THE ROAD AGAIN: Warm weather turns families of travel team athletes into gypsies across metro Atlanta
By David A. Markiewicz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/01/07
Her three sons had lobbied hard for brunch at Waffle House, but Vicki Anthes wouldn't budge.
The whole family was in Knoxville for yet another youth baseball tournament and that usually meant doing what the kids wanted.
Not this time.
"I put my foot down," the east Cobb County woman recalled, laughing. "We went to Cracker Barrel."
A modest triumph, to be sure, especially since it was Mother's Day and her 40th birthday.
Don't call it a sacrifice, though. Anthes and other parents of players on travel team don't, even if following their kids means celebrating some holidays and anniversaries in chain motels and spending more time in dusty ballparks than relaxing at the beach.
In Metro Atlanta, spring is the start of high season for youth travel teams, when baseball, softball and s****r tournaments dictate the lives, and schedules, of many families. And, for parents with more than one child on a travel team, being flexible is not an option, it's a requirement.
A good attitude helps.
"You know those credit card commercials where they say the experience is 'priceless'? That's what this is," said Neil Bloom, of east Cobb, whose two sons played travel team s****r before heading off to college.
Bloom and his wife, Joan, a Cobb County judge, note that their past five Christmas family dinners were happily eaten at a Waffle House, while en route to s****r tournaments in Florida.
Travel teams —- usually made up of highly skilled players who compete for roster spots and play many of their games on the road, often out of state —- and the parental commitment they require are unique and, to many people, unfamiliar. Athletes on travel teams play far more games —- from about 60 for the youngest players to as many as 100 for older teens —- than traditional recreation leagues, which often play about 20 games in a season.
Travel teams have grown in popularity and in stature in recent years. One of the most lauded travel programs is the East Cobb Baseball Association, where 1,000 youths, age 8 to 18, play on 65 teams. It was founded in 1985.
For parents, travel team ball is costly and time-consuming. Expenses can run to several thousand dollars per child per year, including equipment, uniforms, travel, tournament fees and, often, private instruction.
Vicki and Dave Anthes have three players on travel baseball teams. Reed, 14, and Nathan, 9, play in east Cobb, and Jacob, 11, plays in Sandy Plains.
But, says Vicki Anthes, "It's something I truly enjoy doing. We look at this as great family time and making memories. You make your choices."
Her husband, Dave Anthes, says that while traveling to and from games with Reed, Jacob and Nathan, they have had "awesome conversations. You get some really special time."
Still, travel team families have to pay special attention to time and money management.
Vicki Anthes, a former teacher who's now a full-time homemaker, is in charge of keeping the complex practice and game schedule for her three sons.
A computer spreadsheet she keeps tells the family who is playing where at what time and date, what they should wear, when they should arrive, and who will pick them up and drop them off.
It can get complicated. Some days, the boys have games or practices at three different locations at different times. Still, she says, "We haven't lost a child yet."
Once, Vicki arrived at a game where Dave already was seated. Spotting her holding a cup of coffee, he chided, "Vicki, you didn't have Starbucks on the spreadsheet."
Often, parents with more than one travel team player rely on other team parents to pick up or drop off their child, particularly when they are playing at different fields at the same time. With three ballplayers and only two parents, they say, they're outnumbered, so they need a little help from friends.
Out-of-town trips offer their own complications. Equipment and uniforms have to be packed and reservations made. Sometimes, even local games can turn into trips.
Earlier this month, all three Anthes boys played in a weekend tournament in Forsyth County. Because there were games Friday night starting at 8 p.m., plus games early Saturday morning, the family decided to stay over in a motel near the ballpark.
"We did it so the boys could get as much rest as they could and maybe take a break if there was some time to rest in between games," Vicki Anthes said. Combined, the three boys played 18 games that weekend.
Because games are played on weekends, including Sunday mornings, some families have to make another adjustment. Vicki Anthes said because her family won't be able to attend church on a regular basis, she is looking for a family Bible study or weekly devotions they can do together.
Travel team sports are not without their critics, who regard the competition as cut-throat rather than carefree and say the physical and mental demands on children are excessive. Proponents counter that the full schedule and tight discipline required help keep kids out of trouble, in shape and positively focused in off-the-field areas such as academics.
And, for those who dream of a college athletic scholarship or even a professional sports career, travel ball can provide a significant edge.
Parents, including Vicki and Dave Anthes, add that their children are the driving force. The first time she has to prod one of her sons to attend a practice or game, Vicki Anthes adds, is the time the family will reconsider its participation.
With much of their vacation time spent at out-of-town tournaments, travel team families sometimes blend sports and nonsports trips.
Pam Sligar's sons, Alex, 13 and Nick 11, both play travel team ball in Sandy Plains. Last summer, Alex played in a tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the family of four all went. The trip included a visit to Niagara Falls and Toronto. This year, they will repeat the journey with Nick and will visit New York City.
Pam Sligar, a professional organizer in east Cobb, figures it costs about $4,000 a year to keep her sons in travel team sports, but says the benefits outweigh the expenses.
Kids get to do something they love, she said, and parents get family time and a social outlet with one another.
"We've made some wonderful friends with the families on our teams," Sligar said.
It's not only boys who play travel team sports. Leslie Broome and her husband have two softball players on travel squads, 12-year-old Amber and 8-year-old Abbey. They have been to Nashville and Moline, Ill., among other places, for games.
"We had one weekend last summer where neither of the girls was playing someplace," Broome said. "It takes up your whole weekend."
Not that she's complaining. The couple has a 2-year-old son who, she said, they hope will "join the craziness" when he's older.
The Anthes family knows craziness. Later this month, Vicki and Dave will be out of town on a company trip. Grandparents will come down from Wisconsin to mind the boys while they're gone. But, on the weekend, when there are games to be played, they will stay at some teammates' houses.
The games must go on.
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