Too Many Bobby Bowdens'

And not enough Joe Paternos'

That's the problem with travel ball (for the younger ones) and showcase ball. My Aunt Judith could coach some of these teams and win. They wind up so loaded that they are never challenged.

Q. What's the right development formula. Learning to win (every tournament every time out) or Learning to battle through tight ball games?

By the way, my Aunt Judith is 71 years old, weighs about 88 pounds soaking wet and knows nothing about baseball!

 

why

why not good competition in younger TB? don't all the areas everywhere get up their best daddyball teams to compete on the travel circuit? looks like it would equal out fairly well.

 

It doesn't work out that way.

Every year the best two kids are looking to hook up with a better team and the worst two are looking for a team where they can play SS. It makes for a lopsided league for sure. The top teams win time after time until they have to go far and wide looking for other top teams to play. And the lesser teams retreat to the lower leagues where they don't have to put up with playing games where they will lose 14-1 and have no chance of winning.

 

I thought the purpose of the Travel/Showcase team was to get the cream of the crop. Perhaps there are way too many teams at that level.

 

any way?

any way they could establish classes of teams according to talent, like class A, B, C, etc?

 

Yeah but....

at 17 and 18U you'd expect to have to travel far and wide. NC has what, 6 decent teams? Cubs, Panthers, Dirtbags, O's, Megastars and maybe one or two more? At 11, 12, 13 and even 14 it would be nice to have 8 of 10 teams you could play in your metro area that could compete. but what happens is that with the Bowdens at the helm of these young teams the (already formed) showcase teams at 11U have no one to play that can hang with them and the Bowdens and the fathers they get to come along mistake winning for development. it's of little value to showcase boys at 11. coach paterno would be a better bet for your son. that's my point.

 

Travel ball and showcase are 2 totally different things. Kids should stay in their local leagues until 12 or 13. Make friends, have fun, learn to love the game then if you want more go for it.

 

The purpose of a Travel/Showcase team SHOULD be to teach everyone on your team to be ready for what college coaches will throw at you. Anyone can put together the best players on a team and win games. I know several well known programs that recruit players to just play. They never practice!! A very wise baseball person once told me that " Baseball is the most overcoached and under taught game today".

 

huh?

I may have misinterpreted , but I think that the poster is referring to 11-14 yr old boys. be ready for college coaches??

 

I understand what you mean. But many top rated showcase teams (not all), recruit statewide, so there is no reasonable way to have practices. Let's take Impact, for example. They are not trying to develop players. They are trying to get the players already developed and display their skills in front of the college scouts.

But don't forget this, prior to Andy Partin @ Impact Baseball and Mike Shildt @ On Deck Baseball Academy, there were no real Showcase teams in NC...just AAU. And the year before On Deck started their program, all of Charlotte had a total of 3 D1 players. Now, it's not uncommon for On Deck to have as many as 10-12 each year.

Despite all of the so called "Showcase teams" there are really only a few that fit that description.

Travel Ball is a different program. It's Daddy ball with more talent than the rec leagues.