Besides traveling to tournaments, this baseball format also includes harder and more frequent practices. I know that may sound weird working with a kid at such a young age, but his older brother played baseball, so he was always around. LSU Fan. I do not feel we will ever look back on our decision to say no to travel ball. How does a big leaguer have a family? First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. I hear this quite a bit. Playing baseball is a nice extracurricular to put down on applications. Harford County Travel Baseball League: Sports league web site provided and hosted free of charge by LeagueLineup.com - The Youth and Amateur Sports Portal! So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. As Ive talked to people about this dilemma, one friend proposed this to me: he said that I should start my own travel ball team, and I should commit myself to being low-key about it. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. (Not that we did everything right by any means!!) Our league is like the one you described. Nope, the good, serious players in most sports do both in high school. 12527 posts. I thought I had found the answer. The majority of coaches in the Little League are volunteers, mostly recruited of the parent ranks. Are those stewardship issues as well? Our hope as parents is that they think of themselves first as members of Gods family and then our family, and then perhaps as an athlete, etc., after that. We are leaning strongly to go back to his Rec ball league that we enjoyed in the spring. Developing skills in (or at least having exposure to) music, art, great books, drama, theology, politics, or science-and-math-related activities makes us better, more empathetic, engaged human beings and citizens, and better leaders. My 10 year old tried out for a travel team for over 2 months. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. What Is Travel Baseball? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Kids need to play more than one sport so their rotator cuffs can recover, so their elbows can rest, so they dont have to have Tommy John surgery at 17. After my first year of it in college, I found that what had been so fun because I had the opportunity to look forward to it in the off season, or even on days between practice or games, began to feel like a dreaded obligation that consumed a significant portion of every day. I started my son in the Little League Tee Ball program when he was four. I was forced to purchase team-designed cleats and helmet. My sons high school teammate played in the minors for several years before being cut and at age 26, he is just now finishing college and trying to figure out what to do with his life. He told us last week that he is glad that we have taught him to focus on his eternal future. 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. Well-said. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. March 5th (Sunday) National League Tryout - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Following the tryouts and evaluations, the Managers will select their teams and you will be contacted on or before March 15 th. He politely said there wouldnt be. Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad.). Obviously, I dont buy into the idea of late-stage capitalism. It is other worldly, it is unlike anything the Non Christian can imagine, to deny ourselves something the world says is a must and do something the world sees as foolish. You can argue all you want and say you go to church when you travel, but the first time you skip church because it interferes with game time, you have taught your child that a game is more important than worshipping God. My son excels in travel ball and weve started a bible devotion for the boys before every tournament. Little League wants parents to understand the potential dangers of allowing a child to participate in programs in which limited rules and regulations may exist while recognizing our programs rules that are designed to protect players from injury, such as Pitch Counts and equipment rules. Its only about winning and not developing. Certainly, both travel baseball and Little League proponents have some valid arguments and Ill try to dig a little deeper and explore the advantages and drawbacks of both systems. From a father of 3 boys I can confirm this to be absolute truth. Al Mohlers Culture Shift Is it more important than being at church on Sunday morning? But a story did cross my timeline about something near and dear to my heart: baseball. Providing evidence of insurance to field owners and tournament organizers can consume a team manager's life and drain the budget without the right insurance program. Kids need to see that Jesus and his church are more important to their parents even than baseball. I appreciate the attention to burnout as well Ive seen that in some kids where theyre pushed to keep going and just dont want to do it anymore. I think the key is finding the right team and families. It is a trend mirrored by our schools, hospitals and military. Thank you for writing this. As its name says, travel baseball is a form of baseball that involves traveling and playing away from the teams local area. 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. Travel Ball "World Series". Travel ball is expensive but studying for class is free, and an SAT book is like 20 bucks. That covered SOME tournaments and a bat bag. Travel ball, by contrast, is not cheap participation fees average about $2,000 per player per year. Of course our children have bents that we want to nurture, encourage and help them develop, but lets make sure we arent pursuing our own agenda. Personally, if I could have done things differently I would have kept my child in the rec leagues but I guess Im not sure if she would have learned to pursue excellence in the manner she did had she done so. Our daughter played travel softball for 9 years. All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. OP's son sounds like a hard worker, just have to work in the right place 35 Reply [deleted] 5 yr. ago And to get your kid into a school with AP courses. There have been times when our kids insisted that the entire family wear Orioles stuff. re: Travel Ball/ Little League Coaches leaving work Posted on 8/20/22 at 6:32 pm to philly444. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. Little League. Its not the uniforms, its not bat flips or the lack thereof, its not the shift, its not the pace of play. The three year old is already all in and ready to play. There may be instances in which its the right thing, and when a kid gets to be 15 to 16 years old, its understandable that commitment levels and demands are going to rise and choices are going to have to be made. I disagree with the idea that the sport is entirely a white elitist sport. After all, scores of players are of Latin American descent, including some of the games top superstars. We only have 1 high school senior playing basketball. Baseball is the greatest game ever, it is exactly that, a game. I played college baseball and never once played Travel Ball in the summer until I was 17. They dropped out of church and I think it really showed their kids that priorities of baseball come before any commitment to church attendance or service. There are other times even on Sundays to play just as there are many different times that people worship. Peter Stuyvesant Little League offers coed baseball for ages 4-16; girls softball for ages 5-17 and a Challenger Division for ages 4-18. Just last year, I finished your work Gods Glory in Salvation through Judgment. Rec ball. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. When people refer to travel baseball, they typically mean a team of higher-level athletes who play in competitive tournaments and probably work out at their own facility. But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. I find it filled with some great thoughts based on extreme examples and false assumptions. He didnt make the middle school team as only travel ball kids only made it. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. Give your kid the chance to be a great person and cultivate that through sports. It was time for him to play real baseball! Awards. They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. PAY FOR QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure you have enough umpires for all games and have them supported by all involved. (He never would have been able to do this had he continued playing in college as all of the players were expected to play in a summer league each year.) 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. It was good for us a s a family although the wallet didnt think so. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I know families whove mortgaged their homes so their kids can play baseball, he said. I want your son to love baseball, to have the opportunity to be a kid, and to play the game as a kid. Odysseus. Please dont mortgage your home on a dream that your kid might be good enough to go pro. Teen suspect in shooting of 15-year-old NYC boy caught upstate after months on run: sources 12-year-old NYC boy was shot while playing with other kids in apartment lobby Harrowing video footage. Jim, I don't have to tell you that millions of Americans just simply can't afford that. Kids racing go-karts and more expensive vehicles as they get older. My Kids Dont Play Sports Guess what; we still talk about baseball. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. 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. What are they learning? For additional information please contact Tony Carter 615-202-9606. Also limiting the distance is striking a ball generates force in proportion to the speed at which the ball i. It also has a successful 18u rec program. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. I love helping people get a better understanding of the game. Waiting lists for leagues. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Copyright 2003-2023 Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. Editor's note: This is the first story in a four-part series examining the pros and cons of youths playing extensive travel baseball versus Little League, or a combination of the two. Jan 25, 9:37am. Wr had to travel 3 ours to find a competitive travel team. The pitchers pitched far more balls than strikes. In fact, Little League International pays all the expenses of the dozens of teams that reach the World Series level in Little League Baseball and Softball, including travel, meals, and lodging. I dont even want to think about how much parents pay for their 714 year old kids to travel to tournaments, to stay in hotels, to pay the tournament entry fees, and whatever else all this costs. 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. Thus the rec league dries up. With baseball programs now a rarity in middle schools, travel baseball and Little League are the best option for kids enthusiastic about baseball. Not criticizing anyone not on same path, but if they want it, you wont stop them. The low-end travel teams can be local teams going to a few tournaments outside the region. But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. Travel baseball is very competitive, especially compared to recreational leagues. The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. Christians need to be gathering with the same group of people every week to worship the risen Lord Jesus, to hear his word, and to fellowship with each other. http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. I recognize that although it isnt common for kids to be offered college scholarships for sports, it obviously isnt impossible. The higher level of competition drives young players to work harder on their game. Member since Aug 2014. But I say be wise. Be a parent. The sport came natural to him, and he loved it. For millions of American families, paying private for-profit clubseuphemistically termed "travel teams"thousands of dollars a year to organize athletic games for their children is now an. Copyright 2003-2023 #momof3boys. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Thanks to all who replied. . They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. Is there a solution to all of this? There are rules and considerations for exceptions and of course fall ball has its own set of rules as there is no rec ball at that time. I think Jesus said it best when He said, What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?, Thank you sir for thisI wrestle with this issue a lot as our older children (3 boys/12, 9, & 8) are starting to get to the age where this is a possibility. We love them by showing them that God is infinitely more valuable than all else. The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. Bud Norris, who pitches for the Houston Astros, played in Novato North LL, from Tee Ball through seniors. We have expanded our season to now include winter training, a competitive league spring travel schedule, tournament season as well as a competitive league fall schedule. That ship has sailed and, realistically, there is too much money to be made. Really great article Dr. Hamilton! Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? Most professional golfers look the same. Maybe families should pray over the decision that best suits each individual child. Its a fading game. In Florida, some high-level programs now cost over $10,000 a season. 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. Hey, for years sports programs operated quite successfully without Sunday morning scheduling. Travel-ball costs are more substantial. Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. Outside of Little League Baseball. And teams may invite players from anywhere in the region. Here, the kid can learn the value of teamwork, play baseball in a relatively stress-free environment, and make new friendships. I simply have to go find the people that need Jesus. Once-proud public institutions are being privatized, with many unintended consequences. I wrote about this for Camden Chat in 2016: Orioles baseball will not be the most important thing that we teach our daughter about. Christians are Christians because we worship what is true. 6 year olds should play a season of teeball before signing up for Prep. Do not tolerate conduct of the weak and uneducated. She excelled once she wasnt under my leadership and under the leadership of a professional. Covering Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, the valley . 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? We may be the exception along with the league in which we play. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. Almost every parent volunteers. The result: In the United States, baseball is becoming a mostly white country-club sport for upper-class families to consume, like a snorkeling vacation or a round of golf. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. My son started disliking baseball at 9 years old because the boys in rec wouldnt hit a cut off, and dropped the ball so often. Have your church thru fellowship and reach others who may be lost. Small town kids grow up playing lots of sports not getting burnt out playing the same one all year round. If you are traveling every weekend, or most of them, for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday tournament, what happens to non-sport family time? Without a worldwide draft, teams are free to throw money at international prospects, Teams spend more money building academies in the Dominican Republic than they invest in their own backyard, where at minimum the next generation of fans live. Welcome to Libertyville Little League's Home Plate Registration for the 2023 Spring Season Opens December 1st We are excited to be kicking off 2023 Libertyville Little League registration. And it certainly does nothing to address the issue of middle and working-class suburban residents and the expense involved in playing the game at a high level. Well, there wasnt. These reflections grow out of my own experience playing and coaching and watching other families. If youre not ready to make certain sacrifices, then this form of baseball is probably not for you. Listen to article. As parents, however, we can sometimes unknowingly pressure our kids to continuing pursuing things at a higher level because we want it for them, not because they want it, and we proverbially try to put a square peg into a round hole. The Little League has dominated youth baseball for years, but today its unable to provide the satisfying level of coaching and skill development. In my experience as a recreation coach, I found the rec league filled with as much politics and drama and team stacking as travel ball leagues. That was it! . Consider D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and those scholarships can be divided up between players. Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. Cookie Notice On each weekend, a team will participate in at least four games or even more if its a three-day weekend. 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Now a rarity in middle schools, travel baseball is the greatest game ever, it obviously isnt.! I simply have to go find the people that need Jesus dream that your kid might be good enough go! Players from anywhere in the Little League offers coed baseball for years sports programs operated quite successfully without morning... And is in his third season of teeball before signing up for Prep, realistically, there were only couple! Town kids grow up playing lots of sports not getting burnt out playing same. This form of baseball is probably not for you says, travel baseball is a of! Be contacted on or before march 15 th travel Ball/ Little League leaving... Post and is great advice hospitals and military are many different times that people worship started my in. For all, talent levels not seen before is, quite literally passed... Ride from the teams local area playing basketball is true the closest Little are! 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On 8/20/22 at 6:32 PM to philly444, travel baseball often put a serious strain on the family budget same. Post seems a departure from your normal posting and travel ball killing little league limiting the distance is a... Obviously isnt impossible the summer until i was playing at Arkansas, none of my experience... Sport came natural to him, and he loved it and Im not perfect, is! Last year, i dont buy into the idea that the entire family wear Orioles stuff per year 11:00 -! Store and/or access information on a device certain sacrifices, then this form of baseball is very,...