What age should kids start playing travel ball?

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Originally posted by cabbagedad:
So, Steve, you as the academy operator can do much to facilitate this process. For the younger age groups, coordinate the timing of travel tourneys to begin after LL/Pony All-Stars are wound down. Meanwhile, encourage lessons, etc. while they are playing locally.
I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new here. As you know, this was the norm not too long ago.

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Originally posted by '15 Dad:

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Originally posted by cabbagedad:
So, Steve, you as the academy operator can do much to facilitate this process. For the younger age groups, coordinate the timing of travel tourneys to begin after LL/Pony All-Stars are wound down. Meanwhile, encourage lessons, etc. while they are playing locally.
I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new here. As you know, this was the norm not too long ago.

I strongly agree with this. It may not be new, but it is worth reinforcing. We are fortunate to be in an area where this has been the norm and most of the families of even the most serious baseball players have prioritized the local leagues. It turns out to be the best of all worlds. It improves the quality of the local league to make a lot of decent baseball very convenient, it improves the pool of local baseball talent by keeping the non-travel kids playing, especially after 12, and it is fun baseball where everyone knows everyone else (including the parents). There are plenty of other months when the more committed players play travel ball.

The result has high quality HS baseball and some very good players. No one's future suffered. Unfortunately, I think the commitment to local baseball is weakening, which is too bad. We'll end up with players having to go further and pay more for less baseball.

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Originally posted by TromblyBaseball:

I also feel that at such a young age kids need to play different sports and my fear is that going to travel baseball will force many kids to play baseball only.

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Exactly right. The boys not only need room for other sports but for the other activities like scouts, music lessons, etc. Youth baseball is a wonderful experience, but it is only one many great activities.

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Originally posted by bball123:

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Exactly right. The boys not only need room for other sports but for the other activities like scouts, music lessons, etc. Youth baseball is a wonderful experience, but it is only one many great activities.

Interesting that you bring up music. Son had about 8 to 9 years' of classical piano, started at around 4. So when parents asked me how son could control his pitches so well, I would reply, it's most likely due to all the piano lessons he has taken. You really trained on finger power and wrist and dexterity.

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My son has played classical piano since he was 3, and still plays (15) on the mound, still as wild as ever. Frown

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Yes, my son still plays and has also joined the HS (freshman) Jazz and marching band while also doing baseball. He seems to squeeze it in whenever he gets a chance. Glad your son still plays, tell him to keep it up, plus the girls dig it! Wink

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Forgot to mention he still takes 1 lesson a week for classical and 1 a week for Jazz.

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What age should kids start playing travel ball?

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My son started travel ball at 10. He started on a highly competitive team and probably play an average of 140 games year round for 3 years. As he got into his teens he backed off playing a lot of travel ball.

Shortly after he graduated we discovered he had a torn labrum. He worked hard to come back and nursed it through his freshman year in college. He completed his throwing program in time for summer ball this past summer. A couple weeks before heading of to college for his sophomore year he had more pain. He went through about 3 weeks of fall ball and then made the decision to hang it up. He had been battling the rehab and pain for over 2 years and didn't remember the last time he was healthy.

I look back at his younger days. he always had a bit of hitch in his throwing motion. I never really did anything about as he loved his travel ball experience and didn't want to stop playing. I often wonder if he didn't play as many games and spent more time resting and improving his throwing motion if he'd still be playing today.

He will tell you the travel ball days were his best experience of his youth. At 20, he doesn't seem to have a regrets, still loves the game and is working towards a teaching degree and plans on being a coach.

I miss watching him play. I can't wait to watch him coach.

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Originally posted by excoach1:

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Originally posted by excoach1:
I'm not sure it is the right question. Travel ball versus pony vs rec...I think if you can get on a team that has good coaches who: 1) work with the kids to teach them the fundamentals and the game, 2) don't yell when somebody makes a mistake/error, 3) limiting the number of games they play, 4) make sure they have fun in practice and in games and 5) makes sure the kids AND the parents know it isn't win at all cost => that's where you want him to play. It's not the league or the division - it's the coaches and the parents working together to make sure the kids are having fun and improving.

My son played travel ball starting at 8 years old. I coached him with a few other dads until he was 13. Every practice we worked to teach them something and tried to make it fun. During the season, we limited our games to a few per week and 1 or 2 practices a week. We were able to keep 14 of the 15 kids on our team until they were 13 years old. My son is now a senior in high school and will be playing D1 next year. Of the 15 kids we coached, 12 now play high school ball and 8 will be playing somewhere in college (and 5 in D1).

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Originally posted by Coach Bob:
My son played LL through age 10 and that year we put together a "tournament only" team and played some tournaments in addition to the LL season. Even with that the 12 LL games and the additional tournament games were not getting him the reps (thanks to mandatory play rules

So at 11u he tried out for a local (A level) travel team, where we played almost 40 games including one out of state trip that was a blast (Black Swamp Classic, Bowling Green, OH).

After that season he decided he wanted more of a challenge so he tried out for a 12u AA team, he got some OUTSTANDING coaching being as it was through a local academy with it's own facility and a lot of experience with getting kids into college. Again, had a great time including hitting three home runs in one game at Cooperstown ASV.

After his success at that level he decided to step it up again and made a 13u AAA squad. His current coach is a highly motivational guy, and I'm not talking cheerleader rah rah, but the kind that makes the kids realize that work ethic and the little things will get you to higher levels. My son has come home from practices fired up and motivated to work on his game and it has been awesome. We are looking forward to hitting the road with the team for three out of state tournaments in '13 and for him to keep growing in the game.

Not sure what next year will bring but I am sure he's made the right choices (with my input) so far to make "travel" ball at 11 a good choice.

My son just turned 8 and played two seasons of Shetland and one season of Pinto PONY league rec ball.  He was selected to the #1 all star team as a 7 year old...they have 3), and finished 3 in the World Series.

What a disaster the league is....they have about 26 teams in the 7-8 yr old division.

The reason I just pulled my son from Pinto PONY league and put him on a travel ball team is because the team he just played on this summer is so pathetically bad.  Of the 12 kids on the regular season team (7-8 year olds), literally only 5 of them can catch a ball.  The other 8 are so afraid of the ball...they jump out of the way to avoid a ball even when it's underhand tossed to them. No coordination what so ever.  And forget about them trying to hit the ball from a pitching machine.

I'm forced to spend money on travel ball because the ability of the rec ball players is so bad.....they cannot execute a play.  How can you teach a team when no one can catch?  Literally, most of the kids just never catch a ball....and can't throw it!

Plus, the PONY league in So Cal he plays in has all kinds of crazy local rules that prevent kids from learning how to make a decision on where to make a play.....and they DON'T KEEP SCORE!  We play 19 games of not being allowed to keep score.

Do I think 7-9 year olds should be playing travel ball?  Not really, but the darn league and their political correct agenda driven restrictive local rules hold back many of the kids from learning to play or develop their skills.

I have NO IDEA why people think you can't have fun AND play travel ball...that is a choice by the travel ball coach/manager as to how serious they take it and how much pressure they place on the kids.  They can still have water balloon fights, good around, and do fun kids things as a team on and off the field.

What should I do?  Let my kid (my kid is not the only one...and not even the best...there are about 30-40 other kids as good) play down to the level of other kids who are horrible?  Not to mention the quality of coaching is not very good.

So if you are in this situation, play travel ball and let your son grow and develop as much as he wants.  Keeping him on a team when he has only 3-4 other kids who can play catch with him without getting hit in the face because they can't catch a ball will not help them.  it will give them a big ego in fact and act too prideful.

Just monitor their pitch count 1-2 innings at the most.

Anyone care to share their thoughts regarding my motivation of placing my kid on a travel ball team?

IMO 8 is too young unless there is nothing else in your area. The cost over the years will be bad enough. Why travel and pay so much? Not much difference in 8 yr old talent. When they get older and want to see better pitching/defense then find it. Also make sure whatever team they play for at that age they Practice. Have seen too many teams play 50 plus games over summer and have no time to practice.

I'll bite.  Frankly, you're out of your mind.  "All stars" at 8 become has beens at 12.  Of course they can't catch or throw.  If you kid is really that good, have him play up an age level.  But to spend time and money on "travel" baseball at that age is stupid.   

They have to love it and they can't make that decision until they really show dedication to one sport. That might not happen until JR High or HS. By then, It'll be entirely possible jr has at as strong desire to dance or play the tuba. Let him be what he'll be.

At 8 years old they should be playing multiple sports, plus band, acting, etc.

I'm 47 and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

11u, 50/70, open bases.

I have trouble when parents label, other peoples kids with Terrible "pathetically Bad" etc... at 7 and 8 years old. Kids mature at such different rates. By the time kids get to HS will anybody really care how good a kid was at 7-8. I have seen may young "can't miss" "middle school all star" kids get passed up as other develop. I do not agree with the no score rule etc..., but please avoid labeling kids at such an age. IF the experience is so bad, have you done anything to help improve it?

I side with BBall dad on this.  Our local rec. league is not very good, and had our son he not got on a team with other kids that played well at his age, then I do not believe he would have progressed as far in baseball.  Now -- on the cusp of signing with a D1 college -- I believe that the early years playing with and against good competition was the key to him continuing to get better.  It does not matter if you "travel," but those early years gave him the confidence and love for the game that is still there at 17 years of age.  I think that is possible as well in good rec programs across the country, but not where we live. 

I also do not believe BBall dad was being disrespectful, he was just pointing out that it is hard for kids to get better playing with other kids that have not put the reps in to learn how to catch, throw or hit.  We all know how much that makes a difference, especially in the early years.     

I do not fault him with going somewhere else to play. I just have a problem with the way the other kids were labeled. Horrible, pathetically bad.

Other terms could be used. Kids progress at different rates, who is to say a 7-8 year old who is "horrible" today might not improve in the future. At this age the point is not to get them ready for College or beyond but to teach them fundamentals. Talent will win out as the years go on.

My oldest was a pretty bad player at 8U. He played rec ball until he was 13.  Some of the coaching was good, some was bad.  Some of the teams he was on were good, some were bad. By the time he started playing travel, he was a pretty good player.

He is a HS freshman now, and this past weekend made his school's fall team. I don't think he lost a thing by not playing travel at a young age.

However I will say that the experience he received in travel ball the last 2 years made a huge difference in where he is today.  That is mainly due to playing for two teams in particular - one that was coached by a local HS varsity coach, and one that was part of a showcase program that had a staff of HS and college coaches.  Make no mistake though - just because a kid plays "travel" it doesn't mean the coaching is guaranteed to be better.

So I would say travel does make a difference - but I don't think it has to be as early as parents may believe.

Thanks for the feedback...OK, I could have used other more politically correct terminology, and when discussing this topic with local parents, I don't use those words to describe little johnny who has been playing for 2+ years (4-5 seasons/teams) and still can't catch a ball that is underhand tossed to him from 15 feet away.

Lets call those kids less coordinated or less skilled.  Of those 300 kids my son played with in his Pinto PONY league this year, maybe 110 will still be playing by the time they 11-12.

I too think it's meessed up to be paying $50-$75 monthly dues for a 8U/9U travel ball team, playing 3-5 games over a weekend once a month, and traveling throughout So California, but the option is to have him play with other kids who's skill level is very low.  There is noting else for him to learn in that league/age diviison because all the time is spent teaching kids how to catch,how to hold a bat, how to tag up, and explaining what an out is while my son (and others) are hitting home runs over the 150 ft fence and turning double plays.

There are no other options in this area. Little league has almost no representation....only 3-4 teams in that 7-8 year old category where POINY has 26.  Little League ha sa bad reputation in our town.

Many of us for years have been asking our league to split up the 26 Pinto teams and form a more competitive/advanced league of 5-6 teams but they think that wouldn't be 'fair' because other kids would feel bad that they are not good enough to play in that league. Personally, I think it's the parents who woudl feel bad their kids are not advanced and have issues with allowing those who are to advance even faster than their kids. 

Schools don't force the super smart math kids to sit side by side with other less advanced/bright kids because they will get bored been taught how to add 4+18 while they are ready to start long division or fractions.  Scholls seperate them and give them more advanced work.  Why would anyone want to do this with your kids in basbeall or any other activity?

Can you imagine forcing Johnny, who can play Mozart on his violin, to sit in music class with beginners because there is no advanced music class and teachers and parents think it would hurt the beginner kids feeling if they didn't get to be considered advanced?

I like the idea of playing him up a division with the 9 year old Mustang players, but he played this spring with those 8 year olds (he was 7) who will be playing in that 9U mustang divsion and it would just be more of the same.  Playing up with 10 year olds might be too much due to the sheer size and maturity between a 3rd grader and 5-6th grader.  

I'm also concerned that the rec league pitching will be much worse than on a travel ball team.  Kids will either be getting beaned constantly or rarely throw a strike.  I have been impressed at the pitching in travel ball. 

I have considered if I'm trying to live out my desires through him....I don't know.  I was a professinal golfer (D1 college and mini tours for 5 years), I never really played baseball except for 2-3 years as a small kid. 

I appreciate the discussion.  My true concern is to avoid buring him out while still giving him a challenge and opportunity to excel.....I don't push him...he's just naturally competitive. 

I got very wrapped up in my then 11u son playing travel baseball with and against better players. It was, for the most part, a good to great experience. He is a better player for it. But all the while, parents with older kids kept saying "small diamond baseball means little to nothing in terms of how the kids will fare on the big diamond." It used to irritate me. But now that my son is 15u and has played 2 full years (4 seasons) on the big diamond, I somewhat agree with those statements. In my limited experience, most players who were good at 11u and received good instruction on travel baseball teams and still play are still good (or better), and many kids who did not play travel or were not good enough to make a competitive travel team at 11u have blossomed as players. But if there is a viable rec league option, I personally don't think it makes much sense to play travel until 11u, especially if the costs are high.

BBalldad, is the disparity in talent at 8 y.o. such that it can be equated to a beginning violinist and one who is playing "Mozart"?

This is what is so laughable about youth baseball.  There really are fathers (and mothers) who believe their kid to be so advanced that it is beneath them to play with lesser-skilled kids.  If we were talking about 13 y.o. players that is one thing but we're not, are we?

Six players were drafted off my son's 17-18u travel team.  Four are still playing professional baseball.  None were the Mozart of baseball at 8.  In fact, my son barely played and was 1/2 the other kids' size. 

My son was one of the kids who, at age 11, was not good enough to make a travel team made up of "special talent".   Frankly, 12 years later, I can't even remember the names of the kids on that team.

I was struck by something as I was reading BBalldad's post.  At 7,8,9 years old a you should expect that the majority of the kids can't catch throw or hit.  At that level the coaches need to be working on teaching the kids the proper way to field a ball, throw a ball or work with them on their hitting mechanics.  When my kids were that age we spent just about every practice leading up to the first game doing the ready set throw drill, "relay races", or hitting off the tee.  You should not be worried about hitting an HR or turning the DP.  Yes some kids are more advanced then others but in the next couple of years that will start to even out.  Neither of my kids started playing travel ball full time until they were 13/14 (depending on the kid).  The did not suffer from playing along side kids that were less talented. 

One thing to be aware of is that there is absolutely no way you can tell who is going  to be the better player once these kids get to HS.  I have see the 11U stud become one of the worst players around and have seen the 10U goober become the kid coveted by all the D1 schools in the area.  In the long run you can't tell anything until the kids hit puberty and graduate to the big field. 

My son started playing travelball on a 10u team as a 9 year old.  It was at his insistence that I pursued this, after a lot of complaining on his part.  He complained that the other kids on his rec team weren't serious and that they weren't good ballplayers.  How a 9 year old can make this determination is beyond me, but let's move on.

I told him that I would look into a travel team for him, but also told him there is a catch.  You will still play rec ball.  Because in our area, the rec players are all part of the same school system.  Some of these kids he would play with in HS, so I felt it was important that he maintain a connection to where we live.  To some extent this has continued up to today.

He did not play for both teams on the same day.  He was not overloaded with games. I was able to balance out his schedule (rec doesn't play many games) so that he attended more rec games then most of the other kids on that team.  The travel team was very understanding with his schedule, as I laid everything out up front.  Because of the connection to rec, he also played 2 years on the Little League Tournament team, which he truly enjoyed.

I would suggest that you lean more towards teams that stress development over competition for the next few years.  Don't get caught up in the "tournament a weekend" circuit.  In my opinion, playing only games at a young age won't make him better player.  It's the development, as in practice, where I have seen a greater improvement in players.

Oldest son is now a Jr. We never paid for him to play until he was 14 years old.  He played for Little League for good old dad and in tournaments for the "all-star" team from said Little League that I coached.  When he was 13, he played up 1 year. 

All of this saved us a ton of money.  In the last year he has started taking hitting lessons from his summer coach once a week. 

He was 1st team All-State this past year as a sophmore.

Younger brother was on a team this past fall/spring.  Pretty successful 9 year old team playing tournaments.  6 of the parents wanted the "bigger/better deal".  They went to "organizations" and will pay over $1000 for fall ball and more for spring.

Littleman will stay with local team, and play his local tournaments.  He will hit at the local facility with his brother, he will field at the high school with his brother.  He will watch his brother's hitting lessons.  He will be the bat boy for his brothers 17U team that will travel over a 5 state area this fall warming up on the field with them at every game.  He will learn more than any organization could provide (some of it R-rated that I'll have to walk the wife off the ledge).

The money we save now, will be later spent on lessons of some sort when he joins a travel team at age 14.

I agree that a kid can start playing competitively later and be just as good or better than other kids.  in fact, speed, velocity, hand/eye coordination will most likely win out in the end.  I also think that kids that start later sometimes do not put the effort into it baseball thinking they are too far behind, (as I have seen this in my mostly African-American community), and some play too much early on and get burnt out.  I only know that my kid played on a select/travel team from 9u to 12u, and 6 of those players have now, or are about to, commit to play ball at different level D1 schools.  The experience these kids got early on allowed them to go to top select organizations, and gave them confidence going into high school.  I'm not saying it is not possible otherwise, only that this was our experience.    
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