How do you find a 'good' travel/elite/showcase team?

I found my sons 2102 summer team on this site. While it is an offshoot of another program i did my due diligence as best I could and am happy with the decision so for. Guess we will see as summer goes on, but we are listed to attend some good events and hopefully it will pay off.

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Originally posted by lefthookdad:
I found my sons 2102 summer team on this site. While it is an offshoot of another program i did my due diligence as best I could and am happy with the decision so for. Guess we will see as summer goes on, but we are listed to attend some good events and hopefully it will pay off.

DITTO!!

quote:

Originally posted by lefthookdad:
I found my sons 2102 summer team on this site. While it is an offshoot of another program i did my due diligence as best I could and am happy with the decision so for. Guess we will see as summer goes on, but we are listed to attend some good events and hopefully it will pay off.

That's what I call planning ahead! 2102?? And it looks like you're not alone.

sounds exactly right to me

I think the bottom line is you have to find a team that has high calibre players already attracting looks (as stated in another post) or you have to find a team that will be regularly PLAYING teams with such players.

THEN, you have to do your homework to be sure colleges you are interested in know you are there too and want to be looked at.

And finally, regardless of team, you should narrow your college search so that you can know who you want to be looking at you. If you don't do that you'll be pitching lineless hooks into the sea.

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Originally posted by mcmmccm:

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Originally posted by lefthookdad:
I found my sons 2102 summer team on this site. While it is an offshoot of another program i did my due diligence as best I could and am happy with the decision so for. Guess we will see as summer goes on, but we are listed to attend some good events and hopefully it will pay off.

That's what I call planning ahead! 2102?? And it looks like you're not alone.

Good catch...sausage finger syndrom got me!!!!LOL

This is a good subject to discuss. At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all here are my thoughts.

1. Be sure you have the type of talent necessary to draw attention. Playing with good prospects is very beneficial, but not so much if you're not a good prospect yourself.

2. Most of the very best programs go out and recruit the players they want. Watch out when someone wants you on their team even though they don't know much about you and your ability.

3. Several teams hold tryouts. While these tryouts can create an opportunity, often they are used to simply raise money for a team that has already been pretty much selected. Still might be worthwhile in many ways.

4. Cost... Remember that the best teams want the best players. You might say they recruit! In fact, they do recruit! So the best players usually have no problem finding a top team. Travel teams can cost anywhere from "nothing" to $10,000.00 or even more. The very best players are not likely to be the ones paying $10,000 because everyone wants them. Then again, understand that the best situation isn't necessarily the lowest cost. (See justbaseball's original post)

5. We (PG) know most every top level travel team. We also usually know the people starting new teams that plan to be competitive. Of course, we don't always know enough about every organization (especially new ones). So, it might be worthwhile to ask us. (not online though)

6. Goals... What do you want, where do you live?... drafted out of high school? recruiting interest within a certain region? National recruiting interest? Competition against the very best? Winning? Improving your game? Learning the game? etc. These things can help you determine what to look for, if you have a choice.

7. Leadership... Who is running the team? Most of the top teams act accordingly. The coaches care about the players and want to help them develop. They promote their players and they have credibility in the scouting and recruiting community. Those that have been around awhile all have reputations. Doesn't really take a lot of research to figure out if this is something you're looking for.

I could add much more, but that's enough for now.

Be realistic about your son's ability and your expectations. What is a great team for one player might not be a good fit for another. Please watch a team play before you decide they are the team for you. A very good player on a crazy good team will not get much playing time. You do not get exposure if you do not play. Just something to consider.

Thanks PG for a great post. Don't be shy. You and a few others are the backbone of this site and why we look here day in and day out.

Curious? Is there or should there be a difference in focus for underclassmen (9-10) and upperclassmen (11-12) since there is little scouting done in regard to the younger players?

Justbaseball;

a great list for a very important decision in a player's future.
In the early 1980's, not 1880's, I started the 1st travel team in Sonoma County and we played teams from Oakland, San Mateo, Danville, Eureka, El Cerrito, Chico and Carson City. During the 6 years this league sent over 40 players to the MLB. Of course, there was no cost to the player except hotel room [4 to a room].

In 1987, when I started the Area Code games [wood bats], we also formed the Chicago Cubs travel team [11 future MLB players].

You may add to your list the philosophy of the pitching coach [innings, pitch count and time between starts]. Also the development of the middle infielder and base running and base stealing. Players learn from each other and this is important to develop team "chemistry".

Does the Head Coach alternate the #1 hitter w/ the #9 hitter. How does the coach use his entire team? Development or "win at all costs". There are methods to use the entire roster
"double DH, left hand hitters vs right handed pitchers and righty's vs LHP.

Pitchers who play a position should NOT be used at SS or RF.

What is the system for obtaining sponsors?

Bob

There are some terrific posts here, and it's a terrific topic.

Within PGStaff's seven excellent points, I'd place #7 first in importance. I don't care how much baseball knowledge a coach has. If he's developed a reputation for being a "bad actor, " I don't want my son playing for him.

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Curious? Is there or should there be a difference in focus for underclassmen (9-10) and upperclassmen (11-12) since there is little scouting done in regard to the younger players?

mcmmccm,

The younger the player the more important development is. I'm not sure what you are referring to with underclass (9-10) and upperclassmen (11-12). If you are referring to age 9-10, 11-12, IMO it's all about development... and having fun.

Having fun doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. Even among younger kids there could be a different definition of what is fun. For some it might be joking around, eating ice cream, and playing baseball. Others might want to add more serious competition to the list. The list isn't important, but having fun is!

The stuff I was referring to pertains to the older levels. Though I suppose some of it would also pertain to the younger kids.

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Originally posted by PGStaff:

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Curious? Is there or should there be a difference in focus for underclassmen (9-10) and upperclassmen (11-12) since there is little scouting done in regard to the younger players?

mcmmccm,

The younger the player the more important development is. I'm not sure what you are referring to. The stuff I was referring to pertains to the older levels. Though I suppose some of it would also pertain to the younger kids.

PG, I was refering to Frosh/Soph vs. Junior/Senior in HS.

Sorry, I must have had a brain cramp. To answer your question, these days there is a lot of attention given to underclassmen. 16U is very popular with college coaches. The old wait until the summer of your jr year can be too late these days. Especially if something happens that disallows a jr to perform at his best (injury). The top colleges are gluing in on freshman and sophomores these days. The recruiting world has changed. We have had over 100 colleges attend some 16&U events. Young players are making verbal commitments earlier every year. Many colleges that didn't participate were losing out and are joining the rest. The player always has the choice whether to commit early or not, but players are being discovered much earlier than they were only a few years ago.

So to answer your question, now that I understand, I would use the same focus (regarding travel teams) for both underclass and upperclass. Both for the reasons above (16U has become serious recruiting ground) and to get established with a very good travel program.

Keep in mind that this pertains mostly to those underclassmen that have a lot of ability.

Hope that my "opinion" has helped answer your question. Others might have a different opinion.

PG, do you think the 16U group is now garnishing more attention than the 17U group or are the being scouted about the same?

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PG, do you think the 16U group is now garnishing more attention than the 17U group or are the being scouted about the same?

I will be interested to hear what he says too.

My own observation watching 2 sons about 7-8 years apart was, 'yes...for the better prospects.' But I also saw a lot of 'late recruiting' for schools to fill out their classes...that is, it seemed like more activity than I saw with older son around HS games etc...

My thought is that for PG type events (higher end prospects) that the college focus has shifted to younger ages. For the last parts of recruiting classes, from what I saw it has shifted more towards watching HS games.

Started my own Elite team

Tom, since you are in my area, or I am in your area, what is your team name if you don't mind me asking?

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PG, do you think the 16U group is now garnishing more attention than the 17U group or are the being scouted about the same?

No, 17 and 18U still are the biggest attractions for scouts and recruiters. Of course, many of the top 16U players play 17U. However, 16U have become the fastest growing events for college recruiter attendance and interest. MLB scouts tend to follow mostly 17 and 18U events.

Thanks PG

This is a very useful thread for parents of any aspiring student athlete, and the student athletes themselves. Thanks in particular to justbaseball and PG for their contributions. I hope this thread gets many views and the posts keep it toward the top, as it contains information many people need to understand.

Such a great topic. There is no one right program for everyone. Parents need to do their homework in looking for a program. The one thing that is most important is a parent needs to be realistic about their son's ability. Out here in SoCal there are so many programs it can be overwhelming. The best advice I can give is to talk to parents of programs you would be interested in. They can be the best reference. They will tell you how they really feel about a program. If a program is promising too much I think it can be a red flag. I have heard of programs promising scholarships or a college will not recruit you if you don't play for them. Bottom line is do the homework.

Questions I wished we had asked in regard to "pitcher only players".
Do pitchers travel with the team or do they come only when needed?
Do they pay the same as other position players? (if parents are paying hotel costs)
How are pitchers rotated?
Does the travel team have practices?
Will more pitchers be added onto the roster at the managers discretion?
Will pitchers be used at tournaments that were not on the roster?