I submit that even with all the excitement of the game, and the money and fame that come with it, the life of a professional athlete is not one to be envied. After college, my husband played pro baseball for a while and I played on a national team. Im coming at this topic from a multi-dimensional approach. Travel Ball Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. Really great article Dr. Hamilton! Yes, Major League Baseball has its RBI Program to return baseball to urban fields. Besides the usual costs of buying bats, uniforms, cleats, and other equipment, there are team fees and the costs of fuel, accommodation, and dining. (Not that we did everything right by any means!!) Dont let one child be turned away because they cant afford registration or equipment. But a story did cross my timeline about something near and dear to my heart: baseball. Encouraging the pursuit of excellence and rewarding hard work and God given talent. The demographics of NASCAR drivers has changed dramatically. little league field, killing 1 . Often, teams participate in the tournaments that take place in a city other than their own or even in another state. The best outcomes were consistently when we stayed in the local rec leagues. Travel ball is being on the right team, knowing the right people, and working on your skill set; not that much different from academic pursuits really and more so I suppose. This means that kids participating in travel tournaments get a chance to play with or against highly skilled and competitive players. Is it more important than being at church on Sunday morning? And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. Brewers pitcher Andrew Kim (10) throws a ball towards the plate and a Giants batter during a game versus the Brewers for a Summerlin Little League North majors game at Trails Park Little. Travel ball is expensive but studying for class is free, and an SAT book is like 20 bucks. For us, it boils down to priorities. The higher level of competition drives young players to work harder on their game. I do wonder though as a parent of a child who did play travel ball and also ended up as a D1 athlete if we arent typically just exchanging one pursuit of excellence for another. All Rights Reserved. Kids may start playing in the Little League from as young as age 4. Added together, the average cost per player for a season must be well over $1,000. The low-end travel teams can be local teams going to a few tournaments outside the region. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. Two guys who are now playing in MLB came from two of the leagues in the District. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. Little League International respects the rights of a parent(s), or legal guardian(s), to allow a child to participate in any Little League activity. We still put prior commitments first and the coach understands that we cant make all games/practices as a result. Its no coincidence that the top two picks in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Orioles Jackson Holliday and the Diamondbacks Druw Jones, were sons of superstar Major League players. Its hard to see him play so well and knowing we dont have the funds as most to do travel ball. Applaud effort and celebrate results for both dugouts. Well, there wasnt. Do I think that she will even play on the high school level? It is evangelism that is not solely dependent upon our efforts, but on the power of the Word being preached, loved, and then given to others. Manage Settings For every 10 players that are forced to play at the highest level for their age, 6-8 will quit by the time they get into high school. I had played non-stop from the summer before my freshman year, through fall ball, winter weights, the spring season, then summer ball before it started all over in my sophomore year. The Fall baseball/softball season includes league play at all division levels. While I wasnt thrilled hed be hitting off a tee because he could already hit a pitched ball, I figured we had to start somewhere, and Tee Ball was all that was available. Also, parents may not have a realistic view of how talented their son or daughter is in sports, often over or underestimating their abilities. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. For a 9 year old team the average tournament entry fee will be $200-$300 EVERY weekend, not to mention the gate fee of at least $10 per person per day. She excelled once she wasnt under my leadership and under the leadership of a professional. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. to return baseball to urban fields. We decided to engage in travel ball because the coaching was better. My thoughts written here veer away from the focus of recreational versus travel leagues as the original blog talks about, but include some areas to think about whichever route of competition you choose. I was recently Contemplating to start travel ball from my son recently and for some reason Ive been holding back . Baseball exists not just because of the community's love of the game. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. Jim, The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. It is no wonder so many of our children leave the church when they go to college. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. Written on their website was High Level Competition For Competitive Kids. (on which more below). Very good and same principles work for hockey too. It also has a successful 18u rec program. . 6 Differences Between Baseball And Softball, What Is A Quick Pitch In Baseball? My son excels in travel ball and weve started a bible devotion for the boys before every tournament. Individual players who play on Little League teams are also permitted to participate in non-Little League Baseball and Softball programs. The best coaches and the best players stop playing rec ball in favor of travel ball, leading to fewer teams and a lower level of competition in the rec league. Im sure that's true for some but once kids get to high school, travel ball. March 28, 2014 -- A Little League coach and his family said they feared for their safety when their East Meadow, N.Y., neighbor terrorized them for a year with threatening anonymous letters because her son failed to make the summer travel team. In Little League baseball, ages can vary as much as three years in a division, with 9-year old players in a division with 12-year olds. When I walked on and made the Razorbacks, the sport I loved to play became a year-round job. I am offering these thoughts for parents who are considering whether to put their kids on a competitive team, or a travel-ball team, or a tournament team, or whatever it may be called in your sport and locale. However, they are much more severe. If youre exalting baseball over all these other things, areyou serving a false god, an idol, that is going to use you and then throw you away? We are leaning strongly to go back to his Rec ball league that we enjoyed in the spring. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. And if I had any skill to make some of that money working in baseball, I wouldnt have a day job. Thanks to all who replied. Its better to honor God than to win, and its better for your kid to enjoy the game than for him to play at the highest possible level. That means that even if your kid is the best thing since Babe Ruth, if he goes off to play major college baseball, the baseball team isnt paying all the expenses. Usually, teams play travel ball at least twice a month, on weekends. I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? Never played fall ball, never took private lessons, and never played on a travel team. Jan 25, 9:37am. Mr. Greene, who is currently a minor league coordinator and coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, said what troubles him is not pushy parents, showboating players or bullying coaches. Players invest a lot of money and energy into it. Every expert agreed that kids are being played too hard and too long. We pretty much know that were not ready to commit to a large amount of travel and that will be a consideration as our daughter gets older. As one who has three sons, two of whom played travel ball for part of their youth, and one who didnt, I can affirm everything you say here. A jury convicted three men of murder in the 2017 death of a beloved Little League coach who was fatally stabbed over a confiscated driver's license while working security at a downtown bar. But if you don't make it into your dream team, the loss is much heavier on people's pockets as well as their minds. Most professional golfers look the same. . The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Do the social aspects improve their values and stimulate great discussions at home, or lead them away from family?). | GWG Clips #2 from GWG episode #1| Daniel Otero and Ty Osborne - YouTube Blessed to have Tyrone on with us for this episode! And this, more than anything else, is the problem with the continued growth and success of baseball. In general, most of the Little League tournaments are organized in the local area and involves teams from the same city or community. He was so upset. I intend to keep it that way. For additional information please contact Glenna Sandel at 615-403-6938 . Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [alap] ()) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is organised by and named after The Football Association (The FA). . I got an education, got married, we started having children, and now I get to coach my kids. As of now, we do believe that we are pursing the wisest course. Its not for every child or family, but we have enjoyed allowing our child to play travel ball, at least today. What better way exists. Car pool or fund transportation for those who cant get their children on time. Dont sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope that hes the next Derek Jeter. In addition to a spring season, PSLL offers a summer league, summer camps, fall ball, and a winter skills clinic. Is the travel ball opportunity your 714 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? As expected, my son got limited playing time during the season. He was athletic and had the potential to play college baseball, so we finally enrolled him in travel ball after his freshman year in high school. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. Maybe my son will get a chance to play as long as he continues to love the game. I talked to a dad who was committed to having his family in church even when they were on the roadand he said they traveled as a family as often as they couldfor tournaments. A lot of well rounded and good mannered young men who enjoy competition and sportsmanship. The biggest problem I see is the fact that there are too many marginal players who should be. This is the saddest quote of the entire piece, one I mentioned earlier: Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad., Is there a sadder quote? I have a feeling you may not describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton (humble?) A travel team can be started by anyone. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. Al Mohlers Culture Shift Christian Smiths Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers 6 year olds should play a season of teeball before signing up for Prep. Jan 25, 9:28am. Any player or team that does so may be declared ineligible for further participation in Little League for that year, by action of the Tournament Committee or Charter Committee in Williamsport. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96-mile (154-kilometre) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and east, and the Irish Sea to . Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. If his 10-year-old son did not make the team at the $2,500-per-season private baseball club where I coached, the boy would lose friends and the familys routines would be upended, he argued. That was it! The Reno Mustangs Travel Ball organization provides an opportunity to our Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play . They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. Though parents are well-intentioned, often children are tired of pursuing what was once fun but has become a stressful climb to the next level of competition at the expense of other parts of their lives, or at the expense of joints injured by overuse. After all, theres a reason why the closing scene of. But they have more similarities than you think there are. How does a big leaguer have a family? This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. There are no playoffs unless otherwise noted. Thank you! Fall 2022 Season Focus. . When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. However, I am concerned about the amount of time spent in preparation, travel, and practice that can rob a family of what is truly important from a Scriptural perspective. 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