others noticed that Travel has took over the importance of HS ball. Its like HS ball is a warmup for Travel teams as thats where real competition is and scouts etc.. Plus Travel ball seems to be so much more fun. HS ball is full of negatives. Alot of head games in HS ball. Players seem to play better surround by other high quality serious players. When players are in a better surroundings they are more relaxed and having more fun and play better. After 4 years of Varsity HS ball this has been my observation.

Thanks for sharing your observation/opinion. You know what we say about opinions? Obviously, I don't agree with yours.

To suggest that you don't find high school teams comprised of high quality, serious ball players is just a tad short sighted.

There are many, many great High School programs whose players consider themselves lucky, if not proud, to have a chance to play there. There is alot of history with many HS programs. Likewise, there are some very good Travel Teams that do a great job of preparing players for the next level.

Making generalities, on any subject is always dangerous.

So yes, it is just your observation.

I know kids that are playing on travel teams that could not make their high school team. Playing on the high school team is an honor and a privledge and very hard to do in our case. Many kids tried out only to have a few selected.

Playing for school and personal pride offers something that travel ball doesn't.

My son loves both and wouldn't want to miss anything with either team.

I agree. Comparing the two is comparing apples to oranges. The real comparison may be Legion vs. Travel. In our area Travel has decimated Legion. And its driven by the economics of college baseball. Coaches go to where the greatest concentration of quality players are. And normally its the pay to play tournaments that Travel teams go to. Or to the coaches' key compensation source: their own camps.

Legion was as close to a continued HS season as you could get, along with area rivalries and players getting to play together beyond the spring.

I'm as guilty as the next guy on this one, but looking forward to a return to Legion once the Rising Senior summer is over!

Is the talent level in travel ball better than high school? Yes. Is a kid more likely to be discovered for college ball at a travel showcase. Yes. But in terms of playing the game both levels have their value. It's kids playing ball having fun with parents having fun watching them. There's nothing wrong with the quality of high school baseball.

Back in middle school I was a bit of a parent travel snob. Middle school games bored me. I kept it to myself. I got over it by high school. The problem with middle school ball was some kids weren't physically ready to handle the size of the field. My son's travel teams had players who could already handle the size of the field usually playing against other teams with similar players.

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Originally posted by RJM:
Is the talent level in travel ball better than high school? Yes.

Not true here either in the Southeast. You can't spread a blanket over everyone based on your own personal situation/location. In our area, there are often over a dozen travel teams feeding one public High School team. Yes, every one of the HS players is on a travel team (the better travel teams). BUT, there are many many players on travel teams that are not good enough to make the HS teams. Same situation in softball. We've personally seen issues with players (and their parents) who have been at the upper end of talent on a travel team, not being able to handle the shock that they are only average or below on the HS team(if they make the team at all).

Also, HS players are recognized by their coaches and nominated to play in State Games where there are HUNDREDS of recruiters. Without HS ball, they might not have been nominated at all.

Travel affords other advantages.

So the issue is not Travel vs High School, it's Travel Team A vs Travel Team B.

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Originally posted by sandlotmom:

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Originally posted by RJM:
Is the talent level in travel ball better than high school? Yes.

Not true here either in the Southeast. You can't spread a blanket over everyone based on your own personal situation/location. In our area, there are often over a dozen travel teams feeding one public High School team. Yes, every one of the HS players is on a travel team (the better travel teams). BUT, there are many many players on travel teams that are not good enough to make the HS teams. Same situation in softball. We've personally seen issues with players (and their parents) who have been at the upper end of talent on a travel team, not being able to handle the shock that they are only average or below on the HS team(if they make the team at all).

Also, HS players are recognized by their coaches and nominated to play in State Games where there are HUNDREDS of recruiters. Without HS ball, they might not have been nominated at all.

Travel affords other advantages.

Amen!

In a way I am almost glad we don't have to worry about summer or travel ball here in Iowa. Since we are still playing HS ball here (ends this week) and state tournament starting July 22nd we don't have time to play summer ball. Most kids that want more baseball will play in PG's spring and fall league or other fall leagues, and we still send our fair share to to DI,II,III programs and into the MLB draft. Don't get me wrong I coached a travel ball team for 8 years before the boys started hs ball, but from talking to strenghth and conditiong coaches and PT's across the country there are a lot of kid's that are wore out by the time they make it to college or by the end of college from way to many innings played.

I personally think TB and HS have there place. While TB was great for my sons meeting new kids, playing against great players, spending time doing things on the road, etc, HS has it's place also like playing with all your local friends, pride in your school and area. Unfortunately for us our head coach took that away from my last two sons. I won't go into a long drawn out explanation but my son who graduated two years ago had a chance to play for the coach who won the JC world series and he wanted him to come play for him. But after his senior season with his HS team/coach he said he had enough of it and now instead of playing he is a new Marine reservist. And my youngest decided to leave baseball also because of the coach. My oldest had a great 4 years in HS. I am proud of all of them and what the are doing now, but I do enjoy going to HS games and TB games and would not have done anything different with my boys.

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Originally posted by sandlotmom:

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Originally posted by RJM:
Is the talent level in travel ball better than high school? Yes.

Not true here either in the Southeast. You can't spread a blanket over everyone based on your own personal situation/location. In our area, there are often over a dozen travel teams feeding one public High School team. Yes, every one of the HS players is on a travel team (the better travel teams). BUT, there are many many players on travel teams that are not good enough to make the HS teams. Same situation in softball. We've personally seen issues with players (and their parents) who have been at the upper end of talent on a travel team, not being able to handle the shock that they are only average or below on the HS team(if they make the team at all).

Also, HS players are recognized by their coaches and nominated to play in State Games where there are HUNDREDS of recruiters. Without HS ball, they might not have been nominated at all.

Travel affords other advantages.

So the issue is not Travel vs High School, it's Travel Team A vs Travel Team B.

When I compare travel to high school I'm talking about the 17/18U college prospect level of teams, not all travel teams. In our area there are about five or six teams showcasing the cream of the crop of the five county area.

In softball several years ago, my daughter's high school team was better than many travel teams. Of the starting nine six went on to play play D1 and three played D2. The pitcher was one of the best in the state. But this is the exception.

When this topic comes up it always seems to travel the same course. The same points are brought up. But something is always missed by so many imo. If the only reason a player is playing baseball is to get exposure and to play against the best competition he can find so he can help himself with opportunities for the next level, he won't be around at the next level very long.

A player should play the game first and foremost because he simply loves to play the game. He wants to play with the guys he grew up with. He wants to experience all the game as to offer with the guys he will be going to the movies with, double dating with, hanging out with, playing video games with, going to class with, hunting with, fishing with - you get the point. He wants to represent his community his school and all those that have gone before him and will come after him. He has grown up watching those other guys. Going to camps and getting instruction from them when they were players and he was an aspiring player in the program. He watched them play and he dreamed of the day he would be out there doing what they are doing. And he dreamed of doing it with his life long friends he has grown up with in the game.

The coach may be a clown. The program might not win a bunch. The field and facilities might not be top notch. But he doesn't see that unless someone he respects is constantly telling him those things. Instead he sees the field he has always wanted to play on. And the team he has always wanted to be a part of. And he dreams of the day when he and his fellow baseball buddies will put on those uniforms and do what those other guys have done and do it better.

A BY PRODUCT of all of this is the dreams that arise when a player is in a program and starts to realize they can and are determined to do more once those days at the HS are over. That if they work as hard as they can and dedicate themselves to the game they can continue to play this game they love a few more years.

The sad thing is that for many young players coming up in the game today they are taught and told that its all about exposure. Its all about being seen. Its all about them. And we wonder why so many young players do not understand what a team is all about. We wonder why there are so many selfish players today. We wonder why there are so many issues with young players and their parents. You see the parents get caught up in all of this very early. Jimmy is playing on a scout team. Billy's parents want him on a scout team. The hs is nothing more than rec ball to them and something just to do when the travel teams are not playing. Its not about the team. Its about Jimmy and him getting his exposure.

Travel baseball is summer and fall baseball. Its about a player finding a team where he can get innings regardless of his ability. Its about him in some cases just getting innings and experience and enjoying the game. And in some instances its about him getting exposure to college coaches and professional scouts while he is doing what he loves to do. The level of team and which one you play on has everything to do the players ability at that time or at least should be. For some they need a team where they will get a ton of instruction and development while they play. For others its about simply getting out there and doing what they do in the right venue for them.

HS baseball is about the team, the program and the development of young men not just as players but as young men. Exposure is gravy. Its not why you play. At least it shouldn't be. Not in my opinion. What happens when for years it has been all about you. All about you being in the right spot for you. All about you getting what you feel YOU need to get. And then one day your on a college team and its no longer about you. Your the back up. Your the back up to the back up. Your now in a situation where you are going to have to grind it out to find your niche. Your going to have to fight to get something. Your going to have to overcome adversity. And then for the first time in the parents life they are sitting there watching a ball game and there son is not even going to see the field. How do they handle it? How does the player handle it?

I coached hs baseball for many years. I coached one of the top showcase teams in the nation for years. Everyone of my players will tell you the most rewarding and fun times they ever had playing the game was in hs. It was pure. It was simply playing for the love of the game and to win that pitch. Win that inning. Win that game. Yes they loved summer ball. Yes they enjoyed and enjoy playing in college. But it is different. It is very different.

They both serve a purpose in the development of a player. They both are great. But they are both very different in many ways. But they both should be played for one reason first and foremost. Because they love to play the game. What it brings after that is gravy. If your playing the game for exposure. You will be exposed. And for all the wrong reasons.

And I could careless how bad your hs coach is. If you are using that as an excuse you will find other excuses when that no longer fits. If you love the game and you love to play the game then you will bond with your team mates and compete in spite of the coach. And a real player competes regardless. And once that first pitch is thrown the only thing that matters is doing what you have to do to help your team win.

People need to slow down on this exposure stuff. Do something first. Have something to showcase before you start trying to showcase. Work to become a player someone will want to see before you worry about someone seeing you. And play the game because you love the game. There are so many people left with a bitter taste in their mouth when this showcase, summer travel, scout team , etc etc is all said and done. And its because anyone will take your money. And everyone has a team. And everyone is trying to get exposure. And many times what your doing is putting your kid in a situation where he can only fail.

Its the old thing of putting the cart before the horse. Work and develop your game. While you play the game you love to play. And when your at the point where you have something to showcase let it showcase itself while you compete at what you love to do.

Coach May, what you have written may be the most insightful thing I have read on these boards, and I have read a lot of excellent things on this board.

You make some excellent points. High school is a unique time in a youth's life. I could add my .02 but it would never be as eloquent as what you posted.

Thank you, I think I will print this out and read it from time to time.

I see travel ball this way. Once everybody jumps ship from HS & Legion ball, all those same kids would still be playing only that they'll be part of expensive travel organizations as opposed to reasonably priced organizations which once had a connection to the town/city they play in which is HS & Legion ball. The talent won't be any better, they'll just be in a different place.

Funny how things sometimes work out. My son played both HS and Travel ball. His travel ball teams were far more "talented" Player by player than his High School team. They travelled to some of the bigger tournaments in Fla and AZ and he got a ton of exposure and contact from coaches - some on a national basis.

That said, his HS is historically pretty competitive. Junior year, he pitched them to the State semi's where he was "discovered" by a coach in our region. They had a lot of interest, even though he pitched and lost the semi. They followed him over that summer and offered a scholarship in July.It ended up being "the right one" yet before that they were not really on his radar. The following year, he and all his buddies that had been playing baseball since Little League, finished the deed, won the states with him on the mound.

Guess where his best memories of baseball are? A loss that got him a scholly and a win that he will never forget.

I am a big supporter of HS baseball. It is irreplacable IMO.

However, I get confused by those that say there is more talent on their HS Team. Maybe, we don't see all the travel teams out there, but most of the ones we do see are very talented. Some travel programs will have a dozen or more on the roster who commit to DIs or get drafted.

There really is a reason all those college coaches and MLB scouts spend tons of money and go to certain events. It's not to see kids who can't make their HS team.

HS Baseball is very important. Coach May has given some good reasons in his last post. For everything other than scouting purposes and level of competition, I much prefer HS ball over travel ball. And maybe the best reason is because nearly every player that has ever played in college has played HS Baseball. Why buck the odds? Why mess with tradition?

Regarding Legion Baseball, I grew up with it. Great program! IMO the very best Legion programs should enter their teams in the top events like WWBA tournaments. I think it's time that Legion Baseball considered this. I believe this would greatly enhance Legion Baseball and maybe help regain their past popularity in some parts of the country. Just a thought!

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I agree with PG. We've never participated in Legion ball, but I've met a lot of people who have and it's always 'thumbs up' from them. There must be something good about it to consistently get those type of reviews!

I'll bet a Portsmouth, NH area Legion team would do quite well anywhere!



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Coach_May

That was right on!

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Hey wklink...you haven't stopped flailing on that horse. That's OK.



But how about working a little of this in there?






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quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
Regarding Legion Baseball, I grew up with it. Great program! IMO the very best Legion programs should enter their teams in the top events like WWBA tournaments. I think it's time that Legion Baseball considered this. I believe this would greatly enhance Legion Baseball and maybe help regain their past popularity in some parts of the country. Just a thought!

I couldn't agree more! But what may be holding them back is the much higher price tag of entering tournies other than their own. The beauty of Legion has been its ability to welcome good players in the community without getting too hung up on the economics.

Still, perhaps regional legion posts could field all star teams that enter key tournies such as the one you described, or even just some established local ones such as the Northeast Select tournament going on in Worcester, MA next week.

I would like to give my son's experience this year with his first year of HS baseball. First I would like to give a little background on my son. The last 2 years he was a starter on a USSSA AAA/Major traveling team that had moderate success in tournaments. I don't say this to brag, just to give background on the type of competition my son has played.

This past spring I went to the parents meeting for all prospective baseball player parents. I truly enjoyed what the head coach had to say. He was really motivated and energetic for the up coming season. When he started talking about summer baseball I was very impressed. His plan was for all players to play with the HS team during league play, 2 days a week for 3 games, and for the players that can play on 1 tournament team. He stressed that he wanted 100% participation during league play and as many as possible for tournaments. He understood that some players had already committed to travel teams, but his goal was to make the HS summer team a team that can compete with the travel teams and a team that all the players want to stay with throughout the summer. He stated that there practices would not be mandatory, yet he stressed the importance of the boys playing together and growing as a team. The team would be playing baseball at least 5 days a week between practices, league, and tournaments. I bought in to what the coach said 100%, I wanted son to commit to HS team completely and help build a strong program.

Fast forward to this summer. There have been no practices where ever scheduled, no tournaments were played because not enough players would commit to playing and most players with tournament experience would play for other tournament teams, for almost 1/2 of the league games the team would only have 8 players. I understand that the coach can only work with players that show up; however having only 8 players show up for games is unacceptable when there are 2 summer teams to pick from.

Going forward son will continue to play for the HS in the spring, in the summer he will play in the league with his HS team and he will also be trying out for a traveling tournament team. I believe that the coach had great intentions; but circumstances did not allow him to follow through.

I do not want to come off as being down on HS baseball, my son loves playing for his school and takes pride in it. I believe that he will be able to do both, HS and tournament team next summer. This will only make him better; which will help make the HS team better.