What programs did players come through?

JMO, and keep in mind that every geographical area is different but AABC is the most difficult for 16 & up. You have to win the state and region to qualify for the World Series in McKinney, TX (16) or Farmington, NM (18)

Every community is different. Some oganizations are good in one community and so-so in the next.

quote:

I'm curious to know what's happening from ages 13-18 in other parts of the country.

In that you asked, my son played:

13 - Both PONY and Babe Ruth (ajoining towns where he could play both) along with his Travel/Tournament Team (the travel team played mostly USSSA).

14 - Same teams as when he was 13.

15 - Babe Ruth & Tournament Team (he began to travel on a broader basis)

16 - Jr. Legion (17u) & Travel/Tournament Team (major national recruiting events)

17 - Sr. Legion (19u) (several showcases and college camps)

18 - Joe D. (west coast based 19u) with a great deal of time committed to conditioning for college.

Same with rec ball here in G'ville - a waste of time. I've heard that AAU came to our area within the last few years, and USSSA is even newer, but they attract the serious players. Right now, the common route seems to be AAU, USSSA, (our team did both) for 13 & 14. This fall, my son is the only one doing fall ball from his small school and he's on a 16U USSSA team along with players from the big area high schools. The big high schools have legion and junior legion in the summer, and my guess is that players will do Legion and USSSA for the same reason that you say - better competition in USSSA. But someone will correct me if I'm wrong. EStone, are you out there?

quote:

Originally posted by cbg:
JMO, and keep in mind that every geographical area is different but AABC is the most difficult for 16 & up. You have to win the state and region to qualify for the World Series in McKinney, TX (16) or Farmington, NM (18)

Correct, mine played connie mac and most of the "conference" teams we played were the most competitive in the nation.
I'll bet most of the best teams in the country still are in the AABC?

Wow, what an interesting question. It made be reconstruct his life! Besides all the camps, pitching instruction, and independent and organized workouts, here are my son's teams:

Age 5-10: Summer Rec

Age 11: Summer Rec / Fall Rec

Age 12: Summer AAU / Summer Rec / Fall Rec

Age 13: Summer Pony / USSA Summer / Winter Pony

Age 14: Winter-Spring USSA Travel / Spring
Little League / Middle-School /
Summer Legion / Fall Rec

Age 15: HS / Summer Legion / Summer Babe Ruth /
Summer Northwest Showcase Team / Summer
Travel Team / Fall Northwest Scout Team

Age 16: HS / Summer USA Jr. Olympics / Baseball
Northwest Showcase Team / USSSA
Tournament Team / PG 2008 Rising Jr./
Baseball NW Summer Showcase / Baseball
E. Washington Scout Team

Age 17: HS / Connie Mack Travel Team / Baseball
Northwest Showcase / Seattle Mariner Cup/
Baseball Northwest Showcase / Baseball NW
E. Washington Scout Team

Age 18 (Next Year): HS / Connie Mack Summer Team/
WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS!

Whew!

In WI

13 - LL/Babe Ruth

14 - LL/Legion.

15 - HS/LL/Legion/ Fall HS League.

16 - HS/Legion/ Fall HS League/AAU

17 - HS/Legion/ Fall HS League/AAU/NBC

18 - HS/Legion/AAU/NBC

Just a few years ago around here it was primarily PONY. Nowadays most of the best players are travel ball exclusively.

We are in the same general area as JustBaseball and my son went through the Pony/Palomino system.

A lot of those "best" players did play Palomino ball, as well as travel ball.

Up until he was 13 my son played in the local PONY league.

From 13 through 15 he played Middle School and HS JV (for the years he was eligible) and mostly AAU (because it was the strongest competition in our area) with some USSSA although at 14 he did play PONY.

From 16 to 18 he played HS/Showcase ball.

The summer after he graduated he played Legion ball and absolutely loved it because he was reunited with a number of the boys that had played in the PONY league with him but had went to a different HS and on to different travel teams.

My son played city ball always first at 13 and 14 which was Pony and I started a local travel team in USSSA on the off days for our local kids only. When 15 came came around my son played Colt which was more for fun. He also played Some USSSA, and then moved to El Monte Dukes (Babe Ruth) or San Gabrial Valley Dukes Which ever name in additiion to scout ball. The Dukes pretty much dominated the Babe Ruth W.S back then. At least half of the team was drafted at least once. At 16 he played He played some Babe Ruth but Moved to AABC or the Long Beach Cardinals in 2002. That was a good team also which they won the Farmington W.S. There was some great talent in AABC IN 2002. Midland,East Cobb,Bill Hood everyone of those teams were good. I would say 90% of the L.B Cardinals kids were drafted at least once also. A good number of those players became Cal State Fullerton Titans in 2004. They ended up winning the College W.S.
In CA there are so many competetive leagues, it's what you pick.

Our son started with LL, and simultaneously played Roberto Clemente Leagues, & tournaments.11-13y/o

SF Park Rec touernaments, Senior ball, USSSA tournaments, Pony Tournaments, Babe Ruth League ball, Babe Ruth Tournaments,13-18y/o

Joe D Ball, AAU Tournaments, American Legion, Area Code, Goodwill, AABC Stan Musial, etc...17+y/o.

we may have missed one or two along the way but we remember him changing uniforms in the car from Pop Warner FB games into his BB uniform to play a DH in one single day....whew, makes me tired just thinking about it now.