What questions should we be asking/what is expected of a high level travel team PO?

My son was a po as well.  

Your fees should be less than a positional.  I would advise them as to who he is working  with outside of their organization and when... I would want want to avoid any potential conflicts....I would also want to understand what they provide as it relates to 1) pitching instruction and 2) training/lifting....if the fees cover that you may be able to avoid using your current folks (unless it's really working for you and you want to keep the relationship)

I would want to know how they use pitchers and ensure they aren't overused.....my sons team would trot out two pitchers per game.  4 and 3 ip per guy....some positional guys would be available if pitch counts got out of control for a scheduled starter.   Essentially you had 4ip per weekend......they also followed pitchsmart rules....they would manage through bracket play with who was still available or 2 way guys...... this was pretty much laid out 1 to 2 weeks in advance of an event so you/they could communicate to coaches when they could see you.

Pos on his team simply needed to be there when scheduled during pool play and though bracket play to the extent they could still pitch under the pitchsmart rules.  

Offseason Practices were encouraged....his team ran separate programs for the pitchers....they were either doing arm care, bullpens, or other developmental activities

A lot of the issues you mentioned are negotiable, and you should fully disclose all other baseball-related activities and relationships.

PO's sometimes get flexibility on price and team obligations. Being a designated starter often gives more flexibility. Being a big-game starter gives even more.

My son was a PO, and we were able to arrange to travel for some tournaments only for the games we knew he'd start. For longer and more important tournaments, we were there for the duration. 

As far as practices, he went to all of them, partly to be part of the team, partly because PO's had practice roles as baserunners and shaggers, and partly because it was beneficial for him to be around players who had better habits and skills because of playing for stronger high school programs or getting started earlier in travel ball. 

Best wishes,

My 2020 is a PO, been in our travel organization 3 years. Fees are less than position players. As far as the other things. It seems to depend on the team coach.

Usually my son does not attend every game*. He'll attend on the days he'll pitch. This is important because he can have a training routine and not worry about sitting around at games he's not playing.

Are there multiple teams in the organization that he can potentially pitch on? You should also find out if they have any issues with your son pitching for another team if they aren't playing.

You don't mention your son's age, but in their rising senior summer you want to make sure you aren't on a team with too many POs where your son isn't getting the exposure he needs. This depends on your schedule of course.

*My son attends more games this year because it's his last year of summer ball and the team has been together for 3 years.

Why does a pitcher need to play in the fall and blow out his arm?

My pitcher son played college and never played in the fall - before college, then he blew out his arm.

SultanofSwat posted:

Why does a pitcher need to play in the fall and blow out his arm?

My pitcher son played college and never played in the fall - before college, then he blew out his arm.

It's a fair question.....if you are fatigued post summer, fall is a good time to rest, lift, get stronger, etc.

If you are feeling good, however, and the fall schedule your teams plays will offer exposure (ft myers) then it may be worth the effort.

I wouldn't advocate playing in fall as a pitcher simply to get in reps....if you are, however, rolling into your junior year with no offers and you can get in front of coaches I think it's worth it.

2019 was a PO for a high level national team. It was very cheap (for the whole roster) so did not worry about the PO discount, but he was at every game and if we needed to leave a day early or showed up a day late it really wasn't an issue. Team never practiced, but when they rented a field while on the road he was there shagging and tossing. Got some ABs in blowouts. He's a two way player but probably wasn't going to see a ton of playing time so chose the PO route for the summer. 

Another team he played on as a 2 way had 3 POs. It was all discounted and they only showed up on days they pitched. As was mentioned above. Top of the line guys have more control over when they're pitching. Relief guys, not so much. 

Great question.  As is typical with high level travel teams the POs are two way players and stars on their high school teams.   So, I honestly believe the question is how does your son handle sitting the bench (when not pitching) and does he realize that PO is most likely his ticket to a college baseball opportunity.   If your team is winning national level tournaments it becomes an easier pill to swallow.   My son's travel coach had a very direct conversation when he was 15 years old (a conversation I remember to this day) that best explained my son's talents and where he (potentially) fit on the college baseball field.  It became a lot easier from that point forward as my son looked forward to being in the dugout when he wasn't pitching.   With that said, the coach gave us a lot of flexibility with his schedule and a discounted rate     

On my son's team, it was  expected that each player was doing their own self-development (pitching coaches, bullpens, PT, band work, weights) on the side.   It would not hurt to tell the Coach your program and development schedule so there are no overlaps.

Good luck!

Son has zero interest in hitting. We both understand, and he likes the fact, that pitching is his calling. It's allowed him to focus on one thing. He's a starter. Does not mind hanging with the team after he's pitched on a particular day. Thanks for all the insight. Have some good takeaways now... Kind of what I thought but picked up a few things to ask...Thanks Again All!