re: Stealing home: How travel teams are eroding community baseball (Washington Post)

Everyone who writes an anti travel article tries to convince the reader it costs $2,000+ to play. My teams played ten tournaments and two or three doubleheaders for $500 per player. That cost was before sponsorship money. I had kids playing free based on the sponsorship money their family brought to the team.

A link to an article providing anecdotal opinions, posted by a member with an agenda?

 

"Interesting" is a weird choice of word.

 

 

 500, in my experience, is really cheap. 2K is more like what we pay in these parts.  But these in these parts everything is expensive, admittedly.

 

I don't know about agendas, but it is an interesting issue.  Many people say that club soccer has already seriously downgraded HS soccer programs.  Can't speak to the truth of that.  I do know that almost NONE of the best soccer players in our school play for our varsity soccer team.

 

Though the same thing hasn't happened with baseball, I do wonder if the same thing is coming to baseball sooner or later.  It wouldn't surprise me.  

 

On a related note,  I think the CIF did the right thing a couple of weeks ago when it held firm on the prohibition against kids playing for their HS teams and  their club teams in the same sport in the same season.  But according to the press coverage I read of the vote,  California is sort of swimming against the tide there. In recent years, an increasing number of states allow kids to play both club and HS in the same sport in the same season.   Seems to me that if that trend continues, it could well mean that HS sports in general start to go the way of HS soccer.  

 

I read that  one problem in CA that drove this issue to a vote of the CIF  was pressure from parents who objected to the fact that  it's alright for kids to compete as INDIVIDUALS in the same  sport outside of school during the school season.  They can't just be on an outside TEAM.  So, a HS swimmer, say, can enter individual competitions during the HS swim season.  But a HS baseball player can't.   Some parent is probably going to sue over this some day in the not too distant future. 

 

Wonder what folks here think about such issues?  

Love the way half the "research" in the article consists of talking with guys in his local baseball circle and he cites himself, with his three years as an assistant youth coach, as an authority on the cause of Strassburg's injury.

 

Broad brush superficiality reinforcing the biases of one camp with no insight or homework.

 

He so unquestioningly buys into the biases of blame-all-evil-on-travel-ball crowd that I wonder if he is even aware of the assumption implicit in the headline (which of course he didn't write and isn't responsible for) that it's up to the players to support community baseball and it's not community baseball's job to provide a baseball experience worth staying home for.

This article does a good job of pointing out that kids don't have to be stuck in their local leagues playing for some used car salesman that is gonna over use his arm because he knows nothing about baseball. It's clear that if a family chooses to play a schedule of stiffer competition, that their is a place to go. Having options to move to another organization that you think will be a better place for your son is a huge benefit, and a great alternative to somebody trying to sell you some crap about local pride, ("stay here and be miserable! be mediocre! there is no need to see better pitching! don't play tougher teams and get challenged....stay here and you could hit .700 this summer!!

 

Parent's don't buy into these silly agenda filled articles. There are many levels of baseball out there, Travel Ball isn't for everyone just like participation leagues that don't keep score and won't let runner's lead off base aren't either.

 

Yep. And the saddest part is that some readers will interpret this as "meaningful" (or, in the case of the OP, "interesting") journalism. This article is literally filled with nonsense.

 

It isn't more expensive in your area. I could cite a local academy who charges $3,600 per year. Travel baseball until showcase ball is only expensive for suckers.

 

I started a 13u team and kept it active for three years through 16u. I wasn't looking to pick pocket parents. I put together a coaching staff of four who all played college ball (two pro). Among the four if us we had infield and outfield play and pitching and catching instruction covered. We coached because we enjoyed it, not for financial gain.

 

Don't know the game well enough to coach. I know a dad who found three coaches with baseball backgrounds to volunteer their time while he did the administration for the team.

 

Baseball shouldn't be costly until having to travel the showcase circuit.

 

Personal opinion: Anyone paying thousands to have their kid play on a prepubescent, preteen team should have their head examined.

The original poster is one of those tired old Legion people with an agenda to save Legion ball by trashing travel. This poster comes up with occasional articles to tell us how terrible travel ball is for baseball.

 

Where my kids grew up the Legion people tried the same tactics. The college prospects were leaving Jr Legion and Legion in droves. Legion ball in our area is end of the lineup and bench varsity players and JV players. The quality of ball is mediocre. Most pitchers are in the 75-82 range.

 

There are probably some areas somewhere where Legion is still relevant. That time has long past where we lived. Even in New England where I live now (and people don't like to change from the way John Adams did it) travel is scooping most of the D1 prospects away from Legion.

RJM

 

I'm not following you exactly.  3,600 is more than 2,000.   I didn't take the article to be just referring to 9U - 12U travel  (as opposed to little league)  But I admit to only glancing at it.   Anyway, that's not what I was thinking of when I said 500 sounds cheap.  My kid started this travel thing at 11.  True it was cheap in the early days. Got more expensive as he got older and started playing for supposedly "elite" organizations.    And when you add in the lessons, etc.  it does tend to add up. 

Ah, okay. 

 

Well, rec ball is on it's way out, I think. The final year in which I coached Pony League,  our 14U all stars basically sucked, because most (but not all)  of the leagues studs players give up on rec ball  by that age.  Our league strategy to combat the exodus to travel was having our own in house club teams.  A number of leagues do likewise I learned.  (I think Little League prohibits this but I am not sure)   Unfortunately,  we could only do a few tournaments a year,  and mostly we couldn't compete -- though every now and then one of our club teams would win a tournament.    We only ran the club teams during the Pony league season up until All Stars started.  

 

Anyway,   I understand the Legion guy's sense of loss.  

 

By the way,  I tried to convinced the board that we should go whole hog and run full time Pony Club teams  throughout the year, and then parcel out the club players to the different rec teams during the official Pony season. I argued it would give us the best of both worlds.   People liked the idea but thought it was not practical -- where would we get the coaches, etc.  I said, we'd have to have paid coaches to do it.  That ran counter to the volunteer spirit of our league.  Plus people wondered whether the year round club players would really commit to playing the rec season for us. 

 

But you are definitely right.  Time moves on.  Things change.  And trying to hold on against the tidal wave is, well, a losing battle. 

Sluuger ... When my son was eleven I ran a travel team in a Sunday doubleheader league concurrently with the LL season. The roster was fifteen kids most likely to to make up the twelve man LL all star team. At the same time another dad started a 12u team. Both LL teams won our large district and went to states. The next year our LL had 9u through 12u teams. The travel teams had nothing to do legally and financially with the LL. But every player was from the LL.

 

Anyone who coached a travel team was ineligible to coach all stars by LL rules. I coached a LL regular season team, a travel team and I trained outfielders for the all star team as an unofficial coach in all star practice.

 

To make this situation work, each Saturday the league coaches emailed me information on the weekly pitching activities of the players on the travel team. They also included when they wanted them to be available to pitch the following week. With two six inning travel games pitchers only needed to pitch an inning or two. Since my LL team was loaded with pitching I sometimes held back one of my pitchers to go three or four for the travel team if we needed innings. 

@RJM,  your comments are so far off base.

 

I am NOT even involved with Legion baseball.

 

Just sharing another side that most will never hear about on this board.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted wrong link ... this link allows you to see the 104 comments posted on Washington Post website as of 6pm, May 26th ... 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...b59cde7b9_story.html

This article, and most others like it, don't make an argument for why parents should keep their kids in Little League, other than "community".  Perhaps instead of criticizing travel ball, they should critique the quality of the Little League product.

 

My kids played in Little League when they were young, and I coached for 3 years.  Our league had a local rule that requires all players to play a minimum of 3 innings and bat the whole lineup, which means playing time for everyone is very close.  Because of this, the coaches (myself included) spend most of the practice time working with the bottom half of the lineup, trying to develop the most basic skills.  You had to or couldn't win a game.  The better kids got starved of practice reps and didn't have great fun watching grounders to RF become inside-the-park homers.  This is why the better kids are leaving.

 

I asked other coaches in the league if their kid improved as a ball player, and they said no.  I asked why they stuck with it and they said "all-stars."  Never mind that our league has been 2-and-out for as many years as anyone can remember.  I decided to put my kid into travel ball after that season and he never had so much fun.  Playing with 9 players that could actually play, stealing bases, throwing guys out, picking off, he never had so much fun and we've never looked back.  And he saw a correlation between skills, effort and playing time!

 

In my opinion LL is just not a very good product.  The "everyone must play" rule makes it un-fun for the better players, and waters down practices so skills don't develop at the same pace as quality travel programs.

Another point that gets missed is that travel ball creates more opportunity for players that otherwise may not see as much playing time.

 

As players move to travel that can open a spot on a roster, in the local league.

 

Two years ago the HS coach at our school had all seventh graders try out. the best were put on a Travel team associated with the Middle School, or were given the option to play on a non affiliated team. These players started playing in March and played until sometime in July. 

 

Those that did not make the team or chose not to travel played on the Middle school teams. 

 

So many were upset. Parents who's sons did not make the travel team wondered if their kids would get a fair shot in HS. HS school coach doesn't care what team a freshman played on in MS. He just wanted ball players.

 

What these parents did not realize that their kids were going to continue to play, and get playing time. If the coach stuck with the old way many of these kids would not have made the MS team, And those that did may not have gotten as much playing time.

 

For the coach it was about providing opportunity to play and get better. He is trying to get the numbers up. He did not pick the players for the team. He does not want to know where a freshmen played in MS. He did not see the point in telling 30-40 Middle Schoolers, sorry you did not make the team. Many would have stopped playing right then and there.

 

Travel ball creates opportunities not just for the Travel Ball players, but also other players in the community.

Personally, I thought it was a pretty decent article worth a read. Not way overbalanced/opinionated.

 

As for travel ball. My son started at 11u and yes, in part because he got snubbed out of playing 9-10 All-Stars despite being, by far, the best catcher in the LL program and top-3 hitter. He did not make it because he was known to be a great gamer and a so-so practice player. "They" were concerned he would not do well with the daily practices for 2+ weeks. They were right to be concerned. We were pissed. But he went to a good travel team, did well, and worked hard. He learned the necessary  lessons.The next season he was a slam dunk for 10-11s, caught every inning, and had highest BA and RBI on the team. Made AS through Juniors and was a leader on the field.

 

He played LL in Spring and summer and travel in fall. He started year-round travel at 13/14u and just played HS JV as a 2017.

 

I think LL will always be a great option for REC players and Williamsport is the center peg in the LL tent keeping many of the best 11s and 12s to chase that dream. But by the big diamond, I think travel ball rules supreme. But again, there should always be REC ball for the less intense/skilled players at all ages.

Our Local Little League use to put together an all star team after the LL season was over for the 8 yea old kids...it was one tournament run by a close by little league, Machine pitched and done in one week. that was about 13 years ago. Fast forward now we have not one but two 7 year old tournament teams, two 8 year old tournament teams...both play multiple tournaments. The reason for the two teams, you guessed it, the parents of the kids cut from the first team, formed a second team.

 

I have seen this progress all the way to the 9,10,11 and 12 year age groups. For some reason Parents feel if they their kid does not make a little league all star team at age nine they will never make the high school team much less get that ever elusive college scholarship.

 

When mine son turned 13. I got together with some other dads (each had some college ball experience) and started a team. Each year we would have a few kids leave and would add a few more. By the time they were 15 we were pulling kids from at least 6-7 different local leagues. We played on Sundays till school would get out, and then we would play 6-8 tournaments and we would add in some local scrimmages against all some other local travel teams. In addition we would practice as much as we can.

 

We did all of this for less than $500=$700 per summer, helped that I had some connections to get us free fields for our practices and scrimmages....but you do not need to be spending 2-$3000 for ages 13-15......certainly do not need to be spending that much for ages 8-12.....just my thoughts but you might want to spend some of that money on instruction.

 

Once the kids turned 16 we realized the kids need different coaching and a different experience. So many of them went to two of the top travel showcase teams in our area. These teams were well prepared and had great reputations with college coaches ( when these two teams would play each other they would attract a lot of attention), The main purpose of the team was to get the kids exposure to college coaches, so the schedule reflected that goal...there was more travel cost involved.

 

The team my son played for did not [ay as much as some of the numbers I have heard thrown around.....the main reason thou was the guy that ran our team did it for the love of the game and not as a business. So there was no profit margin in the numbers keeping the cost down. So I realize not every area has this kind of opportunity so my recommendation save the money at the younger years....only when you get to the sophomore year/junior year in high school you might need to break out the wallet to get your son on a good showcase travel team to get them the proper exposure for college.

Ran the budget for the 9-12 group with 11/12 players with about 8 tournaments running about $400 per.  Add in uniforms (We kept it to t shirts and baseball pants), baseballs, hitting cage time in the late winter  and misc. equipment like bases, base liner etc. we kept it in the $750-$800 range with 2 or 3 weekends on the road that probably cost $200 per family so in the $1,500 range total. 

 

What changed the equation dramatically was when the parents decided to go to Cooperstown and Disney.  Cooperstown was $800 per kid, cost of a week for the umpire you have to bring and the cost for the Family.  Disney was actually significantly cheaper with only $500-$600 for the team but there was the family cost that could get high.  In the end we played much better baseball than the rec leagues could have provided and we had a few very memorable baseball family vacations without busting the bank. 

 

I'd do it again if my boys wanted to play.

Travel baseball is becoming travel rec ball. But with a far greater cost. Now before you hammer me let me add there are still many very good travel teams. But the problem is many in the desire to see that their kids are not left out have started Travel teams or Showcase teams in the attempt to see their kids get the same opportunity the other kids get. Or have started them to line their pockets with the money of ill informed parents and players. Let me give you and example.

 

Years ago in NC former HS coaches and current, professional scouts, assoc scouts, former college coaches etc got together and decided it would be a great idea to go out and scout HS games, talk to college coaches, scouts and other knowledgeable baseball guys and pull together the best rising HS Jr's in the state and start a showcase league. This league consisted of about 4 teams from around the state of NC. The teams played each other and traveled out of state to participate in tourneys. The college coaches loved it and so did the professional scouts. The players had to be selected to play. The cost was minimal and in some cases free.

 

Over time it has exploded. Now every kid plays travel baseball. Well almost every kid. The level of play has deteriorated. The kids now are rising 7th through rising Srs. Instead of working to get better and learning the game these young players are spending the summer showcasing. Instead of throwing programs and working out many are chasing a scholley and they have not even earned a starting position on a HS team. You want to watch some of the ugliest baseball you have ever seen? Go to some of these "showcase tourneys" where kids don't know how to take a lead or hold a runner.

 

All the time the parents spending thousands of dollars showcasing something that is not ready to be showcased. Johnny is on a showcase team and being seen by UNC State ECU etc you need to get on a showcase team. Players pitching 2 innings a weekend getting 2 at bats a weekend traveling all over the state in the hopes someone will like them. Instead of working on becoming a better player. Instead of player development it becomes player exposure. Its really sad.

 

For some the showcase route is a good deal. For some its a bad deal. When you go to a showcase tourney and you see kids pitching who couldn't make a decent varsity squad. Kids that couldn't make a decent HS team. And they are traveling all over the state and beyond in the hopes that FSU will call because they are on a showcase team. I have had players that couldn't start for me playing showcase all summer getting minimal reps no work during the week and wondering why no one called them.

 

Showcase baseball is a great avenue for the player that has something to showcase. It is not for the player that does not. YET. In my opinion more players would be better served by developing their game in the hopes of becoming a player that needs to be showcased than showcasing in the hopes somehow someone is going to want you. In many cases it has simply become a way for some people to make money off of players and parents that don't want to get left behind. Playing on peoples fears of being left behind.

 

A player that has not reached the point where he has value to a college coach has no business spending his money and time trying to convince them he does. You run a 7.6 60. You throw rainbows to first base. Your in the 9th grade. Don't you think you need to be focusing on getting faster, building arm strength, etc etc? Do you need to spend thousands of dollars trying to get exposure?

 

Now if its all about just having fun and going different places and doing something different fine. But far too often from my experiences its kind of like someone trying to sell snow cones on the North Pole and wondering why no one is buying. I am a huge fan of showcase baseball. For the player that is ready to be showcased. The player that has something to showcase. I have a serious problem with those who use the showcase route to line their pockets with the money of those who are not informed enough to understand the process.

 

IMO player development is lost when the focus becomes exposure instead of working to get better. I want to see players that have something I want to see. Go to a pro style work out someone where 200 kids play 120 bucks to be seen by local college coaches. Start with the 60. Maybe 15 break 7.0. Many run a 7.8 plus. Watch infield. Very few will show a strong arm. Very few will show good hands and footwork. Watch BP. Only a handful will show a good swing with power. Watch the bull pens. Guys throwing 67-74 and that's the majority. Guess how many of that 200 spent wisely? Maybe 5 or 6. Many times none. And these are the same guys that have been playing on "showcase" teams all summer and fall. Spending thousands to be exposed. The same people that gripe when they are not playing at the same venues as the name showcase teams.

 

Would these kids be better off spending their time with a good strength and conditioning coach? Getting some good hitting instruction? Working on a good throwing program? Focusing on working their butt off on getting better in the hopes that one day they can be showcased? Or showcasing from the 8th grade on playing games all the time and attending workouts in the hopes someone likes them?

 

Travel ball for the fun of playing other people and just enjoying the game fine. Travel ball for the player looking for exposure who is not ready to be exposed is a sham. There are so many people that end up at the end of this road bitter and broke. And its sad. I know this post sounds harsh and cruel. But not nearly as cruel as what is done to these kids. Sacrificing the time that is needed to develop in the desire to not get left behind.

 

I know this article was about youth travel ball but that's where this mentality starts. Again I love showcase baseball. I coached one of the best in the nation for years and I am good friends with many of the elite showcase team coaches out there. Your not missing out on anything by waiting and spending that time, effort and money on player development. JMO

Wow! Well said. 

Coach you are spot on the HS kids.  Our goal in the 9-12 range was to work at developing every player to be ready to make the HS team and to not hurt their arm.  Swear to god those were the only two goals we had as what most here might call a Daddy team.

 

We had 2 kids that ended up being DI players in the end and of the 11 we had 9 played HS baseball and one quit to play lacross after making the team.  We never won anything gigantic but we always were a sound team that played the game properly.  I was proud of what we did. 

 

As for the HS showcase stuff....I told a parent once...if your kid can't hit .400+ against HS pitching he probably doesn't have any business doing that.  Pitchers are a whole other critter.  It is more than velocity but if you don't have it you are wasting your time.  I used to call it a funnel with holes on the side and a tiny one in the bottom.  I said 90% will leak out of the side before the other 10% goes out the bottom.

Big difference between "showcase" & travel ball. We got into travel when my son was 10 because league ball pretty much sucked. At the mercy of the draft each year to determine coach who was a dad who most of the time meant well but not much of a coach. Guys stepping up to help to make sure their kid got a spot in the infield & got to pitch. Lots of discontent among parents upset their kid didn't play infield, pitch, or bat higher in the line up. Kids playing only because parent made them and.practices lasting forever & accomplishing nothing. Took three times to find right travel team with no politics and good coaches AND kids who who played outfield because they wanted to and were good at it. On the costs side; we'll pay out about 400 bucks plus travel cost. Some are local with no overnight stay and some are one night stays. One big tournament per summer with a four night stay. Not.playing to be seen; playing to develop. Next summer will be after finishing 10th grade. Will consider looking for exposure then.

Coach May, yes, that mentality does apply to travel ball, and worse. Here on the left coast it's a huge industry.  There are many, many very good teams and organizations, but there are many more teams that dads have put together so that they can give the travel experience to their kids.  I know, because I was one of them. We put our team out at 11U and got rolled. Mercied three times in our first tournament.  By the following year, we were doing the rolling.  We had gotten better, but not that much better. The competition had gotten much worse. 

One thing I agree strongly with in Coach May's post is that it isn't just about playing more baseball, even. Although live game reps are important -- especially against quality opponents -- it's really the work that you do off the field that makes a difference -- work in the weight room, on the track, in the cages,  the throwing program, with one's nutrition, etc.  If you don't put in that work,  you're chances of playing at the "next"  level, whatever it is,  do down significantly.  Neither travel ball nor showcase ball is a substitute for that work. 

Slugger - Couldn't agree more.  Preparing physically has no substitute and is work that must be done. 

 

But if the practice time is used wisely basic skills and knowledge of how to play the game are drilled in.  When you see an 11 year old team execute a cut play flawlessly to nail a guy at 3rd on a ball hit into the right field corner, it sure is pretty.  And satisfying!

Great response, Coach. The problem is, though, that showcase ball is where the attention is focused when looking for someone to blame. Suddenly, they are "cheating" people just because they offer a service. It's as if they are somehow expected to know the skill level of kids before they evaluate them and then not offer their services. Most of the showcase organizations do a good job of letting players know that they are wasting time and money by handing out reasonable evals.

For a lot of preteen players I think it's the parents who want to puff out their chest, smile and say, "Of course my son plays travel." We managed to keep our LL strong. The players didn't leave. Part of keeping the league strong was the Majors rules were about minimum playing time, not equal playing time like 9/10s with CBO. In two years of Majors I only had two players with seriously questionable ability.

 

Yes my son played travel in the summer during 9u and 10u. It was so the baseball season could be extended until the end of July. Yes, it was a better quality of ball. And it only cost $100 per player for five LL or Ripken invitations. At 11u and 12u we had Sunday doubleheader travel teams running concurrently with the LL season to prepare for all stars. The all star team played into August both years.

 

If you can hold your rec league together there isn't a need for travel to be the primary goal until 13u. I just can't see paying thousands to play pre high school baseball summer baseball. For some people it's affordability. For everyone it should be sensibility.

I agree with that statement. And like I said I love showcase baseball for those that are prepared for it. And yes there is no way for a showcase event to know the level of the player signing up. What I was referring to are those that put teams together and sell them on exposure and who they can get them in front of knowing full well the deal going in. I think it is imperative for parents to educate themselves. And for players and parents to understand there is no substitute for development. Good post thanks for pointing that out.

Just to be clear, I didn't read your post as blasting showcase ball at all, but rather putting the problem into perspective as one of unprepared players.

Our experience was a lot like RJM's. My husband ran a part-time travel team for son and his friends from age 9-13, with the rule that they had to keep playing for their local LL. He believes that playing with weaker players part of the time accomplishes a couple of things: 1) develops leadership skills 2) helps the boys become mentally tough/learn not to show emotion (mainly frustration) on the field 3) helps them APPRECIATE getting to play with the better players The seasons ran Labor Day to Thanksgiving, cost very little and left the kids wanting more and time to play other sports.

 

I was just trying to remember all the boys that went through the program, (we really had very little turnover), but out of the 16-18ish players that played at some point, 2 are playing D3, 2 are playing D2, and 5 are playing D1, including 3 playing on teams that are going to the D1 Regionals. I know it's anecdotal, but in this case, part-time travel ball was enough

Sounds exactly like the "travel" team my son played on from 11U to 17U.  The primary goal from the beginning (we were one of the original charter members) was "to prepare the players for HS baseball".  It was not about showcasing their skills for D1, D2 colleges. 

A typical season was several doubleheaders/round robins either home or away with one big tournament interspersed about once a month.  Sometimes the tournaments required overnight stays, sometimes not.  Team did a lot of fund raisers to keep costs to a reasonable level.  The biggest (and most expensive) were the trips to Cooperstown Dreamspark and Sports at the Beach (Delaware), but they were well worth it.  I never kept track, but in the 6-7 years he was with the team, I don't think we spent more than $2,000 total including travel expenses. 

 

I just shake my head when I see where "travel teams" has gone.  Coach is right - it's gone from "player development" to "player showcase".

 

The gentleman that formed the team did not do it for the money.  In fact, once most of the boys could play HS ball (varsity), he kept the team in existence only one more year.  I think my son was a sophomore the last summer the team played.  After that, those that were still wanting to play summer ball, played legion.

 

I've tried to keep track where the team members have gone.  Of the original 12 players, one went pro (drafted in the 6th round right out of HS - still playing in the MiLB). one went to a D3 college but dropped baseball his Junior year and another went the JuCo route and has just verbally committed to a D2 university to play ball and complete his degree.

 

I've tried to forget the first few games the team played.  Like JCG's team, they got rolled the first few times out.  It took a few games before they were at least scoring some runs.  By the next year they were competitive.  But that took a lot of hard work in practice - not just playing games.

 

Now remember I said the goal was preparing the boys for HS baseball.  The "coach" had to smile when looking out at the starting lineup for the varsity squad, his "travel" team was in 7 of the 9 starting positions.

 

But I still give credit to our local LL - it's where my son started and he would have never played travel ball if someone hadn't seen him play in LL.

As to younger ball (8u through 13u), parents also have unrealistic expectations. I ran a mini-organization. I ran a USSSA major team and also had a strong affiliation with a AAA club with the same name. We practiced together as one group. I also had a looser affiliation with a AA club in the same area. When I had a kid tryout and I thought he had potential, but wasn't quite up to major level, I'd ask him to play on the AAA squad. We had the AAA squad play mostly with a different organization's tourneys so that I could even pull guys up from the AAA squad on occasion. It was all set up to try and help the player improve. He'd get the same work as my major players on the same field and yet get more opportunities at a level that was a better current fit. I would also send guys to the AA team if that was the proper level. The idea was to help them have a better chance to make the major team later. However, some parents really took it as a slap in the face like I had rejected their kid.

 

In most ways, "travel" ball has taken over for rec. In areas where it is especially strong, this puts players in spots where they are competitive and playing with like-skilled players for the most part.

 

The main advantage I saw to travel ball when I first started with softball in the nineties was the ability to remove yourself from bad rec leagues and their infamous politics.

 

However, in rural areas like where I now live, Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth is still king and the high school ( a perennial state powerhouse in 3A) is still populated by rec league players. You will notice a shift in LL, CR, etc. which has been marked by being dominated by rural areas.

RJM,  agree strongly with this. My boys played LL through Majors (12U) and did travel only in the fall.  I was with our local LL at the time, and worked hard to encourage families to stay with LL for Spring ball. Even so, my kids moved on at 13U and never played rec ball on the big field. Well, unless they found a LL Juniors team pretending to be a travel team.

 

There was a big kerfuffle in our community a few years back when 3-4 kids skipped their last year of LL for travel, spoiling, in my mind at least, the league's best chance for a deep All Star run in many years.  The following year a nearby league, where kids never seem to leave LL early, did make it to Williamsport and came damn close to winning the title. Lately I've had the opportunity to see the remaining kids from the first group play -- one quit for good, one took two years off and came back. The other two are good but not great players.  This past weekend my kid played on a tournament team with 3 of the kids who went to Williamsport.  All three raked.  Easily they are among the best kids I saw.  Easily better as a group than the kids who left LL for travel.   None seemed to have suffered from playing rec ball at 12U. 

 

 

In high school my son was on the mound when the second baseman five holed an inning ending double play grounder with the bases loaded to tie the game. The kid looked like he was going to lose it. My son walked behind the mound and yelled out to him, "Put it behind you. Let's make two plays, get off the field and score some runs." It was exactly what I said coaching my son when he looked flustered on the mound in 9/10 rec ball after a couple of errors.

Coach May I tell parents you better be careful......Exposure is a two way street.....you better make sure you are ready to be "exposed"

My son is now 12 and, although we’ve toyed with the idea of full-time travel ball, he has stuck with our local league

So, he's never played or coached travel ball, and he writes an entire article about something he knows nothing about. 

TB is an easy target for idiots like this.

Right now travel ball is the scapegoat for all the know it all sportswriters writing on arm injuries. I wrote Nick Cadarfo of the Boston Globe after he blamed showcase ball. I asked how many showcase people he's talked with. It was none. I gave him PGs email and phone number. I wonder if he called.

I may be a little long in the tooth. But what the heck is a quality travel program for 9 to 12 year olds? This is the age where you not only "learn to physically play, but when you learn to enjoy and LOVE the game. Without this passion for baseball which is instilled, in my opinion as a young kid just playing, you will never really have the drive to develop to your utmost potential. All this travel at such a young age with practice upon practice upon practice with the goal of WINNING doesn't seem to me the right recipe for developing a true love of baseball. Tournament teams after the Little League, or Koury league seasons are over doesn't constitute TRAVEL in my mind. I have heard of T-Ball travel teams! What the heck is next? U-13 is the time, in my opinion to start in the travel circuit. Even with being on a quality team it still comes down to how much the kid will play/practice/work on his own. How much he wants to is directly connected to how much he loves the game. And that leads us back to when he was younger and just wanted to play and learn baseball. Without all the hassles of a travel team and all that it encompasses.

Most travel teams aren't traveling teams.  They are independent teams that aren't bound by geographic limitations or restrictive play rules.  Beyond that there are good teams and lousy teams.  There are tournaments for "rec quality" AA teams, better AAA teams, or very good Majors level teams, so kids and teams can compete with their own level.  Some teams are year-round, others play only in Spring or Fall.  Many aren't very expensive, although the higher-level teams tend to be.

 

I don't see any reason why a kid at any age couldn't learn to love the game playing the travel ball format.  My kid's love for the game blossomed when he was able to play on a team where every position had a quality player.  That made it much more fun.

 

One last point - why NOT look for a quality program for a 9-12 year old?  If you are going to invest the time, why settle for a poor quality program?  You wouldn't do that for school, piano lessons or much else, so why do that with baseball.  I guess I just don't understand the mentality that its ok to settle for crappy coaching and crappy baseball until a kid is 13.