What is most important in a summer team.

All of those you mentioned are important, plus being in the right tournaments.  Check the history of the teams, see if you can find/contact any past players.  Good coaches that are well connected can be very beneficial, check their history too.  Do your home work and don't be afraid to ask questions.

If your son is a stud and plays against top level HS talent, the number of tournaments has less to do with you, but more to do with how much you pay the team.  But, that's how it works, and that's how the team gets paid for their services.

You want a guy that will recommend your son to coaches/scouts.  You want to be able to play well in at least one game/series in front of those scouts.

If your son needs some work with technique and/or playing against top talent, the number of tourneys are important.

The most important thing is finding a team who will play in front of the schools on your son's list. Tenured coaches with college contacts can help sell your son. At the least they have credibility with college coaches. The better the players on the team the more attention the team will draw. The stronger the schedule (best possible opposition/tournaments) the more attention the team will draw. Make sure the team is targeted at the types of schools your son has targeted.

I know this is a radical concept, but I still think playing baseball should be fun. If it isn't fun, it becomes a very long and drawn out job interview. So I would add that it should be a team where the player will enjoy playing.

 RJM is right, you don't want to break the bank playing on the west coast if your target schools are in the southeast. You mentioned he thought that he found the right fit. I would suggest not to be afraid to nudge him in another direction if you find a better place for him to continue to develop and be seen in these final seasons. I witnessed a  mature 8th grader with a very successful club team tell his dad that he didn't care if he played with friends or not, he just wanted to go where he would get better.

Thank you all for your responses. Maybe I can narrow down my question a little. Playing with friends is not entering into this. The problem is for example one team is really not looking that competitive, only 2 tournaments pretty local, but we know the coach is great and has a lot of connections. Team 2 is a more competitive team, many more tournaments local and away (but still in areas my son is interested in )plus pg tournaments.  Here is the sticking point, team 2 seems to have contacts and have had whole teams commit, but havent had as long of a track record as the other coach.  Guy seems super motivated though because he is trying to build something. My question is the player still needs to be seen competing and competing well regardless of what coach can call who, or am I wrong? Other coach says he can call anyone at anytime, but is that really enough. Also I know my son would be miserable on a team that would get whooped every game.. Thanks again. P.S. incredibly both are the same price and i have to pay our own travel costs.

Not that it matters too much, however winning teams get deeper into tournaments and play more games and therefore get more looks, plus it is a lot more fun. Winning teams develop a swagger that is visible to others from the outside. JMO. 

You are correct.

Plus, it still has to be the right talent match. If the coach can get Mike Fox on the phone anytime he wants, but your kid doesn't play at that level, then that coach isn't going to be able to do anything for you. Or, if he works with all the Ivy coaches and your son is not an academic star, that doesn't help you either. It's all about the fit.

We often talk about focusing on what you have control over. Your son can make connections with schools on his own. It sounds like Team 2 would put him in a better position to get in front of recruiters regardless of who gets them to the ballpark.

Here are some things that I looked for in a summer team :

* Play in a good Connie Mack Summer League

* Quality over quantity when it comes to tournaments

* two practices a week for development and conditioning

* Head coach that has connections to ALL levels of baseball past high school

* Head coach that helps ALL of the players in his organization get the exposure they need.Some coaches/teams are great at handling the top 100 blue chip player,but at the expense of other players.

* Development is more important than winning

* Above all a fun experience for everyone involved

Good luck !

Good article from a while back with some good perspectives to consider.

http://www.norcalbaseball.org....8?referrer_id=613803

CH10Dad - Good article thanks for posting. Below is a quote from the story referring to an earlier story. Any chance you could find and post that story too?  I tried to find it but couldn't... Don't know if there's a password area maybe? My son is set with his summer team but sounded like an interesting read. No worries if not. 

"We just posted an article on what to look for in a travel team and if someone really wants to differentiate the good teams from the bad ones that just seek out meaningless tournaments"

Will your son learn the game? Will he learn how to make adjustments? Will he learn the 6th tool? Will his reflex actions improve? Will he learn to "read the bat"

Bob

Soylent Green,

Someone shared the original link with me but after a quick Google search I found the follow on article you are referencing.  Just know that it's from 2008.

http://hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=TEXASGATORS&s=baseball&p=newsstory&newsID=10131

I'm sure various posters have experience with top quality programs not referenced in this older article.  USA Elite Baseball is also a good developmental program.

http://usaelitebaseball.net/De...usaelitebaseball.net