Skip to main content

When ddid you start focusing on opportunities of a bigger program vs a small or one-off team.  What’s been some of your experiences and what would you do differently if you had a do-over, if anything?  

My son is a 2026 (13u), saddled between a one-off team playing majors and involved with a big program that lets him play up and down (12-14). Just curious about the good and bad experiences out there.

thanks in advance 😁

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I formed a 13u team that was the all stars of our eighteen league LL district. I targeted twenty players and got thirteen of them. I wasn’t looking for thirteen early bloomers. I took the 5’2” kid with the 6’2” dad over the 5’8” kid with the 5’6” dad. I took kids most likely to be high school prospects. The coaching staff was four of us with college ball experience. Two had pro experience.

At 14u I replaced three attitudes. At 16u, when the kids were fifteen I added three extra pitchers. We were one of the top travel teams in the tri-state area.

The next year (post soph summer) my son and four of his teammates were asked to play for a local 17u program that played a national schedule. An upstart academy acquired the rest of the roster that played 16u again and 17u the following year.

Every kid but one played some level of college ball. That one could have. He chose to play college basketball.

The focus of our team (13u to 16u) was to prepare kids for high school ball. The coaches were former pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. 17u team was designed to get kids committed to college ball.

From thirteen to fifteen a kid should be playing for a team that provides the best coaching in a competitive environment.

Last edited by RJM

Son started with a team that was all kids from our town of 15,000. Coaches said they wanted to train the high school team (our boys were 9 when they started). Two coaches had played college ball, two had no experience but one was a cop (I always wished he could taze umpires and opposing coaches we didn't like but no such luck.) He was the inspiring voice of the coaches.

We played all in Iowa, mostly within 30 miles of home, but learned sound fundamentals of the game. Three college baseball players from that group, two college basketball players. When one kid moved out of town, we added a player, but when the original kid moved back, he was back on the team as was his replacement. No other changes to roster over the years we played together.

The kids learned baseball but they also learned loyalty to a team and to a community--which was equally important. It's where my son learned baseball but he also learned ethics and coaches modeled what it meant to be a man, quite honestly.

He played with that team until freshmen year, then after freshmen year joined a larger travel organization that travelled more in the midwest. Before his senior year of HS we went to Jupiter with a team of kids from all over the country and after that was invited to join a travel team out of town. He would have had to move, miss his senior year of high school. It was a great opportunity and very tempting, but son discussed with college coaches, who said it was up to him, and he decided to pass. #loyal, he said.

Very proud of his decision.

At 13u your kid really just needs quality reps and/or competitive mound time. However, this is starting to be the time he needs to join up with a larger organization. As a general statement, they can offer more in the terms of training and coaching. Real talent will usually start to distance themselves at this time and generally by 15 you get a good feel for who the players are. Another option for 1 off youth teams is being absorbed into a larger organization. Discounts and savings can be negotiated if you bring a whole team aboard (especially if that team contains some really good players). Some organizations actually rely on this and become very competitive at 13u.

We did this with my older son's team right around the same age as your kid, and it has worked out for us. However, we also spent a lot of time talking with various organizations to make sure that we picked the best option (includes reputation, coaching, training programs, facilities, past success, PRICE, etc....) To be completely honest with you, the program that we went with was the only one to directly ask us "What can we do to help your kids?"

Buyer beware - It is OK to say "No thank you"

Only a year ahead of you, but wanted to give a fellow Texan some info on what I am seeing. We made the switch to a larger org at 13U. To a team that focused on development, had HS level teams, and recruiting contacts. I think we made the right choice. It gave son an opportunity to play 15 and 16U last fall as a 14U. He was able to see how things worked at that level. Playing in showcase tournaments was a big change from youth tournament ball at least with this Org. Coaches make sure the players get the opportunity to play in front of the level of coaches they need to so they can be seen. It was no longer about winning at all costs.

Another thing we have seen finishing up our last season of youth 14U is a number of small one team orgs seem to split up and kids switch to larger orgs for summer ball based on their skill level. They could stay local, go to a state level team, or regional, and true P5 D1 level prospects join the national level teams.

It is good to try and find the right level team where they will get playing time and be seen by the right level recruiters. Just keep in mind their level may change several times throughout HS. Sometimes late bloomers pass up the early bloomers that stop growing/progressing.

Another thing that has become a high priority for us is lifting (getting bigger, stonger, faster). Playing up has shown how much that matters. The bigger stronger hard working players have the advantage in most cases from what we are seeing.

Hope this helps some.

Just a observation from experience about academies. Being in the program at 13u or 14u doesn’t mean the kid makes the 17u team. What I saw was through 15u and sometimes 16u the organization was willing to have as many teams as there were willing paying customers. But at 17u it’s all about who are the best available players regardless of where they played the previous year and being on the A team.

Last edited by RJM

It comes down to what you want to do.  Is your son close with the kids he is playing with?  We had the same core group of boys starting at 8U select.  A few came and went.  We knew after 14U that my son was probably going to be a D1 player, and probably one of the few on the team.  We had a talk about moving to a power team but he was really against it, as he wanted to be with his friends.  Our plan then focused on showcases, so that he could prove he could pitch against top talent.  I would say we have no regrets.  Some of the best summers as a family, we have ever had.  Siblings had grown up together, the parents all got along, and the boys are best friends.  15U and 16U, we did start to get scouts at our games to watch, but most of our recruiting process was built on showcases/camps.  You just have to decide which path you prefer.  The showcase path is a more hectic schedule, trying to fit them in around travel ball, and more expensive because there are a few you really need to do.  If he isn't especially close with his team, 14U, 15U is a good time to break.

@RJM posted:

Just a observation from experience about academies. Being in the program at 13u or 14u doesn’t mean the kid makes the 17u team. What I saw was through 15u and sometimes 16u the organization was willing to have as many teams as there were willing paying customers. But at 17u it’s all about who are the best available payers regardless of where they played the previous year and being on the A team.

Agreed, like I said, level of play may change a few time through out HS.

Personally I don't see and issue with several teams at each age at the HS level. That is as long as the lower level teams are playing in tournaments that have the proper level of college coaches attending to see the players. Example B team is made up of low D1/D2 players, then they should play in front of those coaches. Same for D3/NAIA should play in front of those coaches.

This is a question that should be asked when joining a larger Org IMO.

Our choice was between local daddyball teams that included kids who hadn't made the HS team, or organizations.  My son played rec through 10U, local travel through 12U, but he wanted coaching by people who knew baseball, so we switched to an organization at 13U.  College recruiting wasn't even on our radar.  I didn't always love the organization - some years the coaches were better than others - there was plenty of drama each year, and in hindsight going to the big tournaments wasn't necessary for his college exposure, but my son loved playing with good players who were really focused on baseball, against good opponents.  He was prepared to play (D3) college baseball when he got there.

@RJM posted:

Just a observation from experience about academies. Being in the program at 13u or 14u doesn’t mean the kid makes the 17u team. What I saw was through 15u and sometimes 16u the organization was willing to have as many teams as there were willing paying customers. But at 17u it’s all about who are the best available payers regardless of where they played the previous year and being on the A team.

While, I get your point RJM, that can be a double edged sword.   If you are practicing, and playing every weekend with the best possible talent it raises the players level.

Additionally, when my son join tried out in the Fall- of 14U (for a national travel team) he did not make it.   He was the last one cut.   He doubled down and improved over the winter to make the team in the Spring.   There was only one national level team for a couple years.   Then something happened in travel baseball around 2007, 2008-ish.   All of the sudden these travel organizations were "sprouting" additional teams and feeder teams.   He stayed on the national level team, but I think it really helped that he started out on that team as a 14U player.  He developed quicker playing stiffer competition. 

Just my experience.....

Last edited by fenwaysouth

We experienced both ways.  Oldest son was coached by myself or another LL dad (again pulling the all-stars) all the way through 8th grade (13u) usually playing up an age group. After that we joined a "smaller" program for 1 year, and then moved on to a larger program for 15U-18U.  Ended up getting 3 JUCO offers, smaller D2 offers, and 2 D1 offers.  I loved coaching him, and the time we spent together.  We used to complain that we had to drive 30 miles for a game.

Youngest son played LL until age 9 (with me coaching) until we moved to a smaller community that did not have a good LL program.  He then moved between larger programs for 3 years playing up a year until 13U when he played on a fully funded team for 2 years.   Since then he's been with one of the larger travel programs in the area.  Started as a freshman on a top 5 team in Texas and we hope after an injury to have a great rising Sr summer. I loved coaching him when he was little and missed doing it when he would have been old enough to "talk" more, but I realized that he needed better coaching/team than I could provide (walk on college).   I'd love to drive "only" 30 miles to a game............as sometimes our "close" games are 90 miles away.  Get lots of car time although 50% of it is spent with him on the ipods and me listening to a game or sports radio ("you can only talk so much dad").

There are more than one ways to skin a cat, you just have to make the best of it.

Last edited by russinfortworth

I like all of these so far.  Good information across the board.  Thank you.  My son is young for his grade and I really battle with his immaturity on the field (shrugged shoulders after a strikeout type of stuff), although I was probably way more immature when I was 12.  I feel like a bigger program is the way to go, with focus on more/better training.  And performing around kids mostly playing and competing at a high level.  He spent 2 of the last 3 years in bigger programs, but we dropped out of one at 11u because they sold a paid coach scenario and instead all teams were coached by dads with kids on the team.  Not always a bad thing but not my preference.  

I appreciate all the comments and information.  You’ve given me more than I expected to ponder.  

Get “young for his grade” out of your mind unless you plan to hold him back and reclassify. Think in terms of his grade. Anything else is an excuse that becomes a distraction.

Dad of May and July kids who were small for athletes until they turned fourteen and fifteen

Last edited by RJM
@RJM posted:

Get “young for his grade” out of your mind unless you plan to hold him back and reclassify. Think in terms of his grade. Anything else is an excuse that becomes a distraction.

Dad of May and July kids who were small for athletes until they turned fourteen and fifteen

Yup.  Not an option.  We play up as much as possible.  Young for his grade and just shows his immaturity sometimes, nothing terrible, just kid stuff.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×