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re: Travel ball anecdote
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:31 am to Tigeralum2008
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:31 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
Since most college coaches exclusively scout travel ball tournaments, the kids are seen by a higher number of coaches.
One tournament my team competed in last season had hundreds of college coaches in attendance from all conferences/divisions. You don't get that at a local little league.
No, college coaches are not scouting 8-9 year old AA Utrip tournaments. Not even the Elite 32 in Disney. Now, high school travel teams that play in wood bat tournaments in Atlanta, Jupiter, Etc. yes. Yes Marucci Elite, Team Louisiana, and Louisiana Knights are playing in huge tournaments with MLB/College Scouts everywhere with their 16/17/18U teams. Some little Podunk AA/AAA Team playing in 4 team tournaments at Pelican, no it's just not true. It's a racket and parents are just coughing up money. Take it for what it is and let the kids have fun. 
1
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:32 am to tLSU
quote:
Believing you're competing against "top competition" is your issue. I imagine that as a coach, you eventually have to start believing the bull shite you're pitching.
My sport hasn't reached the saturation of "elite" teams like baseball/softball. In my sport it is 100% true.
In my sport, each city has 1-2 (Nola has 3) elite sports clubs. There are other "travel teams within that city but they don't cost NEARLY as much and do not travel out of the state.
I really have to give credit to the public HS coaches for stepping up in our sport and creating a system of "local" travel clubs that compete against other teams around the state. Parents typically pay $1000 or less for those smaller clubs compared to $3000 - $5000 for elite clubs. A higher number of student-athletes get year round training against higher competition than would be found in "city/rec" leagues through the local travel option.
FYI, I coach high school aged athletes. None of my perspective is from younger than 14yo.
This post was edited on 2/21/16 at 10:35 am
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:33 am to Tigeralum2008
Travel ball is no longer just for the "good" kids, anyone can do it if their parents are willing to pay.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:35 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
My sport hasn't reached the saturation of "elite" teams like baseball/softball. In my sport it is 100% true
Basketball? Soccer? Golf? Swimming?
Which sport is your sport?
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:42 am to joeleblanc
quote:
joeleblanc
I know it sucks for me not to say but I'd rather not for fear of IRL'ing myself on the OT. Some people know who I am and I'd rather keep that number small. I stand by every word I post but you can never be sure how someone might take those comments.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:43 am to Tigeralum2008
Obvious basketball
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:44 am to tduecen
quote:
Obvious basketball
That's what I was thinking also
Posted on 2/21/16 at 10:54 am to joeleblanc
The argument in this thread has evolved to, "Is travel ball worth it"
Does the sport I coach really matter? When you strip it down to the "is it worth it" argument the sport I coach is irrelevant.
I've seen the bad side of travel ball. The money hungry club owners, the coaches who see this as a way to compensate for not "making it" themselves. So I get why there are so many who question the merits and true reasons of travel ball.
While those individuals exist, there are literally thousands of coaches like me who love the sport and wish to give back the same positive experiences we had in our youth. When I was a kid, an adult stepped up and taught me the game. Now it is my turn to do the same.
Time for me to sign off. Great convo gents!
Does the sport I coach really matter? When you strip it down to the "is it worth it" argument the sport I coach is irrelevant.
I've seen the bad side of travel ball. The money hungry club owners, the coaches who see this as a way to compensate for not "making it" themselves. So I get why there are so many who question the merits and true reasons of travel ball.
While those individuals exist, there are literally thousands of coaches like me who love the sport and wish to give back the same positive experiences we had in our youth. When I was a kid, an adult stepped up and taught me the game. Now it is my turn to do the same.
Time for me to sign off. Great convo gents!
This post was edited on 2/21/16 at 11:00 am
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:07 am to Jim Rockford
Your kid and my kid are not playing in the pros
quote:
I don't care if your eight year old can throw a baseball through six inches of plywood. He is not going to the pros. I don't care if your twelve-year-old scored seven touchdowns last week in Pop Warner. He is not going to the pros. I don't care if your sixteen-year-old made first team all-state in basketball. He is not playing in the pros. I don't care if your freshman in college is a varsity scratch golfer, averaging two under par. He isn't playing in the pros.
Now tell me again how good he is. I'll lay you two to one odds right now — and I don't even know your kid, I have never even see them play — but I'll put up my pension that your kid is not playing in the pros. It is simply an odds thing. There are far too many variables working against your child. Injury, burnout, others who are better — these things are just a fraction of the barriers preventing your child from becoming "the one." So how do we balance being the supportive parent who spends three hours a day driving all over hell's half acre to allow our child to pursue his or her dream without becoming the supportive parent that drives all over hell's half acre to allow our child to pursue OUR dream? When does this pursuit of athletic stardom become something just shy of a gambling habit? From my experience in the ER I've developed some insight in how to identify the latter.
1. When I inform you as a parent that your child has just ruptured their ACL ligament or Achilles tendon, if the next question out of your mouth is, "How long until he or she will be able to play?" you have a serious problem.
2. If you child is knocked unconscious during a football game and can't remember your name let alone my name but you feel it is a "vital" piece of medical information to let me know that he is the starting linebacker and that the team will probably lose now because he was taken out of the game, you need to see a counselor.
3. If I tell you that mononucleosis has caused the spleen to swell and that participation in a contact sport could cause a life threatening rupture and bleeding during the course of the illness and you then ask me, "If we just get some extra padding around the spleen, would it be OK to play?" someone needs to hit you upside the head with a two by four.
4. If your child comes in with a blood alcohol level of .250 after wrecking your Lexus and you ask if I can hurry up and get them out of the ER before the police arrive so as not to run the risk of her getting kicked off the swim team, YOU need to be put in jail.
This post was edited on 2/21/16 at 11:09 am
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:10 am to Jim Rockford
My favorite part about parents getting super serious about sports in 4th grade is the majority of the kids who kick arse get passed up after normal kids have a chance grow.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:13 am to ReauxlTide222
quote:My younger brother wants to play college ball and puts in the time, but no one in our family is deluded enough to believe he will play pro ball. Hell, the odds are against him to even play college ball.
My favorite part about parents getting super serious about sports in 4th grade is the majority of the kids who kick arse get passed up after normal kids have a chance grow.
I know deluded parents have always existed, but it seems to have spread like a virus.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:26 am to geauxbrown
quote:what are the chances that those same 15 would have still made the team had they not been playing travel ball? Probably very high.
2 weeks ago the local HS team had tryouts for its C Team ( 7th and 8th graders). Of the 32 kids who came out they took 16. Of the 16 that made the team, only one had not been playing travel ball regularly.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:29 am to Scruffy
I never had the crazy parent problem because I wasn't good until my junior year of HS
I grew up around them, though. I wanted to play in college from day one, and my parents helped me improve....and got out of the way.
I grew up around them, though. I wanted to play in college from day one, and my parents helped me improve....and got out of the way.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:31 am to tLSU
And these 8 and 9 year olders just love practicing 3-4 times a week and giving up their entire weekends for six months out of the year. No pressure from their parents whatsoever.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:33 am to LSUTANGERINE
quote:Exactly. No kid likes practicing 3-4x/week in the summer.
And these 8 and 9 year olders just love practicing 3-4 times a week and giving up their entire weekends for six months out of the year. No pressure from their parents whatsoever.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:38 am to Scruffy
My travel ball team practiced once per week. Our parents had more fun than we did. We'd dick around while they drank beer
Hell, the name of our team and our logo was a beer.
Hell, the name of our team and our logo was a beer.
This post was edited on 2/21/16 at 11:45 am
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:38 am to JJ27
If your kid is good. He will be found. My son is 6, and we have been asked about playing in teams. My son is pretty good as a young 7 yo boy but no where near elite
This shite is nuts
Our local Dixie is down like 40 kids in u8 league because of stupid shite
It is gonna kill the depth of players in communities, Not one decent kid will ever know how to play the OF because they all form new teams so lil Johnny can be shortstop
This shite is nuts
Our local Dixie is down like 40 kids in u8 league because of stupid shite
It is gonna kill the depth of players in communities, Not one decent kid will ever know how to play the OF because they all form new teams so lil Johnny can be shortstop
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:41 am to tigerfoot
quote:Good. You don't want to be elite at 7.
but no where near elite
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:47 am to Chicken
I'll also add that kids are getting put on HS teams based on reputations as much as talent. If your parents have been active in travel, attend all the local clinics, and stay stupid involved. The HS coaches come into tryouts being less than objective.
Not to mention, those players that were slow to develop may be left off travel teams, lose interest and leave the game. The sport is weakening because of the exclusion of the players that don't have political involved parents.
Not to mention, those players that were slow to develop may be left off travel teams, lose interest and leave the game. The sport is weakening because of the exclusion of the players that don't have political involved parents.
Posted on 2/21/16 at 11:47 am to Jim Rockford
The old Drillers Diamond>Travel ball
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