Playing on a Travel Team That's Not Local

How far away as in "not local".  My Kid (2021) plays on a team located 90 minutes from where we live.  There are teams such as the Evoshield Canes or Phenom Signature that have players from all over the country.   You attend their tryouts just like any other team.  Sure can expensive traveling that much though.

I would define a non-local team as any team that is located in a different region. For example, I would consider a team in New York a non-local team because it's in the mid-Atlantic and not New England. Thanks for your input 3and2fastball!

Most travel organizations publicize their tryouts.  Obviously you'd have to travel to their home location to attempt to make the team.  We are from New England as well.  During my oldest sons junior summer he was contacted by several "national" programs that assemble rosters from around the country.  He declined them all and stuck with his New England based travel team.  There are a couple of very competitive travel programs in New England that attend the big events (PG and the like) and often show very, very well in those tournaments.  Those New England teams regularly have many kids going D1 and have several MLB draft picks every year.  Are you currently associated with one of them?

Which clubs would you consider the top clubs? My club goes to many New England tournaments and one Perfect Game Tournament each year.

Baseballcomesthird, you specifically mentioned the southern teams. Do you have any relatives in the south? Could you spent June and July living down south and playing baseball? You could possibly find a team just for the summer, but that would be more difficult since most players will be available in the spring and fall. It would be easier if you're a pitcher.

I have a 2020, and am from the Southeast, specifically I live in GA very near East Cobb.  I can tell you that the East Cobb older teams are very difficult to get on.  You almost always have to be invited, but they do hold tryouts every year hoping someone will come out of the woodwork that is beyond impressive.  Typically it is the 11th and 12th graders that join these far away teams, hoping to get noticed by the higher ups in baseball, but in order to be on these teams you already have to be extremely talented. 

There are top teams at East Cobb and then there are teams that are very much NOT top teams.  Don't be taken in by the name on a shirt, not all East Cobb teams are created to compete at the national level, and I assume the same goes for MANY other organizations.  The top teams at East Cobb could have 25+ players for 16u, and the bottom of the bench, who rarely plays, is typically a D1 commit.  These teams will have host families over the summer for kids from out of state, but it can be a very hard road.

Have you looked at the PG list for top travel teams in 15u/16u/17u?  That would be a good place to start. Keep in mind also that as a 2020 you are 14/15, some people grew earlier than others and are SUPER impressive right now, but in a year or two may be more even with everyone else.  Don't judge a player, or team, based on what they are doing at 14u/15u.  There will be a LOT of evening out over the next couple of years.

CaCO3Girl posted:

  I can tell you that the East Cobb older teams are very difficult to get on.  You almost always have to be invited, but they do hold tryouts every year hoping someone will come out of the woodwork that is beyond impressive. 

And for context, we're talking about rising Sophomores who run the sixty in under 7 seconds, throw 88mph+, have a 90+ exit velocity, and are extremely impressive overall athletically and defensively.   If you fit that profile you can punch your ticket on one of the best national teams.   If not, it doesn't mean you cannot play college Baseball, you just need to develop more before a national team like that would be interested.

Baseballcomesthird posted:

Which clubs would you consider the top clubs? My club goes to many New England tournaments and one Perfect Game Tournament each year.

You've gotten some good advice above and I would agree with it.  I know a kid who did exactly what you are proposing, at about your age. I can't see how it boosted his trajectory over what he would have had if he instead stayed on his New England based team.  That said, one example doesn't make the argument one way or the other.

To answer your specific question, 9 and 7 have been out of travel ball for a couple of years, both now in college.  The two organizations that immediately come to mind for high level travel out of New England are North East baseball and the New England Ruffnecks.  Perhaps there are others, I know East Cobb was starting a program in New England but I couldn't speak to it's current status or success.  I would highly recommend you ask around, watch games at the Ruffnecks complex in Nothboro and not just simply look at websites.  Those are often not a good depiction of the program.  Some will post these huge alumni lists that include kids who may have put on a uniform for a one weekend appearance (or maybe a couple, sometimes after they had already previously committed to a school) or played for the organization at a young age and then moved on.  I suppose it's good marketing, but really isn't accurate and in my opinion reflects poorly on the organization.  Further, as CACO posted above, many organizations run multiple teams at the same age level, my experience suggests there will be variation in the quality of those teams.

Do your own homework in the real world if you are looking for the right fit.

Thank you all for the great advice! I now understand the bigger picture of travel ball. I am gonna play another year in the northeast and see where I am next year.

Baseballcomesthird posted:

Thank you all for the great advice! I now understand the bigger picture of travel ball. I am gonna play another year in the northeast and see where I am next year.

Come back with questions, even if they seem silly.  Many people on this site have been there and done that with their own kids, and there are many doing it right now.