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426 replies

Travel Ball - Good and Bad.......

C CNY201010+ posts
With all of the recent posts, I thought I would chime in with my experiences in my son's journey.

Mine started playing organized "coach pitch" at 8 years old. When he was 8 or 9, a coach asked me to allow him to play for his travel team. I initially said no, because he was only 8 and I wanted it to be just fun. Same coach asked me again when he was 10. This time I allowed him to do it, and it was a disaster. Wrong type of coach, and my son was just not ready for that pace of tournament play and competition. I put him back in local league play and the smile returned.

When he turned 11, HE asked to return to travel ball. This time, I carefully researched a team and coach, sent him to the tryout and away he went. This time, he thrived. Throughout the years, I saw good teams, bad teams, and good and bad coaches. I strongly believe that the quality of coaching and competition that he received throughout travel ball best prepared him for high school. I don't think he would be the player that he is today (now a Varsity player) if he just played local rec ball. One of the things that the HS coach raved about was his "baseball smarts" and that he KNEW HOW TO PLAY. I credit travel ball for this. He has also done his fair share of clinics and private lessons. Private lessons are just that. They tweek and enhance what is there, but nothing replaces natural ability, desire and real game experience. So, for a pre-high school player, I would highly recommend the travel route PROVIDED you do your research and pick the right coach and team. Once he gets to HS tryouts, the coach could care less how many AAU/USSSA/etc tournaments that he won. He will care about how he can help his team win, and does he KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME.

Be wary of the private lesson stuff. Remember, that former minor league or college player is looking for income. If he tells you the truth, you won't bring junior back. There are however, former players who will give you an honest evaluation good or bad. Find that guy and use the lessons as an additional tool, not a replacement for practice or real games. Same with clinics. I know a parent who has spent thousands of dollars on private lessons for her son. He has yet to crack the Varsity squad. Why? Because she confused private lessons with valuable real game experience against the best competition you can find. It's easy to look great in a lesson, but no one is swinging at your pitches.

Finally, don't get wrapped up into the whole showcase and "exposure" stuff. College coaches are not interested in players 4 or 5 years away. Showcase what at 10, 11 or 12 years old? Something that MIGHT BE, in a few years? Just have him play, play, play and get valuable experience. Better still, have him learn and play as many positions as possible. Most guys who played SS during travel ball don't even play there now, so don't get wrapped up into the coaches kid playing there. Daddy ball has been with us for generations and is not going anywhere. Also, you don't have to go to Myrtle Beach, Disney, or the Super Mother of End All Nationals each year for him to make his high school team. Keep it realistic and keep it fun and do your research. Remember, it should be HIS dream, not yours. Hope this helps.
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fanofgamefanofgame5,000+ posts
Ditto all of that. Exactly our exp. and def. agree that all of it made him the player he today is good and bad. And you do need to get out of the hometown if you really want to see what your up against. that was the biggest eye opener. you go to a good tournament look around and every player is above avg. to really good.If the player has the goals and drive he will push himself , you as a parent can not do it.
YoungGunDadYoungGunDadHSBaseballWeb member since 2005
quote:
Originally posted by tn_travel_ball:

My son had a really bad experience on a travel ball team. They carried 14 kids, but only realistically played 9. It seems like such a hit or miss proposition. There needs to be a travel ball site to rank coaches and teams with feedback. I created a blog for future parents to read detailing our experience. Smyrna Outlaws



For every 1 of your bad experiences I can promise you I have 10 good experiences on the benefits of travel ball. I hate that you had a bad experience but I promise you in that in these bad times he will learn many lessons to help in him in the future.

Good luck.
S strik310+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by tn_travel_ball:
My son had a really bad experience on a travel ball team. They carried 14 kids, but only realistically played 9. It seems like such a hit or miss proposition. There needs to be a travel ball site to rank coaches and teams with feedback. I created a blog for future parents to read detailing our experience. Smyrna Outlaws


I read your blog. It always amazes me the number of parents that want their son to play on a competitive travel team yet they feel it should be ran like a REC team. It never says what age of the team to which he carried 14 players but the fact is if you don't like it now your really not going to like it in HS. Confused
M Metropop10+ posts
Travel ball can be a great experience. Just do your due dilegence in selecting a team for your son. You just gotta find the right fit for your son to ensure that he will have the opportunity to develop as a ballplayer and as a person. If he's developing as a ballplayer and as a person, I think the "having fun" aspect takes care of itself. There's really not much more to it, regardless of what I have seen spewed on this forum over the years.
L lodi14100+ posts
I pretty much agree with everything said in the original post. The key is the coach. My son happened on to his current team while he was in Cooperstown last year. He got to spend the last four weeks of the summer up there playing for different teams. I thought that the team he went up there with had the best coach he had ever had amd the truth is at the time it was true. But while playing for another team while there he found what he (and his Mom and I ) feels is the coach that can get the most out of him. People talk because we travel to another state to play and do not play on the travel teams from around the area. It is OK though I see his progression continuing.This coach has a team of best players from many different areas all are "STARS" but he has taught these kids how to be teammates and better people. He could really care less about wins and losses yet these kids take it upon themselves to win.They dont mope when something bad happens,they respond.Yea we have won our share of tournaments this year but they are at their best when they get to face the top teams.They may not always win but the always play like champions.When a coach can get that out of kids he has done what he has set out to do.JMHO
Last edited by lodi14
D Daque100+ posts
quote:
He could really care less about wins and losses


I am trying to understand the situation as you posted it. But this coach surrounds himself with the best available players. These kids are in all probability those with the most innate ability available. Kids learn more from the opponents than the do from coaches.

What I am wondering is if this coach really does all that much. Could you please tell me something about in what ways your son has improved under his leadership? He has provided better competition which makes the players on his teams better in and of itself.

I am not trying to pimp you but have seen time after time teams like you describe where the coach does little more than make up the line ups and keeps the kids happy. I am the perennial skeptic.
L lodi14100+ posts
1st of all he taught these kids about approach at the plate.these kids are 13 mind you just coming off the small diamond.He had these kids learn situational hitting.Each time you go to the plate you have a job to do.He lets these kids freelance sometimes if they make a mistake he talks to them about it after the game in front of the whole team so everyone learns. He lets the parents stand by and listen so we as parents learn also.Never yells unless he is on the bases and there is a play on and he wants a kid to score etc.. Could this be taught on a rec ball team? Sure it could,I just have never seen a rec ball coach do it.Have seen them make sure everyone gets a juice box though. Travel ball is the place to hone skills.Also the best competion no doubt.
B BobbleheadDoll5,000+ posts
quote:
I am not trying to pimp you but have seen time after time teams like you describe where the coach does little more than make up the line ups and keeps the kids happy. I am the perennial skeptic


You obviously haven't been around great travel teams. I can't understand your logic at all. There are great coaches and not so great coaches. Great coaches put you in front of guys who can teach you how to perfect BB skills. They manage players and inspire them to max their potential in addition to providing top competition. Rec ball is exactly what the name states . Recreational BB for kids who don't want to travel and make the commitment. There is no comparison.
D Daque100+ posts
quote:
You obviously haven't been around great travel teams.


Now let's not get testy here. Just looking for information to compare it with what I have seen. First I need you define the term, "great travel teams."

There are lots of things in play here. Quality of the coaching staff. Maturity of the players, not just their age, quality of the competiton, etc.

I have seen teams that call themselves, great, even elite. What I notice in general is that the kids are one age but appear to be 2 years older. The early maturation gives them a temporary edge until the other kids catch up.

Practice time is another issue for me. Kids learn mainly in practice and from the reps, not so much in the games. How many practices per week?

As we all know what separates the players to be from the rest of the pack is innate ability. Anyone with innate ability will be able to refine skills quickly.

I do not know the coach in question. I cannot speak to his abilities from any personal experience. And I do not know you nor your ability to judge. Hence the questions. If I am making you uneasy, just ignore me. I will have to reserve judgement for now.
Last edited by Daque
B BobbleheadDoll5,000+ posts
Not testy at all. More like amazed that you can't see the difference.
Take any team at the PG Jupiter event. The Midland Braves, Long Island Tigers, Ontario Blue Jays and on and on.
Yes there are teams that are not legit elite travel teams but they are still a lot better than Rec ball. Even the local AAA travel teams here are miles ahead of rec ball but not nearly as good as elite teams.
I watch all levels of BB. We have had 3 MiLB teams here, There are some 25-30 elite teams in the area around Toronto, 3 senior leagues full of ex pro, and college players. Our kids have been taught by pro players scouts and players. There are 3 D1 colleges within 30 miles. I have seen my share of good ,bad and great ball.
Our elite teams practice all winter and atleast 3 times a week for 4+ hours each practice.
Last edited by BobbleheadDoll
D Doughnutman1,000+ posts
My son has played LL Juniors, high level local travel, HS summer ball and national travel with NorCal as a 14U. He is playing with them at the Elite 32 in Florida this month. Do you know why he plays for NorCal? One thing. Coaching!! This year after he played his first game with them he came back after the game and said, "Dad, I learned more from these guys in one day than I had learned all year."

That is the difference. Quality, quality and more quality. They put together a great team, but they are always teaching. They are incredible communicators, motivators and technical guys. He has played all three levels this year. Bad, good and excellent. Being around a quality organization is worth all of the effort. After you have experienced the difference between the levels, you know why they are the best. Top level has absolutely no comparison to anything else.
B BobbleheadDoll5,000+ posts
3 finger almost every team I referred to has teams starting at as early as 13U. They develop players through great coaching and exposing them to great competition.
There are hundreds of others that have superior organizations. Way too many to mention. There are organizations here that had 5000 kids registered in their hay day. They all had teams starting at early ages and funneled the kids to their travel teams. They even had 2-3 travel teams by the time they reached HS senior age.
One team my son played for had teams starting at 15U. They had 15U,16U,17U and 19U. Hundreds of kids tried out for each team. 15 tryouts all over Ontario until the final selection day. You had to attend 5 tryouts to be considered. I can tell you the coaches were top quality and included several pro coaches who worked with the kids all winter until they returned to their teams. One of my favorite guys was at the time , the longest serving D1 coaches in NCAA. They had 100s of US college players and several guys who went on to play pro ball.
So I think my comments are on the money. He hasn't seen very good travel organizations. Top coaching, competition and instruction are what great travel teams are all about. Or are all parents fools spending 1000s of dollars to play for these teams?
The Ontario Blue Jays can cost 9-10 grand a year. Almost all are in top colleges or the pros.
B BobbleheadDoll5,000+ posts
Dough that is the truth. I remember players saying the same thing after getting great coaching. I remember several coaches who really stood out. One was a guy named Don Cageano.(SP?) He lectured to the pitchers for over an hour about theory on a hot August day and the kids were mezmerized by him. Another was Murray Marshall who I was mesmerized by his knowledge. A long time poster here who's son dates a Canadian went to a Jays game with him and his daughter. She emails me and ask if I knew this guy. He felt like he was with BB royalty. I confirmed he was. He couldn't believe how many BB people knew him.
If you haven't been around top organizations you don't know what you are missing.
Last edited by BobbleheadDoll
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
I agree playing travel will help advance a player to high school varsity faster, once on the 60/90 field. But a kid with great ability who plays rec ball is going to get there anyway. It just may take him a year longer due to playing against lesser competition (Do not confuse kids who play rec ball, accumulate stats and think they're good with rec players who genuinely have tools and talent).

A player/parent has took look at each travel situation and decide if it fits for them. Paying the fee gives the player the right to earn a position. If there are eleven solid starters, what happens? It's important to know. It's better to get playing time on a lesser team than sit and get one at bat on a very good team.

Winning is great. But not at the expense of playing for a coach who does a bunch of bush, kiddie ball stuff at higher levels. You want your kid to learn. As good as you think he may be there's always room for improvement. My son is playing on a team this year not as good as the team he left. But he's getting incredible coaching. I'm glad we made the decision. His coach also has contacts at higher levels his past head coach doesn't have.
Last edited by RJM
B BobbleheadDoll5,000+ posts
RJM I don't think we are talking about the same thing. You don't get to pay if you aren't a great ball player. Some of these teams beat college teams. OBJ beat Connor State that year they won D1 JC World Series. They also beat other 4 year programs that year. One kid hit for the cycle against Duquesne U. He is a draftee out of HS. That team had as many as most top universities drafted. We might be comparing apples and orages.
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