HS Aged Travel Team Playing Time?

2018's 16U team has a hybrid approach - the top 5-6 players will play 5 innings out of each 7 inning game, and the next 7-8 players play three innings each but all get to hit. Pitchers throwing no more than two innings each. Team hits all the way through the lineup, today they hit 15 players so only 3 AB's for 2018 even though he led off. No concerns here, coaches doing a good job of rotating kids around and getting the key players enough time in the field. Will be interesting to see if things change once they enter some tournaments. 

That's pretty much what we're seeing, except for the fact that the head coach's kid bats lead-off & plays every inning of every game.  Ah, well.  The good news is that he doesn't have a twin.

Players that make a travel team should see playing time at some point during a tournament. During the heat of the summer pitchers and catchers should see pretty of rotation.  Of course Domingo knows the coaches kid always plays SS.  :-)

Guess part of it has to do with how big the roster is and also how many POs there are. I imagine some leagues/teams may have started POs at U15 level. Best players (starters) probably play for tourney or against a key rival with subs coming in for certain situations or one sided games.   

It depends what the focus of the team is as well as what the expectations set out before the season began are.

 

If its a travel team built to win tourneys then I would expect the starting 8 fielders plus the top POs to get the majority of the playing time.

 

If its a travel team built to get the kids playing reps and playing time then I would expect everyone to play equally, except in the championship games of a tourney.

 

If its a team built for college and MLB exposure then different rules apply.  I would expect all the players to get equal time on the field, but not always in the same game or tourney.  When they get playing time will depend on which schools are there and if there are any requests to see certain players or if the coaches are trying to highlight certain players to certain schools.  For instance if school x has contact the coach and requested that player y plays on a certain day because they are in town then the coach better play player y.  Or if the coach knows player z is interested in a certain school and he feels its a good fit for the player they he should play player z.  

 

I'm about to put up a post, hopefully later today, on my thoughts on an exposure team vs a travel team.  I know many on here have been through it but my son recently changed from travel to exposure and its a world of difference.

To me it would depend what the focus of the team is.

They will all tell you it is about developing players, but. from what I have seen very few actually do.  That takes a lot more than just playing in endless tournaments.  

Anyway, if the folks running the team are hooked on getting trophies you will see position players pitching and some kids playing every inning while others sit nearly the whole weekend. 

To me it should be about trying to help the kids develop.  So, I would put kids in situations where they are forced to face some of their weaknesses.  

I get why teams play to collect trophies.  It looks impressive to walk into a nice fancy facility and see 150 trophies and plaques on the wall.  A lot of parents will assume the coaching is better at a place like that then at a place where the team is going 1-4 in a lot of tournaments, not the case a lot of times.  

The other thing is I would stay away from teams that send 9 or 10 kids to a tournament.  Guys can't even properly warm up to come in and pitch.  That makes me crazy.  

In my son's American Legion team, there are 4 players that always play (and they bat 1,2, 3, and 4). There are a couple POs, and a couple "pinch runners". The rest rotate from game to game.

 

Last week a PO's parent talked to the coach about getting some field and batting time for his son. The coach just said one sentence, "give me your son's uniforms and he's out of the team."

In our travel team the guy who ran the entire organization made it very clear at the kickoff meeting that for the 1st month of the season all position players would play at least 50% of the time. For the last 3 weeks when we attended the competitive tournaments it was the best play. Everyone knew the rules before they paid their money.

I love the comment about coaches son playing SS...So true and so funny!

For years my son begged to play (or at least learn) to play MIF and could never "break in"  interestingly enough he was seen by a regional pro scout who liked his htf times and his bat...first thing he asked was...Does he play second base?...as he ran out on the field to play OF i could tell he was disappointed since he is a sub 6 foot OF.  Now entering college the coaches are working to convert him to 2B.

So...If my younger son plays, and its pretty clear at 1 he is obsessed ...while the coaches son becomes an average or so SS...my son can work to be the best 2nd baseman around since nobody fights over playing 2B...if thats what makes him happy of course...

I couldnt resist on sharing...seen that for years...its the norm.

Oh...and to the original poster.

Summer HS age teams range from playing everyone to playing only 9 depending on how good and how competitive the team is and also sometimes based on the coaches motivation of winning or of showcasing players for recruiting.

At the end of the day just straight up ask...is my son going to start and where would he hit in the lineup?  If you get an answer and you like it great...if you dont get a straight answer or any at all you may be wasting your time and dollars on something that isnt going to end up how you hoped.