And yes, they will see how I live and whats important to me the other 6 days a week; for better or worse. How to Start a Travel Softball Team | Jersey Watch Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. Travel ball is good for those who are not afraid of being challenged and want to play at a higher level. Do they want to try out for the travel team just because friends are doing it, or because it seems like the next step? softball, a variant of baseball and a popular participant sport, particularly in the United States. Often this will vary from league to league and from coach to coach. But the reality is that if your goal is to play at the college level and especially if your goal is to play for a Division 1 program its an important part of the process. By living our life for Christ the other 6 days. How do players interact with their parents? Its only about winning and not developing. When you go to a game, you are there to support the team. They are the parents that are always visiting the dugout during the games. Hopefully not though. PDF Travel Team Player and Parent Expectations Well-said. 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. The majority of those programs cover their coaches travel expenses as an incentive. On the other hand, dont force her to join a competitive travel ball team if she just wants to have fun. The percentages are outrageous. The time committed to travel softball requires a lot more of your free time than rec ball requires. http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. Youll usually stay within a 30 minute radius for games and practices. Also, some teams have fundraising opportunities that can bring down the cost to participate. Look for positive, fair-minded coaching. I dont know. She excelled once she wasnt under my leadership and under the leadership of a professional. I was sent the letter about "What if you can't . Baseball is the greatest game ever, it is exactly that, a game. More general instruction. Back in 2011, CBS News reported that one Georgia family paid $4,000 per year for their 9-year-old son's travel team. All your doing is increasing the strain and the chance of injury for no appreciable gain. Travel softball is expensive! The repetitive throwing motions that softball pitchers perform may irritate the tendons of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist, causing tendonitis. They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. Recreational Ball vs. Travel Ball - RIP-IT 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. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. If you plan on being on a travel ball team, you need to be prepared to dish out some money. Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. Yes, I need Sunday fellowship and worship. You have to be selfless and extremely hard-working. The Pros and Cons of Youth Travel Teams - Verywell Family Kids need to see that Jesus and his church are more important to their parents even than baseball. Keeping Youth Softball Travel Teams in Perspective No one should expect to make the show. . I could be wrong. Just last year, I finished your work Gods Glory in Salvation through Judgment. If the tournament is really far from home, you may end up getting a hotel room. 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. Thanks for posting this. Small town kids grow up playing lots of sports not getting burnt out playing the same one all year round. If youre a parent who never played a sport competitively, you might not understand her desire to spend every waking hour at the ballpark. She might have all the natural talent in the world, but if she wants to spend her summers going to birthday parties, having sleepovers and just living life, then let her! 2013;4:151-60. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S33556. These parents are the ones that complain when things dont fit their idea of how the team should be run. That makes YOU the problem parent. Nevertheless, Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6:1-4 still stand in Scripture as commands, not suggestions. Very few will walk in my church doors on Sunday. Encourage her to be a good teammate. 6. Stay positive. It is no wonder so many of our children leave the church when they go to college. (This, too, however, isnt a litmus test. Yes, there are ways to make this lifestyle a little more affordable (check out used gear at places like SidelineSwap, Ebay, or take some tips from our post here on bats) but regardless of how much you cut the costs, you will still be paying a decent amount of money to be doing this. Also, keep in mind that many tournament teams have monthly dues of around $200 to play on the team and have access to their training facility. Moen F, Hrozanova M, Stiles TC, Stenseng F. Burnout and perceived performance among junior athletes-associations with affective and cognitive components of stress. The Sleep Foundation. Costs by region (travel mom is from California so these prices maybe a bit higher or lower than what you might spend), but here is her breakdown: FAST, FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS | WIN FREE DIAMOND CLEATS OR SPIKES FOR YOUR TEAM - LEARN MORE, Original Defense Pro Softball Fielder's Mask, Women's Period Protection Volleyball Shorts (3"). Fourth, travel ball is expensive, but so are the other activities in which many parents place their children like show choir and band. When I walked on and made the Razorbacks, the sport I loved to play became a year-round job. 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. Softball. I played two years of major college baseball at the University of Arkansas, and Ive been coaching my sons in baseball and basketball for the last 7 years or so. The regular season typically runs from March to May, with single games twice per week, and one or two practices per week. Feel free to ask about financials (whats included in team fees, fundraising, etc. We are leaning strongly to go back to his Rec ball league that we enjoyed in the spring. 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. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Wow this article really spoke to me. 10 types of CRAZY baseball parents & how they're RUINING All of that easily runs anywhere from $2,500 to $6,000 a year, making elite travel softball one of the costlier youth sports. Aspen Institute. Evaluate at the end of the season is the team you are on is fitting your needs as a family. Less competitive teams tend not to travel quite as far or as often. Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? On a competitive travel team, players gain great experience in team play and sportsmanship. Even though my son showed to every practice and gave 100% effort, it didnt matter. If you can not recover or a fix an error as quickly as another player then you will be replaced. Dont get me wrong there are alot of rec leagues that are great but if you live in the middle of no where lile wr do that was out only option to make her the best that she could be and to teach her to challenge herself and not settle for just good enough. There are TONs of small but critically important things young players learn over the course of YEARS playing travel softball that you'll have to catch up on, especially if you want to play catcher, the toughest of all positions. Your subtotal today is $-.--. She backs off every pitch because shes scared of the ball. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. 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. Your email address will not be published. Of course, we dont love those miserable weather days where its cold and wet. 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. How does a big leaguer have a family? Competitiveness: Make sure you understand what level of competition you daughter wants. Travel Baseball Teams Near You | NCSA We dont have Sunday games and Id venture that shes in the lower end of competitive teams. So we are playing upward thru our church. Travel Baseball: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Players If you live in a big city, chances are that a good program is nearby. Its important to be committed to making games, meets, tournaments, and practices a priority, but not at the expense of church, or important family gatherings. Prior she played six years professionally, and was 1st Team All-American at the University of Oregon, helping the Ducks reach the Women's College World Series twice. Travel baseball costs average around $3,700 annually. Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. How dedicated is your child? I hope that this guide was informative and helped you understand what to look for, so that you can make the best choice for your family and have as rewarding of an experience as I did. Stop digging through message boards and groups, search and find your next team today! Travel is not glamorous but grueling. If your daughter is thinking about playing softball or she has been playing for a couple of years now I'm sure as an involved parent, you have heard chatter of other parents strongly siding with one. Problem 1: Specializing to get a head start We are in such a rush to do more, more, more at younger and younger ages, and as a result, our children are getting injured at an unprecedented rate. Marty Clark, Umpire in Chief (UIC) and Tournament . God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. 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. Confused! We sure miss watching her play, but for the time being, we feel this was a good decision for the entire family. 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. At tryouts, you should expect to be tested on your home-to-first sprint time, your home-to-home sprint time, and your overhand throwing speed. Read our, Tetra Images - Erik Isakson / Getty Images, Sports Specialization and the Risk for Injury and Burnout, Dealing With Bullying on Youth Sports Teams, Budget Friendly Extracurricular Activities for Tweens, 2019 State of play: Trends and developments in youth sports, Burnout and perceived performance among junior athletes-associations with affective and cognitive components of stress, Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. Parents: Want to Find the #1 Issue in Your Athletes Swing, Robbing Their Power? You all make very good points to consider. (No wonder God calls us to pray without ceasing!). Neck Pain. Its hard to see him play so well and knowing we dont have the funds as most to do travel ball. Every expert agreed that kids are being played too hard and too long. Its not easy to admit that you or someone you love is not good enough for something. . The 4 Biggest Problems in Youth Sports Today Tendonitis describes inflammation of a tendon, typically caused by overuse. Since the start of Softball Galaxy, we have gone from two daughters playing, to only one at this moment. They had to draft 8th graders to play for the high school JV team so the others could step up and play the Varsity. Thank you! (Not that we did everything right by any means!!) Today, softball has grown so much that while there are still teams dedicated to providing elite players the absolute best competition to facilitate skill development, there are actually more and more girls playing travel softball primarily for the fun of it often because they want to play more than the standard 20-game schedule offered by rec ball. How do you help your childs best come out, leaving the potential open for higher levels of competition, while avoiding the possible detriments of rigorous levels of the sport? I agree with some that was said. Creating a logo and brand is a big step for your new program. . coming down the pike. It always seems to happen with those families that God is really working with. In those cases, your club fees might include two or three uniforms, matching bat bags, visors and bats (some teams exclusively swing one brand). Not as organized- depending on the organization. Let kids be kids. 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). There is no championship, just games. They dont need to have baseball practice every week all year long, and you dont need to be their taxi for that every week all year long either. And while its obviously better to find a coaching staff that believes in you and is committed to nurturing your talent, I was able to learn important lessons and grow in both types of environments. These girls can always work harder to be better. The cost is typically around $100, which includes a uniform top. this will let you evaluate if travel softball is right for your family, hopefully evaluate several different teams (not just the ones you play for, also watch the opposing teams, other teams in same age bracket, etc., gives you a chance to see them in a real Lack of specified instruction. They learn more socially because they have different teammates for each sport and different roles. And given the number of kids playing and the number of available spots, even a partial baseball scholarship is terribly unlikely. I want your son to love baseball, to have the opportunity to be a kid, and to play the game as a kid. Travel Ball is Killing Rec Ball - Discuss Fastpitch Softball Community Young athletes can reach a point where they are bored with rec league play. No internets back then to stalk them. As a PastorI certainly appreciate the sentiments expressed in this article. Would it not make more sense to let this girl play rec ball a few seasons more and get some good one on one training before spending the effort, time, and money that is involved in travel ball? Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. His, 15 to 20 tournaments per year (with tournament fees), Knows the rules surrounding college recruiting, Will help educate players and parents about those rules, Will be advocates for them during the recruiting process. Think about your reasons for getting your child into a sport. Do I think that she will even play on the high school level? Travel expenses also can become considerable. 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. And it cuts into homework time as well. It is important that each player is available for every team practice and game. If your daughter is interested in playing college softball, youll want to be part of an organization that: When I was coaching at a Division II school, there were a handful of travel ball coaches I knew well and could really trust to give me honest feedback on a kid as an athlete and a person. 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. Competitive travel softball players come to the field every day with the intent to compete, push past their limits, and get themselves to the next level. There are two sides to every situation. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. Growing up, I was more on the lower end of the middle class. Picture this. 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. It would surely come in handy as a travel ball parent. Parents also will also have to give their own free time to volunteer. But if you need to travel far to get to competitive or college exposure tournaments (nearly every weekend during the summer plus multiple tournaments in the fall), its not unheard of to spend $5,000 per season. Now, teams just showcase players instead of playing team softball. Some of the thoughts overlap what was already said. Learning that excelling takes commitment, hard work, loyalty. If instead you go to games and yell out how to do things to the girls or degrade them or constantly run to the dugout to chit chat, then you are a problem parent. You have to grab a quick breakfast to eat on the way. *****. Here are the 10 biggest problems in youth baseball and softball, and how we can fix them. Hopefully, this helped you decide whether its the step that you should be taking or not. 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. Before diving into the specific specifics of what to look for, its important to understand why you should consider playing travel softball (and why its not the right choice for every player in every situation). Most travel softball teams include between 10 and 12 players chosen by the appointed coaches. But come bracket play on Championship Sunday, the goal is to win and the best players will be on the field with the expectation of dominating the competition. But if you cant imagine doing this every weekend or every other weekend (not always cold and misty of course, but it does happen) then maybe travel softball isnt a good fit for you and your family. Travel softball can be one of the most stressful aspects of the sport, especially when it comes to choosing the right team. 3. Ask former or current players and parents to describe the coaching staff, and see if they would be a good fit for your daughter. We may be the exception along with the league in which we play. Youre just now rolling out of the soft, comfy bed to throw on some clothes and get a lazy start to the weekend after a long hard week at work. 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. Living in Oregon and playing competitively, I traveled multiple times every summer and fall to play in college exposure tournaments in Southern California.
