re: Is playing your kid up an age bracket in travel ball the ultimate badge of honor

My boy is the tallest fastest kid in his age group, but he does some fundamental things poorly. He will be exposed...but maybe his coaches will be forced to address them. Now, they just let him be since does so many things well.

It's not just moving up an age bracket, it would be moving onto a much better team. Every one of those boys is fundamentally better than my kid, but I think the coach sees upside she doesn't with her current kids. I think he'll get run around in practice, but show his quality in games.

...If he gets a shot. I think there'll be major rumblings all around if he both gets offered and/or accepts the position.

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Why was he playing up?

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tried out for his age group, but the only opening they had was for pitcher (which he somewhat does, but isn’t his strong suit).

so the guy who runs the organization suggested he play with the older team.
said he’s got the talent to at least compete and it would would be a good experience.

then reality hit.
he about 5” shorter than the next shortest kid on the team.
and while he wasn’t embarrassing himself by any stretch, he also wasn’t on the same level as the other infielders (he’s a natural at 2B and can also play SS and 3B). so they tried him in the OF.

this kid is NOT an Outfielder.
can’t judge a ball off the bat and doesn’t have the speed to make up for it.

so he struggled.
a lot.
which really rocked his confidence level. and that brought his level of play down.

and it snowballed from there.

made him ride out the season because quitting when things get tough isn’t an option.
he went back to rec ball and found his groove again and is back to being an AllStar the last couple years.

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badge of honor for redneck dads? Is it fair for the kid? Be a star in his normal age bracket, or play up and just be a solid contributor. Which one is better for development?

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Before there was travel ball I got in to American Legion a year early as a pitcher. This was in the mid 1990's. I was 15 and went to a town 20 miles away to play against 16 and 17 year olds. I developed my own form of some sort of hard cutter slider trying to get older kids out and hurt my elbow turning the ball over. My elbow never really recovered. I think I could hit like 80 with that pitch at 15 and no one could hit it.

Both my kids play up a year, with one playing on a team with most kids almost two years older. Largely a result of their size, but they have benefited from it and their skills have progressed along with the older kids. Fortunately it is a result of a true tryout system with coaches making the decision. I always explain that they could always get put back on age based on tryouts, and no big deal if that happens.

However, on the school team, l don't allow them to play up so they can play with their classmates.

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Yeah. You got some bad guidance. If you are good enough to play up on a decent team you should be the best player on the team in your age group. Opening for a pitcher? shite even major teams will pitch 6-7 kids a weekend. Unless they carried 12, I can’t see a dedicated pitcher at 11.

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i worded my post poorly.

had he been more of a pitcher on top of his other positions, he could have made that team.

lil man has played up in rec league a few times before.
but now that they’re getting older his lack of size is really playing against him.

he’s a solid all around player with no significant flaws in his game.
but he’s also not really a “stud” at any one skill either.

he’s got an OK arm, but not a cannon.
good glove, but only average range.
decent base runner, but not a speedster by any stretch.
excellent eye at the plate and a smart hitter who rarely strikes out and almost always puts it in play.
really good OBP, but not much power.

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Travel ball does not guarantee a spot on the high school team! Just sayin!

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Not one kid made my son's HS team that didn't play Travel Ball to some extent.

Key is a happy medium & encouraging other sports.

If my son moves up an age group all hell will break loose. We'll lose friends, he won't be easily accepted, it'll be a wreck...but if he's asked he absolutely should do it. He'll guest play first, so we'll see.

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My nephew made the HS team as a 9th grader. Only ever played rec ball.

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I made it as a 9th grader and only played rec ball and like 2 tournaments.



And the only way I’ll ever help fund travel ball is if my kids play. Pay for your own fricking vacations

At some point in time, playing up makes legit sense if your kid is good. Once they start HS and are playing against kids in many instances 3-4 years older, you need to do it. I don't know about travel baseball, but can speak to AAU basketball (girls at least). You cannot adjust to the speed of the game and strength of the girls in HS playing with all freshman in the off season.

A .276 hitter doesn't get the girls.

A father of a .276 hitter doesn't get the single moms.

Take that into consideration.