Should I???

The boy is only 9---let him have fun with his friends

There will be plenty of time for him to enjoy out of state travel ball. There is a ton of great baseball to be played right there in Georgia. Go watch an event at East Cobb - top notch baseball.

Personally I vote for moving to higher level travel ball when he is in 8th or 9th grade - safely through puberty and with the coordination starting to come back after the mega growth spurt. Up until then, play lots of baseball and it really doesn't matter if he is doing it in GA or in CA.

Is there any other answer to this question other than what has already been answered?

I know things have changed since son was 9,10, but at that level have things really changed THAT much that being with your friends and having fun isn't necessary anymore? I really have to scratch my head at some of the questions asked lately. I wouldn't even have asked son at 9 what he would prefer to do, they don't know, especially if you made it sound so much better and so much glamorous.

let him play with his friends and have some fun as a kid.

"people have more fun than anybody."

I agree with everyone else, let him play with his friends. In two or three years you can find a full-time travel team for your son to play with. It was age nine that we started our travel team, but we shut down for the spring to allow the kids a chance to play with their friends in Pony and LL. We ended up choosing to go with travel only after the 11U season, and honestly I wish we'd allowed the kids to play at least one more year in the local league(s). You can't get that time back for your son.

In your heart I think you know. Go with that. Maybe these guys will grow up together playing the game and win a championship down the road. They will become work out partners. Long toss partners. Catch bull pens for each other. Make it all about having fun and learning the game and building baseball relationships for both of you. Good luck and enjoy it.

Three thoughts come to mind.

1. 9 is too young to be traveling interstate all the time. A local team that makes "one big trip" to cap off its year is more than enough.

2. The key question is not where his friends are. At that age, he'll make friends on pretty much any team you would choose. Existing friends vs. new friends, not that big a factor. The key question, which you did not really address, is which team will teach him the game better?

3. The out-of-state team may well be loaded with talent, but those things change rapidly at that age. Upstart teams overtake supposedly loaded teams in just a matter of months, particularly if they are ably coached. And, what you may really have is a squad full of head cases, esp. parents who all think their kids are already on their way to being the next Babe Ruth. Better to stick with folks you're already comfortable with, IMHO.

On all three points, the scales tip to your local option, esp. since it sounds like the coach of that team likely knows what he's doing.

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Do I leave him with the local team/friends and just let him have fun

YES! I'm pretty sure we can all overwhelm you with reasons to do so and explanations WHY. It's all about fun in those formative years.

My College player STARTED playing baseball late; age 9. A high school team mate didn't start until age 12 and he likewise is a "scholly" D1 player.

Keep it fun and they will likely stay longer in the game...

Travel ball gets so intense at 16-17-18 - I couldn't imagine starting that craziness at nine. My son started in travel ball at 14 and he plays in college now. It would not have mattered if he started at 15.

As a side note I drove down to Delaware this summer to watch my son in an 18u tournament at Sports at the Beach. Between games the 18u kids and dad's watched some 11u travel teams play and we were all disgusted by the pressure, screaming and insanity of 11u travel ball. I felt bad for the kids losing there childhoods so early for the expectations of naive parents. Maybe we were as bad in 14u travel but I don't think so. At nine years old let 'em "grip it and rip it" - he will still have plenty of time for the custom gear and expectations of teenage travel ball.

In my opinion, he should just be playing baseball and having fun with his friends at 9. When I look back at it, most of the heavy duty travel we did when the boys were that age were an excuse for the parents to get overworked (I was probably the greatest offender) about some silly tourney that no one remembered a couple years later.

Baseball should be a "get to do" and not a "have to do." I would say stick with the local option and see if his enthusiasm for the game ramps up as he gets older.

Hey some kids thrive on the tougher competition ----- And some parents thrive on watching their kids give 100% during competition ---- It's a tough call to say if it's right or wrong/good or bad. My son started when he was eleven and enjoyed every minute of it. I would say it was VERY good for him. No doubt it helped him from a baseball perspective but I also think it also helped him develop emotionally. Today he thanks me for the sacrifices I made when he was a young ballplayer, supporting him as he played baseballs all over the Southeast. Living in a rural area of Tennessee we were not aware of any "travel options" when he was nine but I'm sure he (and the family) would have considered it. PS... We did get negative comments from the local coaches and parents when he moved on... but that's OK too.

He's 9. Let him have fun.

Teach him out to bait a hook and fish.

Teach him how to fly a kite.

Teach him how to pop a wheelie on his bike.

Teach him how to build a neat tree house.

In other words, let him be a boy. He only gets to once.

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Originally posted by YoungGunDad:
He's 9. Let him have fun.

Teach him out to bait a hook and fish.

Teach him how to fly a kite.

Teach him how to pop a wheelie on his bike.

Teach him how to build a neat tree house.

In other words, let him be a boy. He only gets to once.

Left out one thing. Frogs.

Also basketball in basketball season, s o cc er in it's season, football etc, etc. He may not burn out but your family will be by the time he is in HS. Start this when he is around 13/14.

Did you already commit to the first coach? Or did you leave it at the "thinking about it" stage?

LHPMOM2012-No, I didn't commit to the first coach.
Coach May- Yes, I already knew the answer in my heart and mind but just wanted a little confirmation. My son is really pushing me to let him do this but I want him to be a boy and enjoy his childhood.

THANKS EVERYONE!!!!

I’m a father of a 12U player, so only three seasons in front of you, but I have do have two thoughts on this topic.

First, your dilemma is understandable. 2010 is a spectacular time to be a parent, but the breadth of opportunities available to our children can be mind boggling. Fortunately, resources like HSBB allow you tap into silos of expertise that were impenetrable even 10 years ago (although I can imagine some number of the posters here never had to decide between 3 legitimate baseball options for their nine year old).

Secondly, I’m coming to believe, particularly for youth sports, your decision should be primarily driven by where your son/daughter wants to be playing the following season. For example, if someone is trying to sell your 9U player on a pipeline into High School, you should ask: Have you ever run a 10U team? What difference have you seen between 9U & 10U players? Or if the Coach begins describing the tournaments that make up the 60 game 9U schedule, you should ask: Will you still fit in twice weekly practices?

When its all said and done, your decision will come down to two factors: fun and development. They are not mutually exclusive and hopefully if you have the right coach, they'll go hand in hand for that age.

A couple of other random thoughts: I wouldn't exclude your son's thoughts on things. Sometimes they have a pretty good understanding of themselves at that age and what they're looking for. Also I wouldn't automatically assume that local = fun and long trips = better development. You just need to evaluate everything and understand every kid is different and every situation is unique and as long as you're looking out for his interests and you take a long term view of things you should do fine.

Excellent question. 9-12 years old is the most fun years in my opinion. Let him enjoy those years with you, family and friends. If he truly lives and breathes baseball, he will want to be on more competitive teams as time goes on. There is no sense in rushing it, as you are just getting into competitive baseball.

I started a 9U team many years ago. We played local & state tournaments and that was more than enough at that age. The following year (10U) we played local, state and one national tournament. The parents were all on the same page, and that is a huge part to this. If it was my kid (and hindsight being 20/20) I would go with the local option and not think twice.

quote:

In my opinion, he should just be playing baseball and having fun with his friends at 9. When I look back at it, most of the heavy duty travel we did when the boys were that age were an excuse for the parents to get overworked (I was probably the greatest offender) about some silly tourney that no one remembered a couple years later.

Definitely seen a lot of this go on. My experience was more like FenwaySouth's. We enjoyed it a lot, and son enjoyed it a lot more than he enjoyed Little League.

It's great to say "just have fun," but understand that when you have that kid who has competitive fire imprinted on his DNA, Little League is not going to be all that fun for him. Travel is not for everyone at every age, and especially not for everyone at the younger ages, but it is definitely appropriate for certain kids at that age.

If you have that competitive kid who has the makings of a future serious athlete (and yes, you often can tell even at age 9), nurturing that competitive fire can be a lot of fun. But to make it lasting, the focus has to stay on learning the game and doing things right. Winning should come from that in the main, but you also have to learn to lose with grace.

Excessive focus on winning is to be avoided, especially at that young age. And a team that loses proper focus does things like overusing kids perceived as its best pitchers, having coaches berating players, having parents come unglued, etc.

To me all the factors line up with the local travel team in this case. I just wanted to clarify that the "just have fun" rule can often lead you astray. There's a lot more to life than just having fun moment to moment, and you can use this experience to learn deeper lessons, too. Instead of focusing on fun in the immediate moment, focus on long term satisfaction with the life experience.

I just realized I sound like a marriage counselor there, but the comparison is not inapt.

Didn't mean to imply that the two were mutually exclusive, and I certainly didn't mean to imply that there should be no instruction involved; just meant that the overarching value should be that it is fun for him to play (with whomever his friends are). I mean, really, we're talking about a 9 year old. He'll have another three seasons before he or most of his teammates will even START puberty. In short, i prefer YgD's approach. I would also see if his enthusiasm for the game ramps up as he gets older; plenty of time to get more heavily involved later.

here is a difference to consider ... the sense of community that playing local all stars engenders as opposed to playing travel ball. Its a wonderful thing to be one of the better players on the all star team when that team makes a run.

He may need the psychological opportunity of being able to dominate at this level before he heads off into the world of going down the road. Plenty of time for travel ball after little league at say 14U,

quote:

he's only 9!!

just reinforces my belief that things are crazy!!!!

Save your money. I agree with the crowd, son had most fun doing local ball when he was young. I'm glad we waited until he was 15 for travel ball.

I've watched this tread for a couple of days and I've waffled back and forth with almost every post!! Great comments, BTW. I tend to side with Midlo/Fungo, in the sense that there are a few things I would would look at if this was a redo for GUN. For GUN, he left little league at 10 years old, played up with older kids, and got away from the local little league fields and limitations.

At 10, he played HS rules, open bases, live balls on 3rd K's, etc. At 13, he played thru Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Tennessee, playing on 60/90's. It was a good decision, for us. But, we had a very good coach, with a desire to compete at a very high level, but tempered with a desire to teach the game. At 14-17, he lived away from home in the summer, playing baseball in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia.

I'm sure some will view this as an extreme, but it worked out for us, and for the most part was a very, very good experience. GUN made alot of friends, his teammates and other players. The key is to find the right team, the right coach, and stay involved in the process. Only you know your kid and how well he'll do in this environment regardless of age. Honestly, I've seen 17 year olds who were not hooked-up for this type of committment.

And, in the process if things change, use your due dilligence and make sound changes that will continue to help your son in a positive way.

Good luck! GED10DaD

quote:

Originally posted by Pop Up Hitter dad:
Save your money. I agree with the crowd, son had most fun doing local ball when he was young. I'm glad we waited until he was 15 for travel ball.

We did LL and AAU local travel on Sundays from 11U till HS, only because he wanted to. If he had told me one Sunday AM "I don't want to go today." he would have not gotten an argument. The parental brain damage, wack coaches, the dollars, time, travel are simply not worth it if the kid isn't having the time of his life and can't wait for next Sunday. That is why there is usually a roster spot available. Lots of turnover.

Don't be too concerned about the high school pipeline. All stars usually are the high school players, travel team or not.

I think travel ball on the small field prepares parents as much as players, for travel ball on the big field. Can a kid do well without it? Of course.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I think travel ball on the small field prepares parents as much as players, for travel ball on the big field. Can a kid do well without it? Of course.

In the over simplified world I live in, where I equate raising kids to training dogs...

I had a very respected dog trainer tell me once... "It's a heck of lot easier to train the dog, than it is to train the dog handler".

And yes, I realize I was not the exception to this rule, either as a baseball parent or a dog owner...

CPLZ

That is one h e l l of an analogy--it tells me a lot about your thinking

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I think travel ball on the small field prepares parents as much as players, for travel ball on the big field. Can a kid do well without it? Of course.

In the over simplified world I live in, where I equate raising kids to training dogs...

I had a very respected dog trainer tell me once... "It's a heck of lot easier to train the dog, than it is to train the dog handler".

And yes, I realize I was not the exception to this rule, either as a baseball parent or a dog owner...

It just seemed like the parents (and their kids) who had been there before, mostly behaved that way. Some of the 17 year olds who were let loose for the first time in a motel, acted like 12 year olds....No...they acted worse.

I need a good dog trainer. I've got an All-County Counter Surfer....

I have some burnout kids that played out of state travel starting at 8. As I wised up, my younger kids started local-only travel at 12U.

Have you considered no travel at all at age 9?

Why not just play in park until he's much, much older, like say 11?

Lots of good input here, but it seems your decision should be based on two things only...first, what your son WANTS to do, and second, what your family can handle. Everyone seems to think that 9 year olds can't understand enough to make a decision, but I don't think that's true. Lay out the pros and cons in terms he can understand, and help him think through this. You will gain his respect by including him in the decision-making process (yes, I believe it starts that young), and he will feel some ownership of the outcome however it turns out. One season either way isn't going to make or break his baseball career, but how you handle this could help start a way of communicating and decision making that will help you cope with the tough teenage years ahead.

How about your 10 y/o to be what he thinks he wants to do?

My vote: Should your son play with the 'older' boys and not fail all the time, then play up.
But then, nothing really matters until you get to 90 ft!

I think that one thing to consider that may make all the difference in the world is how good of a coach is the local guy? You said that he has playing experience and has coached some all star teams. If there were no options in terms of a good playing environment then I would say go ahead and try the travel team, but if the local guy is good with the kids, available to work with them and build the team then I would look at that as the first option. I am in a similar situation and believe that you have to make the decision that best suits your son and your family, only you and his mother will ultimately know what the right choice is. And remember, he's only 9 and there's plenty of time, just make sure he's having a blast at whatever he's doing and you keep him having fun being a kid. $.02

quote:

Originally posted by MHC77:
... and second, what your family can handle.

At 9 this is very relevant. At 13+, if the kid is truly talented, then maybe the fam needs to consider sacrificing time/money/energy to make it happen. Most people out here can tell you...once it's started, it won't stop until its completely over. So the whole family needs to be ready to make adjustments for a 9 year old's travel career (which just sounds ridiculous).

I'd say emphatically, if you've got an older kid who's a supertalented bassoon player(or ballet dancer, or whatever boring thing that might not be as fun to watch as baseball), who needs the support now, don't sacrifice it for the 9 yo.

quote:

your son WANTS to do

Perhaps all 9 year olds inherently know what's best for them? Wasn't the case with the four I raised.

Looking back; we started the Travel Ball experience at age 12 which was probably about right. Could have easily waited another year or two. I'm glad we resisted the pressure to start him even earlier.

Even after he began the Travel oddessey, he would often play Fall ball back at his neighborhood rec-park and always enjoyed those times.

By the way, when it came time for his younger cousins parents to make that decision he advised against the early Travel ball stuff (8 yrs difference in age). They didn't listen and let Joey begin at age 8 and he became a "drop-out" in less than two years. Too much pressure to perform, from both mom and dad.

I have actually asked my sons their feelings about this discussion. My oldest (playing since he was 6, who is a college junior and still playing) told me that there was simply no reason to play travel ball at the expense of Little League "and playing with your friends"). Thankfully, he loves the game as much as ever and conveys that enthusiasm to the kids he teaches.

My youngest (also playing since the age of six and now a high school senior) agreed. He is clearly the more intense and "matter of fact" of the two and said that he made peace with the notion that he was going to have to treat it as a job if he wanted to move on (loves to train and will take reps all day if we let him). He said that, while there was a time to "get serious," it was just silly to start before the move to the big diamond. Their words.

I am not sure I understand some of the responses here. If I let my kids do what they wanted (or thought that they wanted) at 9,10 the inmates would be running the asylum.

I think there is a big fear from many parents that if you do not put your player in front of better competition very early they will lose interest. That is so not true. If you son loves the game at 6, he will love it at 9, he will love it at 16, and love it at 25, he will even love it when he hangs up the cleats someday.

If your son contiunes the game as he matures he will have plenty of time to travel, in HS, in college and beyond.

I got to go with Ole Ball Coachs' kids, it just doesn't seem all that productive to get too serious (with travel ball) before the switch to the big diamond. What you do or did at 9 has nothing to do with playing beyond HS.

JMO.

I like wraggArm's theory. Once it starts it seems the only way out is to leave the sport entirely. I can't remember a kid who went "backward" (from travel to local) and stayed in the sport. It will be hard to get off the travel bandwagon. My son had a great life on the road as a teenager (and so did our family), but starting at nine - thats five more years of it- for him AND his family.

Here's some advice I wish someone had given me when my son was 9.

Go to a competitive 16U game. Watch the parents, not just the kids. The kids who are playing at a high level at 16 generally have parents who are fairly relaxed. Almost Quiet. Not coaching every move from the stand. Now quiet. We weren't all relaxed when our sons were 9. We learned over the years that our kids play a lot of baseball. Lots. On good teams and bad teams. Good coaches and bad coaches. Sometimes we made the wrong choices as parents. But our sons love the game and managed to get past our mistakes, our good intentions and occasional over-involvement.

Have fun. 9 year old baseball is a blast. I wouldn't give it too much thought for a couple more years.

Great advice and observation, Twotex.

I’m not sure how my message was misconstrued to mean that a 9 year old should run the family. I can assure you, “the inmates” don’t run my asylum. However, this discussion reminds me of what I’ve observed for years, and what my own spouse fell subject to. Parents stand around the field talking to other parents. Pretty soon, it’s about what the parents think and not at all about what the kids want. It’s how you end up with 16 year olds needing Tommy John and another bouncing from team to team because his dad thinks he’s a pitcher (he’s not) when what the kid really wants is to be a bodybuilder! The advice given on the site is fabulous, but it counts for just one set of inputs.

I think real travel anything is way too much for a 9 year old. However, if it was something my son REALLY wanted and we talked about it seriously, I probably would give in and let him learn from the experience. I know plenty of people who played more competitive baseball at 11 than at 14, and they are in fine shape for HS tryouts. Maybe that’s because we live in a metro area with more options. The point is that, as Twotex indicates, there are “mistakes” made along the way, but we recover. The most important thing is to learn from each experience – not just the parents, but the kids as well. 9 is not too young for a young man to begin to understand the trade-offs that come with travel ball and to learn that what he thinks he wants may not, in reality, be what he wants at all.