Little League vs Other large organizations vs smaller leagues vs travel teams

Such a topic could go on for dozens of pages & belongs in the pre HS forum.

In the end, it all depends on what alternatives are available in your area & how competent the coaching is.

The quality of a team or program will be based on the quality of the local people behind the product, not the brand name. My son played CR in the spring and community based travel in the summer at nine and ten. He played LL and a USSSA Sunday doubleheader league simultaneously in the spring at eleven and twelve. His LL all-star teams played into August both years. Then he as done until next spring.

I can't tell you what league works best in your community. However, at such a young age it is not about the league or the team it is about learning. Most 9-year olds have the attention span of a knat.

Finding a program that works on the basics (catching and throwing, where to be on the field, what it means to be part of a team, how to lose and be a good sport).

For us; our guy played LL and has great memories. Yet, I was very involved and took great pride in teaching what I could about the game.

What every you decide; stay involved. Throw with your kid, let him learn, be positive and he may find joy in the game.

Could not agree with ILVBB more.

Our area was a Little League for decades - I played in it, my son played in the same league on the same field.

Then, when he was 13, the league switched to PONY so they could merge with another league in a nearby town due to declining numbers of kids in this area.

National program didn't matter - it was the people who matter. Still a great league and still teaching kids to love the game which is all that really matters.

Sounds like you need to chill a bit.

If you can't then move to Georgia and join the East Cobb program or move to Simi Valley in CA for the PONY program.

quote:

Originally posted by rodk:
For a 9 year old, technically 8u because the birthday cutoff for 9 for baseball purposes is May 1.

Discuss amongst yourselves. Please relate good and bad experiences. If you have know about large multi-state LL competitors, like CABA, Dixie, Dizzy Dean, USSSA, etc. or about smaller, local based leagues or about travel leagues, please share.

I'm sick of LL because it is run like the Politburo in our community.

Sems to me that you are looking for competitive opportunities but played on a very simiplistic 8 year old level (as per your last topic).

Good advice from ILVBB, at your son's age it should not be about the league or team but about the learning. And sounds like it would be more enjoyable for you as well.

Agree, these topics should posted in the pre-high school, please direct them there.

As youth players, both of my boys played in a league that basically had for each age, half a dozen travel teams in an upper division, & at least that many same age teams in a lower division. May sound shocking, but the upper & lower divisions started when the boys teams were 6 or 7 years old & tryouts were not allowed for either division teams.

By the time both of my boys were 9 in kid pitch, my sons upper division teams really didn't have to worry about players with short attention spans or lack of want to. Not that players were cut off the best teams, they weren't, just parents & sons realized that level of youth ball did not fit them well & usually moved to other teams. By 10-11 years old, the very best teams from this league, for the most part, no longer played league as they were very dominant regional tournament teams (or very close to dominant). Even playing a year up in such a competitive league setting provided little challenge for these travel teams. As the teams became older (& extremely strong for their age), the challenge was usually trying to have quality practices with everyone in attendance including several players from at least an hour away.

From what I've noted this upper division/lower division travel program route only works well if the ballpark has a really large program & is very well administered. It surely is not for everyone! Within a 25 min drive, there are half a dozen other complexs with their own programs, no LL, no Pony, no Cal Ripken. Of all the large local programs, only one has drafted league ball & even it has opened up a league inside a league for the most competitive 10-12 year old teams. Having its roots in drafted rec ball with a lot of longtime patrons, this league has more than its share of infighting & politics & its not without surprise the very best teams from its area do not play league there.

Not sure of how much this will help you, different areas around the country offer many different options, while some offer one program & that's it.

Just look for a good team/coach. Don't worry about all the other stuff.