Selecting a Travel ball team

A few lessons learned along the way....

1. Get on the best team possible that allows your son signigicant playing time. The idea is to get better and paying to sit is not much fun. However, no one plays every play so be prepared to share playing time.

2. Find a coach that is approachable and willing to speak with you as a concerned parent and paying customer. There are plenty of these guys out there so no need to get involved with an egomanic.

3. In the beginning it is not as important, but at some point you need to make sure you are with an organization or coach that will be an advocate for your son as he moves up the baseball ladder. Look for organizations that have a track record of getting players drafted or signed with colleges.

Also, if you make a poor choice remember that you are only committed for a season at a time.

Hope this helps.

Don't go to organization just because of name. Make sure your son is playing for one of the top teams in the top organization, with a coach that has connections with college coaches and scouts. That being said, it is possible to start in an organization and move your way up to one of the top teams.

+1 to all above.

Be willing to acknowledge if your son does not have the talent to play at a certain level.

I saw two kids on our team last year that should have played AA ball instead of Majors level.

Personally I would hope a coach would be honest enough to inform the parents if their kid doesn't have the potential.

Dont get caught up in the name of the organization. Instead, get caught up in the name of the coach and the relationships he has with colleges and pro scouts.

+1 on everything so far. I could only add a couple of comments:

A coach who is willing and able to be frank with you about your sons abilities and the team strength is very valuable. Beware the character who tells you all you want to hear to get you to sign and pay. Ultimately the truth shall prevail. You cannot hide on a baseball field.

Choose the right playing level. We've all seen a lot of kids that get miscast. Mostly its those who end up as small fish in a big pond (overwhelmed, little play time, and confidence wrecked) or get too hung up on winning % and play down, or play down so their kid can always be the team stud. Nor does it matter that little johnnie is a Majors player, or travel world champion, etc at an early age (especially if he burns out or injured). Its how they end up when they mature.

If its a bad coach, or just a bad fit then you need to move on. We personally stayed in a bad scene one season too long because we really liked the other kids and the parents. When the team inevitably blew up, nearly everybody moved to a better situation. My son never lost his love of the game when times were tough, but it took multiple seasons to fully mend some of the damage. Who knows, he may be stronger today because of it. While nothing is perfect, we have too many choices in the big city to stay in a bad fit or be that close to a toxic element.

All this is easier said than done, and can only truly be judged in hindsight. Also as a parent, its hard to be objective, but its key to gauging your sons needs.

My thoughts

1. Go to more than one tryout. A lot of teams will have multiple tryouts over the weekend.

2. Talk with parents at the tryouts and see if they have played for other teams.

3. If your son is a two way player, but pitching is his stronger talent then be prepared he may pitch only. A lot of coachees prefer PO.

4. Try to let your son make the choice. You may not like the coach, but your son might.