As Little League has declined, travel baseball has grown. 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 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. The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. I wrote about this for Camden Chat in 2016: Orioles baseball will not be the most important thing that we teach our daughter about. Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. He was so upset. And if I had any skill to make some of that money working in baseball, I wouldnt have a day job. I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. I was told pitching machines are good because they pitch a consistent ball, and help with hand-eye coordination. Jim, (Explained In Detail! First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. And this, more than anything else, is the problem with the continued growth and success of baseball. The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. I also need it every day of the week. 12527 posts. LSU Fan. My husband and I were both very competitive athletes growing up (though we had a wide variety of interests), played travel ball in high school, and won scholarships to a Big 10 university. Posted on May 21, 2022 by . 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Other parents might be emboldened to speak up. 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. Give your kid the chance to be a great person and cultivate that through sports. The only kind of baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a partial one. Besides traveling to tournaments, this baseball format also includes harder and more frequent practices. 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. 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. But this issue goes far beyond Little League Baseball organizationally. Also limiting the distance is striking a ball generates force in proportion to the speed at which the ball i. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. 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. I played college baseball and never once played Travel Ball in the summer until I was 17. Thank you! I left registration, and pulled him from the Little League program. The statistics reported concerning the abandonment of the Christian Faith by christian young people before their sophomore year in college is overwhelming. But this, which I encourage you to read in its entirety, is a very damning piece about the state of baseball in America. Players invest a lot of money and energy into it. We will be staying with rec from now on. Golf attracts high dollar, high roller sponsors. I don't have to tell you that millions of Americans just simply can't afford that. vs. travel. I think the key is finding the right team and families. We have truly enjoyed getting to know our travel team family! 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. But I say be wise. coming down the pike. Little League also hopes that parents understand the costs often associated with Travel Ball may be prohibitive. Nope, the good, serious players in most sports do both in high school. We must show them how to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. 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. Golf has, traditionally, been a sport played by upper-class white guys. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. Articles like this help. My boss lets me take off whenever I want for travel ball. 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. Think brands like Mercedes-Benz. 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). Travel baseball may be making people a lot of money but, in the long run, it may be killing the golden goose. They work the young players harder, but the result is better player development. And we want them to work hard, even when the going gets tough. 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. What will travel ball mean for your other kids? Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. They chronicled 850 baseball deaths in Death at the Ballpark, spanning professional, amateur, Little League, and even backyard pickup games. As expected, my son got limited playing time during the season. Is there a solution to all of this? Our time in sports opened up a world of opportunities, and more importantly taught us much about life, ourselves and God, so we are very pro-sports. Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [alap] ()) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. 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. Ive alluded to this somewhat above. Little League now includes a senior division for players age 13 to 15 and a big-league division for age 16 to 18. 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. Nonetheless it's something that I hope that I can enjoy with her (and any future kids, too) for the rest of our lives, much as I still enjoy talking and watching baseball with my parents to this day. For us, it boils down to priorities. Privacy Policy. Heading back to Little League! And at best a professional athlete might play into his late 30s or early 40s, then what? Second, recreation leagues can be just as competitive and demanding as travel ball, but doesnt have the same season length. Were enjoying the homeschool league to which we belong right now, but also realize that our daughters team is not a highly competitive team, but the JV/Varsity teams are a bit more competitive. However, players who do participate in any non-Little League activity, and miss games or practices because of such participation, may be suspended or dismissed from their Little League team by action of the local Little League Board of Directors. What I got was disaster. They had to draft 8th graders to play for the high school JV team so the others could step up and play the Varsity. Perfect! Every year, MCLL designates players in our All-Star Tournament teams to represent MCLL in the Little League Tournaments within various age groups. I also appreciated this article: Im not saying that travel ball is a sin, but it seems to be something that Satan can use to tempt people away (especially dads). 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. This is great information, but unfortunately rec ballaka little leagueis a political nightmare where I am from and for many others. Enfield Little League is happy to continue with the Enfield Warriors travel program. A lot of these programs operate on a business-like, almost professional, level and feature teams in all age groups. Thank you for speaking out and I hope people will take these comments seriously. It is the most pernicious aspect of youth league sports. God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. 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. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. I dont believe in definitive s. 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. The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. Thanks for the great article I can share with the parents of my students. NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live Copyright 2003-2023 Jesus is God not baseball. I recognize that although it isnt common for kids to be offered college scholarships for sports, it obviously isnt impossible. I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. That was it! 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. 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. She does it for fun and its not overwhelming even though its a little more competitive than a local rec league. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? (This, too, however, isnt a litmus test. The Charter Committee also reserves the right to suspend or revoke the local Little Leagues charter for such violations. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. For additional information please contact Tony Carter 615-202-9606. Is it more important than being at church on Sunday morning? But heavens know there has to be a way to save the sport of baseball. The majority of the leagues are run by local volunteers whose programs are annually charted by Little League International. I also when I was kid play at lyndon and never traveled and loved it and still played college baseball myself for 4 yrs. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. 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. Then again, some games I find my older daughter listening to her ipod while we watch the games. Despite the beautiful fields the travel ball team played on, the grass wasnt greener. 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. Is it any wonder that race sponsors like Goodys and Virginia National Bank have been replaced by Bluegreen Vacations, Ally, or Bank of America? 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