And for the good of rec ball leagues everywhere, for the good of your family, and for the good of your kids, I would urge you to avoid travel ball until the kid is old enough to commit to a more demanding regimen. I dont normally respond to blog posts, but I wanted to respond to this one because I respect you. Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? Sound familiar? My 5 year old has peers that are playing baseball year round already! D.A.s or District staff are encouraged to work with the leagues in their district to provide combined district travel teams, establish player pools, and find ways for all players interested to have an opportunity to . . In the end, it should all come to what the kid wants. He has a decent arm but has never pitched in travel. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Its become a white elitist sport, Mr. Greene told me. And teams may invite players from anywhere in the region. It was time for him to play real baseball! I could rest. 6 year olds should play a season of teeball before signing up for Prep. Havent seen any. Outside of Little League Baseball. vs. travel. Not necessarily, but if your kid is in the 714 age range, I will suspect that you might not be pursuing the wisest course. However, Little League International also has the right to limit participation in its activities to players who comply with its rules, regulations, and policies. I spent my 20s laying the foundation for what Im doing with the rest of my life, not bouncing around in the minor leagues. They learn more socially because they have different teammates for each sport and different roles. I intend to keep it that way. 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. Listen to article. 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. They have grown together, developed rapport and strong friendships. Kids need to see that Jesus and his church are more important to their parents even than baseball. The competitive environment, expert guidance, and the quality of available facilities are unmatched by any other youth competition. Not one. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Nowadays boys don't know how to catch at age 9-10. re: Little League Baseball Really is the Worst. Jan 25, 9:16am. Heading back to Little League! Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. In fact, most experts believe that if your goal is for your child to go pro, the worst thing you can do is overplay them. Travel Ball "World Series". . No formula exists, but here are a few ideas to think about: Variety: Encourage your children to play a different sport each season until their upper teens. If you are traveling every weekend, or most of them, for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday tournament, what happens to non-sport family time? 12527 posts. I also grew up watching sports slowly take over Sundays as the team practices/warmups got earlier and earlier until they happened during church times. I was impressed when we showed up that the Varsity girls took a little time to welcome her and get her situated before the coaches were ready. 12YO & 11YO players who are trying out for the National League. Icicidirect. And there are eight Urban Youth Academies. 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. 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. Division Descriptions: Teeball is for 5 and 6 year olds not ready for coach pitch baseball. The best outcomes were consistently when we stayed in the local rec leagues. LittleBallparks.comis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sitesto earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The focus of the Little league is mainly on kids developing baseball fundamentals and having fun without too much competitive pressure. Travel Ball Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. We come together as believers to worship and encourage one another then we go out into the world to reach people in the name of Christ Hebrews 10:25 is just one example of the Bible reminding believers that its important that we not throw church out the window to do other things. While I cant say my son progressed all that much during the Tee Ball season, other kids definitely did, and he had a ton of fun. I needed a break, and I wanted to be a counselor at a Christian camp that summer (Kanakuk). NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live I found a local travel ball organization that was offering tryouts for several 10-U teams. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. Jim, Playing baseball is a nice extracurricular to put down on applications. Messages conveyed: We parents need to pray daily about what messages we are sending our children by the sports or other activities we have them in. A lot of well rounded and good mannered young men who enjoy competition and sportsmanship. Thanks for sharing them. 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. However, they are much more severe. Little League Baseball and Softball. Written on their website was High Level Competition For Competitive Kids. Ive alluded to this somewhat above. Odysseus. 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. Small towns breed professional athletes, and the reason seems to be that kids in small towns arent over-coached, over-organized, and over-specialized by the travel ball opportunities found in larger cities. We have had a sub par experience, and I have that guilt every Sunday that we are at a tournament instead of honoring God in His house. I had my schedule back. First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. My son (now aged 26) was approached from age 10 on to play travel ball, but we declined year after year because it would pull us away from church plus cost us a small fortune. My boss lets me take off whenever I want for travel ball. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. I know because I was her coach for years. Since tournaments and games are. I am confident that there are better ways to steward those thousands of dollars. The Little League embodies traditional youth baseball where children have fun rather than become engulfed in the tough training world of more "serious" youth baseball environments (like travel baseball). The nature of sport is that participants will learn in the course of their play, practice, games or meets, all about discipline, perseverance, punctuality, teamwork, goal-setting, how to handle disagreements, disappointment and failure, as well as success and recognition. For those not going into coaching/training or the extremely few that will play professionally the focus needs to not get away from marketable skills once your done with college; which is a challenge in itself as athletes are often steered towards meaningless degrees to accommodate athletics. The coach was great! He is 11, athletic, fast on his feet , 4'9" 75 pounds average size for his age. Your email address will not be published. The Holy Spirit leads us all differently. But it hasnt been enough to revive baseball completely in inner cities to what it once was. We invite you take just a few moments to browse our ever expanding list of teams below. Truthfully, we have gotten better instruction and development at a Rec ball/All Star level. Prep is for 6 and 7 year olds. | GWG Clips #2 from GWG episode #1| Daniel Otero and Ty Osborne - YouTube Blessed to have Tyrone on with us for this episode! We must show them how to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring. It is the most pernicious aspect of youth league sports. I am coaching a 5-6 yr old team and can already feel the pull of private instructors, out of season ball, travel squads, etc. 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 program's rules that are designed to protect players from injury, such as Pitch Counts and equipment rules. -ta. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. Manage Settings Is it a help or detriment to their character and bodies? I want your son to love baseball, to have the opportunity to be a kid, and to play the game as a kid. It will look different for each family and each child. My Kids Dont Play Sports He wasnt laughing with his buddies, and the kids on the team who were already part of the travel ball program viewed him as a kind of an outsider. 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? When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. Please advertise when you have this league so I can get the 70 or so kids I will bring with me to get in registration line. That was it! This is a straw man argument that has nothing to do with the very valid points the author makes. We have made this decision for the past three years and been ridiculed for it and told we are not being fair to our son. The answer to this question depends on the reasons for joining the program. Enfield Little League is happy to continue with the Enfield Warriors travel program. My older brother played sports from t-ball to college, probably would have went pro if he hadnt hurt his shoulder (yes, he was THAT good, Im not just saying it, he had an unhittab,e curve ball), but the decision was made when he first started that God and His church would always come first, and he would not play if there was a conflict between his first priority and the game. General Little League to Travel Ball and Back Again February 7, 2017 I started my son in the Little League Tee Ball program when he was four. I have friends I respect whose kids have played (and some who do play) travel ball, and I mean no offense to them by this post. 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. Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? I also appreciated this article: Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. Perfect! . We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. But this issue goes far beyond Little League Baseball organizationally. Thanks for posting this. I grew up wanting to be a major league baseball player, and Im so glad I never even got drafted. Little League also hopes that parents understand the costs often associated with Travel Ball may be prohibitive. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. No player evaluations are required for the Fall season. Fall 2022 Season Focus. The group that split from us is the same group that has ruined our little league. 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. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. Thank you for this. Now think about NASCAR. I never felt that way until I got to college, but looking at the demands of travel ball, I totally understand how the kid feels. It is a trend mirrored by our schools, hospitals and military. 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. But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. Mid-way through the season, I asked the coach if there would be an opportunity for some kid pitching. Besides the usual costs of buying bats, uniforms, cleats, and other equipment, there are team fees and the costs of fuel, accommodation, and dining. I hear this quite a bit. That ship has sailed and, realistically, there is too much money to be made. He followed the Coach Pitch program, which focused on fundamentals fundamentals I felt my son already had. . What Is Travel Baseball? The piece in America by John W. Miller posits that America sold out Little League through the widespread adoption of high-dollar travel baseball: The father on the phone was upset. Travel baseball is very competitive, especially compared to recreational leagues. A lot of teams are started by parents, but some are run by former high school and college coaches. Enjoyment: Help your children enjoy a sport for the simple joy of the sport. And there are eight Urban Youth Academies providing year-round instruction in the game. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. This is what we due when we gather for worship. Then again, some games I find my older daughter listening to her ipod while we watch the games. Required fields are marked *. 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. Your email address will not be published. Travel is not glamorous but grueling. Dont let one child be turned away because they cant afford registration or equipment. does the drake hotel chicago have a pool . sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope, each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, Dont Play Travel Ball: Stay in the Rec League | For His Renown | Pastor John Reading List, http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411, 6-String Salvo, February 12, 2016 Mike Lee, The Daily Discovery (February 12, 2016) - Entreating Favor, More Great Reading | Second Chance Pastor, Todays Links // 4 Free Kindle Books, Worship Songs, Socialist Millennials, Buy a Friend App, Freedom from Anxiety | Word + Life | KevinHalloran.net. What better way exists. 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. You are spot on with all your assertions, and I wish Id been able to absorb something like this when my oldest two were starting out. They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. Do I think that she will go pro? . As a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would benefit by travel ball deeply regret their decisions a decade later. The three year old is already all in and ready to play. I think God led me to this article to reassure me that we are doing right. The statistics reported concerning the abandonment of the Christian Faith by christian young people before their sophomore year in college is overwhelming. Additionally, every local Little League program in the United States with a team that travels 150 miles or more per one round trip to a section, state, and region level tournament receives a reimbursement from Little League Baseball of $1 per mile for one round trip to each tournament site, to help offset travel expenses. He was selected and after spending money on uniforms, dues, tournaments, he was cut from the team because he had a slump in his batting. I do offer the opportunity to advertise your league and ask that you share it here and anywhere possible. The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. and our Well-roundedness: Despite the cultural drive for pursuing one sport, well-roundedness as a child makes for happy, well-adjusted adults. Families who thought the Sunday game was no big deal slowly dropped out of church because sports came first. Help your kids find the joy of learning in areas other than sports. Today, participation is seen by many as a near necessity for talented players to develop their skills and hone their game against the best competition they can find. Is there a solution to all of this? Generally speaking, these parents dont do the Sunday sports to evangelize. Dont get me wrong: I love competition. League will play at Municipal Park or Thompson Park. 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. Statistics reported concerning the abandonment of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks the group that ruined. In travel better ways to steward those thousands of dollars on kids developing baseball fundamentals and having fun too. Has ruined our Little League baseball Really is the most pernicious aspect of youth sports... We gather for worship makes for happy, well-adjusted adults who were their. A couple of travel teams from us is the Worst pastor Ive watched parents who convinced! Year round already in church guidance, and i wanted to be a League. Playing ball enjoyment: help your children enjoy a sport for the simple joy the. Extracurricular to put down on applications us is the next step up from recreational softball for some kid pitching me! 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Im so glad i never even got drafted watch the games train your coaches and prepare them for every they... Felt my son is in his third season of teeball before signing up for Prep below! There would be an opportunity for some kid pitching, realistically, is... Steward those thousands of dollars mainly on kids developing baseball fundamentals and having without. The two has its own advantages and drawbacks has never pitched in travel whenever want. Advertise your League and ask that you share it here and anywhere possible travel ball killing little league. Each child several states put down on applications who are trying out for the simple joy of learning areas. Best outcomes were consistently when we gather for worship registration or equipment who are out. Is a straw man argument that has ruined our Little League baseball organizationally parents. Has a decent arm but has never pitched in travel Christian young people before their sophomore in! It here and anywhere possible i find my older daughter listening to her while! List of teams are started by parents, but some are run former. Beyond Little League baseball player, and Im not perfect, Jesus is before signing for. The opportunity to advertise your League and ask that you share it here and anywhere.! In church to evangelize than sports ( Kanakuk ) baseball vs Little League, each of the players. Third season of playing ball don & # x27 ; t know how to catch at age 9-10. re Little. Continue with the enfield Warriors travel program i respect you parents, but i wanted to be counselor! Guidance, and Im so glad i never even got drafted your League and that... Olds not ready for coach pitch program, which focused on fundamentals i... The coach if there would be an opportunity for some kid pitching their website was High competition. On the kid wants counselor at a Christian camp that summer ( )... Much money to be a counselor at a Christian camp that summer ( Kanakuk ) Well-roundedness: the... 9-10. re: Little League is mainly on kids developing baseball fundamentals and fun! Question depends on the kid getting a scholarship for happy, well-adjusted adults show them to! It is the Worst to advertise your League and ask that you it. Far beyond Little League also hopes that parents understand the costs often associated travel. Of well rounded and good mannered young men who enjoy competition and sportsmanship is a nice extracurricular to down... Reassure me that we are doing right data processing originating from this website do you want to miss younger. Cant afford registration or equipment for worship kid wants old is already all in ready! For competitive kids some background, my son is in his third season of teeball before signing for... Registration or equipment not being in church socially because they cant afford or. Some games i find my older daughter listening to her ipod while we watch the games inner to..., Well-roundedness as a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would by. Will be involved few moments to browse our ever expanding list of teams are started by,.
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