Jim, 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. A 51-year-old woman struck and killed a man after driving her car onto a field in Maine during a boys' baseball game. But we have had a great experience with travel ball and have been able to balance our commitments to both Christ, his church, and our family. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. coming down the pike. Thanks to all who replied. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. My 10 year old tried out for a travel team for over 2 months. Is it more important than being at church on Sunday morning? Jan 25, 9:19am. But most of them still play, in one way or another. The Little League League Finder tool quickly and easily identifies whether a residence or school address is located within the boundaries of an active Little League program. And this, more than anything else, is the problem with the continued growth and success of baseball. Thank you for this. Steven_Ellis February 21, 2015, 12:46pm #1. 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. 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. My husband also was a quarterback at a Big 10 university, and my dad was a football coach, but we both chose to direct our son away from football and into other sports because of the enormous risk of injury, especially head injury. I hope my article could help to answer your questions. Articles like this help. I stayed with the Little League program because I was told that for my sons 7-year-old season, there would be kid pitching. As a pastor, I require my daughter to be in church every Sunday, which means that she misses all Sunday games that interfere with worship. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. Confused! And we want them to work hard, even when the going gets tough. But this, which I encourage you to read in its entirety, is a very damning piece about the state of baseball in America. Al Mohlers Culture Shift (And I hope thats not the reason you involve your kids in athletics!) I had worked with him quite a lot prior to that. Now, this doesnt mean that her coach and teammates like it, but we have found that our commitment has opened the door for spiritual conversations. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. . It will look different for each family and each child. They chronicled 850 baseball deaths in Death at the Ballpark, spanning professional, amateur, Little League, and even backyard pickup games. Babe Ruth and Little League are safe . Thanks for posting this. 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. As a preachers daughter, I saw many families who were active in church get involved with a travel ball team, and not only stop being active, but eventually drop out of church altogether. Is the travel ball opportunity your 714 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. Uber competitive athletics is going to end for 99.9 percent of kids/young adults. 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. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. I also appreciated this article: Rec ball and travel ball can coexist, BUT, it has to be done with the kids as the foremost priority. This mentally effects the kids also with so much pressure to do well. 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. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football.First played during the 1871-72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. However, many people believe that the Little League better cultivates the true spirit of baseball as opposed to the sometimes too professional and competitive approach in travel baseball. I've seen and heard stories about parents who spend thousands of dollars to get their kids on the best travel ball squad in their areas. Too many surgeries, other arm problems, leg issues and other health issues that kids at that age shouldnt have to endure. 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. Our son never felt like he missed out on anything; he was too busy playing other sports and doing other activities. God makes it pretty clear when Paul says, Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus We represent Him, so we will want to do our best and want our kids to understand why. Since tournaments and games are. Consider D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and those scholarships can be divided up between players. It was something that we passed on to them. All 9YO players. 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. Rec ball is where they develop and BE INVOLVED , VOLUNTEER, ATTEND MEETING AFTER MEETING, FUND RAISE, HOLD ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR TIME, HONOR, COMMITMENT AND GET ALL THE KIDS TO ENJOY THIS LEAGUE YOU ARE A PART OF. . That would inevitably awaken the competitive impulse, leading to more practices, more effort expended, and the gradual creep to a higher key. Learn from others short comings and honor God with your precious time on the field. Usually, teams play travel ball at least twice a month, on weekends. Baseball cant raise the dead, but Jesus will do just that when he returns to make this world into the new heavens and new earth. The irony is that if you dont value your commitment to church (and Christ) enough to pass on sports to commit to church, you arent likely to step out and preach the gospel at the sports events either. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. I agree, there are a ton of options. 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. Baseball is the greatest game ever, it is exactly that, a game. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. 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. Two guys who are now playing in MLB came from two of the leagues in the District. Awards. Those two sports may not seem very similar. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. After all, theres a reason why the closing scene of Field of Dreams is so poignant. Golf attracts high dollar, high roller sponsors. Listen to baseball experts'. Now think about NASCAR. We love them by showing them that God is infinitely more valuable than all else. Very few will walk in my church doors on Sunday. 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. Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. But a story did cross my timeline about something near and dear to my heart: baseball. Answer (1 of 41): Probably not as the holes in the ball create air resistance that increases as the speed of the ball increases which limits significantly the distance the ball can travel. | GWG Clips #2 from GWG episode #1| Daniel Otero and Ty Osborne - YouTube Blessed to have Tyrone on with us for this episode! to return baseball to urban fields. But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. 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. Spoiler: I wasnt good enough to keep playing. Guess what; we still talk about baseball. So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. But my friend who suggested that I do this also told me what was going to happen: he said I needed to understand that the other travel ball teams werent going to be low-key, so we would get pummeled at tournaments and probably lose every game. What Is Travel Baseball? Generally speaking, these parents dont do the Sunday sports to evangelize. Playing baseball is a nice extracurricular to put down on applications. All Rights Reserved. Its a fading game. In Florida, some high-level programs now cost over $10,000 a season. (And options do exist that dont cost an arm and a leg.) The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. 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. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. The biggest problem I see is the fact that there are too many marginal players who should be. With the emergence of travel baseball and its more developed infrastructure, Little League has lost its appeal as a path to higher levels of competition. This is what we due when we gather for worship. He looked great in his fancy uniform and matching cleats, but that didnt matter. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. Give your kid the chance to be a great person and cultivate that through sports. But this issue goes far beyond Little League Baseball organizationally. Just like my folks did. I could be wrong. For some may not even be an issue. Mid-way through the season, I asked the coach if there would be an opportunity for some kid pitching. He has a decent arm but has never pitched in travel. See caveats in opening and closing paragraphs. 12527 posts. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. However, Little League International also has the right to limit participation in its activities to players who comply with its rules, regulations, and policies. Every expert agreed that kids are being played too hard and too long. A lot of teams are started by parents, but some are run by former high school and college coaches. It's a vicious cycle. While it has completely permeated and overtaken little league baseball, it exists in every sport, football included. Not criticizing anyone not on same path, but if they want it, you wont stop them. 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. Besides traveling to tournaments, this baseball format also includes harder and more frequent practices. 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. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. The competitive environment, expert guidance, and the quality of available facilities are unmatched by any other youth competition. After a few weeks of intense practices, it was clear my son would not see much playing time. My son is 11u, and this fall was his first (and possibly final) season of travel ball. 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. Division Descriptions: Teeball is for 5 and 6 year olds not ready for coach pitch baseball. Having coached both my sons in travel an rec ball, and being on the board of our local rec league, serving as president for several years. Overall, the risks are pretty much the same as regular baseball. 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. The league originally included boys age 8 to 12. Travel ball is expensive but studying for class is free, and an SAT book is like 20 bucks. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Car pool or fund transportation for those who cant get their children on time. I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. We invite you take just a few moments to browse our ever expanding list of teams below. Icicidirect. The local Little League and the teams players, manager, or coaches, do not need to raise any funds to be able to participate in the Little League Baseball World Series. Yes, I need Sunday fellowship and worship. As Little League has declined, travel baseball has grown. Is there saving Little League? I was sad when the team cut me from the roster, but I was also relieved. I am confident that there are better ways to steward those thousands of dollars. If your children think you are most concerned about their being the best baseball pitcher, back-stroker, or whatever, they can become guilt-ridden for wanting to even think about spending time in other pursuits because they naturally want to please you (or the constant stress of knowing how vital it is to you, may act to make them hate it). Continue with Recommended Cookies. Your email address will not be published. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. Uniforms, equipment, and any assets belonging to the local Little League (including uniforms bearing the required Little League shoulder patch), cannot be used for non-Little League activities, or in any game or tournament not specifically approved by Little League International. What will travel ball mean for your marriage? Check out: The Nehemiah Institute (nehemiahinstitute.com) 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. Is Travel Ball killing little league and organized baseball? A lot of these programs operate on a business-like, almost professional, level and feature teams in all age groups. I was recently Contemplating to start travel ball from my son recently and for some reason Ive been holding back . Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. 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. T-ball, Biddy, "Little League", and Teener League baseball programs for the Tamaqua Area. and our Outside of Little League Baseball. . If thats the case, the league they participate in doesnt matter that much. Growing up I loved baseball. blair and son funeral home smiths falls / top of the world patty griffin meaning / travel ball killing little league. . Teams advancing to the regional level in the U.S. receive an additional $200. What are they learning? 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. When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. Listen to article. Our daughter played travel softball for 9 years. When I walked on and made the Razorbacks, the sport I loved to play became a year-round job. Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. No player evaluations are required for the Fall season. When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. They will actually improve more at each sport because a variety of new skills enhances old ones in ways that cant be quantified. Thats commendable, but I suspect that those tournaments dont always start the Sunday games at times that make finding a worship service possible. Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [alap] ()) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. This is the one your wife wants you to care about. 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. Dont let one child be turned away because they cant afford registration or equipment. Kids are smarter than what we want to give them credit for. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. March 5th (Sunday) National League Tryout - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. My boss lets me take off whenever I want for travel ball. Families who thought the Sunday game was no big deal slowly dropped out of church because sports came first. I love excellence. Dads get into it for a little better competition not meaning for it to take over their lives, and the next thing they know their schedule and wallet are dominated by travel ball. Applaud effort and celebrate results for both dugouts. (No wonder God calls us to pray without ceasing!). 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. He is 11, athletic, fast on his feet , 4'9" 75 pounds average size for his age. Travel baseball is very competitive, especially compared to recreational leagues. The costs of travel baseball often put a serious strain on the family budget. A fun, family-friendly, reasonably affordable activity you can do with the kids? Despite the beautiful fields the travel ball team played on, the grass wasnt greener. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. It is organised by and named after The Football Association (The FA). You can start posting after you click here to register.Click the word the "register" to proceed. Heading back to Little League! Travel Ball Killing Little League!? 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. 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. If I was in the big leagues, my summers (and falls, and springs) would be dominated by an unrelenting schedule leaving no opportunity to coach my kids teams. The low-end travel teams can be local teams going to a few tournaments outside the region. All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. The three year old is already all in and ready to play. 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. For us, travel has been amazing. To make matters worse, I learned his old Little League team did incorporate kid pitch mid-way through the season. 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). 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. 2021 featured all American teams. This is great information, but unfortunately rec ballaka little leagueis a political nightmare where I am from and for many others. Once we knew about travel ball there was no going back. Turn your focus and see a different view. (Answered! In general, most of the Little League tournaments are organized in the local area and involves teams from the same city or community. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I dont know. LSU Fan. Maybe my son will get a chance to play as long as he continues to love the game. However, the main reason weve stuck with travel is the consistency that it offers. Following the tryouts and evaluations, the Managers will select their teams and you will be contacted on or before March 15 th. Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. ), What is the Easiest Position in Baseball? And if I had any skill to make some of that money working in baseball, I wouldnt have a day job. 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. I would also ask to establish contact with you for a best practices sharing of information and spreading of the works you are enjoying. . Sad to see but strengthened our resolve that sports would not take priority over God and our church family. 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. Educate them. A lot of well rounded and good mannered young men who enjoy competition and sportsmanship. Well, the genie of privatized baseball cannot be put back in the bottle. Here are 10 reasons I think you should keep your kid in the rec league rather than quitting it for travel ball. It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. Have fun with sports, and use it to build character, not dream-castles in the skies. Little League. 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