why travel baseball is so great!

For me and my son, travel ball has afforded us countless hours of driving and hotel rooms together that most likely would not have happened without baseball.  I will cherish all those times.  The memories are priceless.  When we left Jupiter this year, he and I both lamented the fact that that would be our last "travel" tournament.  Yes I will get to watch him this spring in his final high school season, and I have fond memories of high school ball as well, but nothing will compare with those out of town baseball weekends.  Most of the time it was my wife and I both, but many were just me and my son.  I cannot imagine a bond between a father and son much stronger than ours.  I only hope that those times mean half as much to him as they do to me.  I am very fortunate that I will be able to watch my son play collegiate baseball.  I am sure those will be great times and we will make new memories, but I do not think anything will ever come close to the travel ball years.  The older he gets, the further apart we will be, because of geography (while in college and hopefully beyond) and obviously some girl will take my place in the not to distant future.  I will be the first to admit that I already miss the heck out of those times.  He is my only son (I do have 3 daughters that I love dearly), and our relationship is slowly changing from father-son to friends.  It is much harder than I would have ever believed to let go.  The wife and I have to learn how to be empty nesters!!  Hopefully we don't kill each other.

A good thing about travel is getting to know, and play with kids from your area, not just your local area or high school. The fun continues when you get to college and you see players and families that your wither played with or against on their  college teams. It always fun to talk to the parents on your son's college team and hear from them about the starting shortstop from the other team that they knew from their travel days. Or being able to share a story about the starting pitcher that you son played with on his travel team with your college team parents. Love seeing a familiar face on the other side of field and catching up with some people that you have met along with the way.

 

The baseball community continues to get smaller as you move up the levels but playing travel help to expand that community.

Younggun I have experienced everything you said, and it made me think of a few other things.

Loading up the truck with sunflower seeds, bottled water and gatorade.

Hurrying down to see what kind of breakfast the hotel had.

Calling the wife, back home with updates.

Washing a jersey or uniform in the sink by hand.

Me driving listening to my old music while he was snoring.

Hoping we had a Friday night game so I could take off work early.

50 kids in a small hotel pool.

Getting home late Sunday night wondering where the time went, but looking forward to next weekend.

 

 

What I like:

1.  Coaching and training.  My kid's first travel coach was excellent.  Took a bunch of so-so kids and turned them into ballplayers.  Current coach is a younger version of the first. 

2.  The trips and memories. 

3.  Traveling allowed Grandpa to catch some games when we got close to his home.

4.  New friends from competing high schools.  They will play against each other during the spring and them come together as teammates for summer. 

5.  New parent friends.

6.  Life lessons about commitment and hard work.  

7.  The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

 

 

What I don't like:

1.  Crappy coaches -- those politically connected with the rec league that get's to coach the affiliated/town team.  The guy who coaches the local town sponsored team, and has almost no players from that town on the team. 

2.  Coaches who don't know crap, but act like they are Tommy Lasorda. 

3.  Teams with ahole coaches/parents.

4.  The dad that rips his kid a new one for an hour at the hotel courtyard with everyone watching. 

5.  Plastic trophies. 

6.  Teams with "Elite" in their names.  If you have to call yourself elite, are you?

 

 

        wow that was beautiful.  I feel the same way.  We are about to head south for a pitching camp tomorrow.   The drives are priceless.  And they do mean as much to him as they do to you.  I told my son last year I couldn't go to omaha with him because I had gotten back into coaching hs baseball and it was in season.  I asked him if that was ok fully expecting the sure dad no problem cause he is an easy going.kid.  he shocked me and said well I did think it would be a cool father son trip.  Wow that melted me.  That's when I knew how much he enjoyed our baseball time together.  That went right to my heart and I told the hc that I was sorry but I had to miss a week.  Told him he could replace me with no hard feelings I would understand.  Told him he could cut my pay.  All I knew was I was going to omaha with my son.  Luckily the hc was understanding and it all worked out.

Nice job folks.  We had a nice run of positive comments there.  Helping me to get fired up for all the fun another summer brings!

 

Like others - I enjoyed many aspects of travel bell... Better level of competition, playing 2 games in the time it takes for 1 rec game, getting to know many different families with similar baseball interests (and sometimes a bit more involved), travelling & mini vacations (Cooperstown Dreams Park is one none of the boys forget), etc. Like any team - travel ball will be as good of an experience as you allow it to be and as good as the other families and coaches make it for your family. Take it all in perspective and you'll enjoy it as long as you've done your homework to find a proper team/program. Otherwise, you'll be in shopping mode for the following season...

 

Ironically, depending on the team and level it can cost perhaps just as much per season as a HS coach "makes" as his stipend from schools. Consider the cost of travel ball for 15-18U that bills itself as "elite" or "showcase" quality. HS is no different than travel with respect to finding a good coach except that for HS you cannot go 'shopping' for a better coach or program. You can be stuck with what you get. Some places use teachers for sub-varsity who may think they know the game, but in the end they do a great disservice to/for the varsity coach.

 

Now as for other sports that will make your day tough - I don't think anyone has said wrestling yet...  Nothing like being at a site before 7AM for weigh-ins and leaving the site after 9PM when the last meet of the day is done. Oh and maybe you see your son wrestle 5 or so times for a maximum of perhaps 9 minutes per time.  You're trapped because you don't want to miss his 9 minutes of fame - which could last mere seconds when a pin occurs. If your child is pinned his day may be over, but not necessarily the team's day...

Cleaning the garage this weekend and came across about 15 old score books from about 12 years ago.  Rolled through the pages and could actually remember more of the games, people and events than I would have thought possible.

 

If you don't get too wrapped up in crazy expectations - it is and should be about time at the ball yard with your son.  In all my life there are very few things I have found that are better than that.

Luv baseball, that was my sentiments exactly. While I loved the teammates and parents and we made a lot of friends, I loved the competition and seeing how my son stacked up to get an accurate idea of his ability level, in the end the memories I will most cherish were simply the conversations with my boy. My dad and I didn't have that relationship. I know he loved me and he was always at my sporting events, but we never had conversations about life like my son and I shared. I only pray that my son will have the same opportunity with his son in the future. I'm sorry I sound so much like a sap. Most people that know me would say that I am pretty non-emotional, stiff upper lip kind of guy. But when I reflect and realize all this is about to change, and yes maybe for the better, it does kind of choke me up. My best advice to those who are about to embark on this journey or are currently in it, you should enjoy every second of it because it goes by SO very fast. I promise you that you will not remember much of the STUFF you think is so important right now. What you will remember is the time spent with your kid and the relationship you come out with on the other side.

I'll tell you honestly - the best times I ever had were when he would go 2 -15 one weekend and on the drive home say..."Dad I need to get out of this slump ...will you take me to the batting cage."  

 

Never did a thing to his swing...just told him to trust his talent and focus i.e. just give him confidence and pump $10 in quarters into the machine and say "GREAT" every time he squared it up.  Next weekend he'd be 11-15 or something and on the drive home I'd get ....an ear to ear grin with "Dad thanks for taking me to the cage it really helped."

 

God I miss that and I might be tempted to give years off my life if I could do it again.

I love how as players grow and teams consolidate some of your most bitter rivals become some of your closest friends. Two of my biggest adversaries while I was coaching LL travel are now very good friends of mine, our boys who at 12 were the most heated rivals will drop everything and go to war - for each other!! It feels odd to play against them in school ball. We have sat together during school games but it honestly doesn’t feel right.

 

. . . how about when a family has limited financial resources and/or time?

 

I would like to see everyone try TT at least for a year or two, they could always quit and go back to rec if they find that its not their cup of tea. I hope nobody listens to a unhappy camper on the board and makes their decision based on someone else and their failed attempt or no try. Some things are what you make them.

Well I can tell you we do not have an abundance of either, but we made it work. As I said we usually camped. That is quite affordable, usually 35 a night. Take grill and pack some chicken breast, hotdogs and hamburgers, and you can eat well for most of the weeks you are camping. Sons never did Cooperstown and most of the tourneys were weekend affairs. Games posdibly friday saturday and sunday with the occasional thursday thrown in. Son fid not start more extensive travel until his 17u year. Even then we would send him early with another family and meet him their later. 

In terms of Travel Baseball, some of the best players ( who have gone or going to play D1) I have seen Play American Legion Baseball. The cost is usually less than the several thousands for showcase teams. Great way to build up rivalries against towns in the state. Also "real" baseball played.. not as many slugfest games, bunting, hitting to move runners along, and WOOD BATS! I know some programs are stronger in some states versus others. My son attended a showcase in Delaware, and the locals there said that the better players didn't play AL.

yea in the PA, NJ and DE that is not correct. What i have seen is some of the Legion teams realized they can't compete with travel ball and have been willing to some accomodations on schedule and appearances. that has certainly helped them out but the good 16u team would be a top Legion team and the the u18 is not even a conversation. Even a good 15u team would compete to around .500 or so in the regular season Legion leagues.

 

There are are few real good legion teams out there but they are few and far between.

I concur with Old School and most others on this site. Legion has become a spot for the kids that don't have the $$ to play travel, have less talent. It sure woulod be nice if Legion was as competitive because I sure would save some dough. Last year my son tried to play both Legion and Showcase but ended up with a bad Legion experience. The team was coached by two of the players (twins) dad which in the area is tipical. This guys kids didn't see the HS field but for a few innings and a couple at bats, as seniors mind you. Well this yeatr I hear that Legion is allowing 19 yrs old and guess who is rumored to have an interest in coaching, yeah buddy!! My son and two others Sophmores play on the same showcase team and the coach was well aware of it and said it wouldn't be an issue and the three of us were aware that they wouldn't play every inning, understandable. Well they rearly played at all, and one of the kids committed to U od Virginia and sits 87-90 so it wasn't a skill thing. Daddy ball at its best. At least with show ball that is not an issue.

Can I re-name this thread, "The Race to SOMEWHERE in Youth Sports?" 

 

Younggun, you sum up my thoughts on how my son and I feel about the hours spent in my truck driving to Connecticut and Ft. Myers, and everywhere in between.  I've logged 30K plus miles PER YEAR these past 2-3 years as son enters the "fourth quarter" of his travel and now showcase years.  It is incredible quality time, me driving to the next tournament, him riding shotgun. 

 

I am grateful that son only asks if he can listen to his music after at least a good hour or two of great conversation and laughs heading to or home from event.  I always say yes, as by that time my jaw is sore and need to settle in to the remaining 3-4 hours of driving to next destination and listen to some satellite radio.

 

Our running joke, still is, come Monday morning when taking him to school and me to work, after just getting home Sunday night at Midnight and maybe a six hour drive:  we both hop in truck cab to get to school and work having just exited the cab only some 7-hour prior, we say, "Ahhhhhhh,  Home Sweet Home," and laugh heartily together; the cab still reeking of smellie baseball pants and socks and cleats, dirt, empty fast food containers, and empty soda cans and water bottles. 

 

For many weeks throughout the year, that was home.  And it was.  Still is. SWEET.  Great OP Younggun.  Thanks for some great memories. 

My son was fortunate to start Jr American Legion at 14 and played again at 15. Daddyball can be an issue but it is a great way to save money for a kid to get some more experience at the 60/90 field.  And we played on some really, really nice fields.  

Legion ball is down to below 30 teams in the entire state of Texas so its apparent that travel ball has taken over.  

As far a talent is concerned, we played in a regional tournament in Kansas last year and I saw some pretty good Jr. Legion teams. IMO, one of the reasons there is disparity between Legion and travel teams is that Legions team will have 2 to 3 yr age groups where travel may have mostly one age group. 

Personally my only issue with Legion ball is that the Senior level team can play all the way through August.  Once 2-days start with football my son is done with baseball so this year we will be looking either at showcases or maybe a travel team (if one is available).