Legion ball...What Legion ball?

how much

How much of the Legion problems are attributed to the aging & dying off of the war veterans?

 

From what i have seen, one of the biggest differences in travel and legion ball is workouts. Travel teams practice quite a bit, many have structured physical and baseball training and they spend much more time maximizing their talent. The legion schedule does not allow for that. They practice a week or 2 and most of that time is competing for playing time. You then play 4 to 6 times a week and have little or no time for practice unless you are lucky enough to have a coach that doesn't punch a clock all summer for a living. The only scouts you see are when a particular team has an uncommitted stud. If you have a big game that day you may get a look later. Legion ball is more spectator frienndly. You can build a loyalty to your towns team and that is fun, even if you don't have a son playing.

 

What's that old saying about a beautiful woman . . .

nobody knows she's pretty until they see her . . .

Coach is right, if they don't see you they won't know you . . . the "providing the most options for people to see you" hits it hard on the nail head.

 

As in most situations it helps to increase your options. Travel ball does that for almost all kids that play. Nobody here has disagreed with that. But getting back to Legion ball, we don't even have a team any longer in our area so Legion is not much of an option. It's easy to see why Legion appears to be waning across the state, not just in my area.

A few of my son's friends may play travel ball this summer and I have emphatically encouraged them to do this. I'm convinced that it's good for them. In time my son might play if he can manage it with his other sport. After looking at the time commitment, it appears to be a little easier for the one sport athlete. For the kid that plays more than one sport maybe you have to make it a priority over the other sport. Maybe the kid has to choose to make one sport a priority over the other. Who knows? I would imagine it's different for every kid. It appeared that Legion used to be a option for the kid that played more than one sport and couldn't give all of his summer. I don't see the debate over Legion vs. travel being any different from any other business situations. More customers today appear to prefer what travel ball offers over the legion opportunity. It's as simple as that. You can argue over the reasons all day.

As far as what my son does after HS, our first priority is getting the best education he can. Most likely that will serve him better down the road than a sport. It worked for me. My education has gotten me further than the sport I played in college. The person we hope that notices him first is a school's admissions director. If he wants to play a sport after HS and he has the opportunity then that's great. However if the choice is getting an education from a strong academic school vs. getting a education from a much weaker academic school but being able to play a sport, he has already decided the direction he will go. Maybe he will have a choice. Maybe he will have the talent to play a sport, maybe he won't. IMO playing a sport at a high level increases your academic options but I don't think you can count on that. For ever person that has played a sport at a high level in college I see many more who played at a weaker school, got an average education and struggle to make a living and complain about their career or their job. Those are the options he is working on and that's the "road" he is on. Thanks for the advice Coach. Good luck to your son.

 

Braves, I didn't start this one, honest, go back and read. And I understand why those in certain areas where legion isn't popular feel the way they do too. I have never criticized showcase ball, and I realize it helps get kids seen, have been to showcases, talked to coaches, know how well it works.

But just because you decide to write the check for your son to play showcase, you don't have to justify it by criticizing something else.

And for those who TRULY don't believe legion is popular anywhere but Shelby and Garner,,, all I can say is that I've never been to Mars either, but I know it exists because enough folks have told me. Braves, you know good and well in the Area 3 South, there are 11-12 teams, and probably only a couple of them are marginal programs. I guess the reason I feel so strongly is because we are fortunate in my area that we literally have 7-8, maybe 9 legion teams all within a 30-45 minute drive or less, all great rivalries, all have great crowds each night, great baseball, and all send kids to college. I have had the privilege of meeting numerous college coaches at our legion games over the years, and we've discussed showcases,,,,, the coaches tell me how convenient it is for them to go somewhere this weekend and see 100 boys all at once,,, they tell me this all while they are standing there AT OUR BALLGAME eating one of our hotdogs, watching what we have on the field this year.

Theres a place for both. It just depends on where you live, and what you want. Some of you have made some comments that I could really respond to, with names, but I won't. I know what the players have ALL told me, even players from other legion teams,,,, and guys I'm sorry, but what the players tell me is really all that matters.

Bottomline, this is an individual's choice and I truly wish each of you the best.

 

OnePutt,,,, you make a lot of sense, and in your case, its really a shame the Greensboro legion team folded 2 years ago, because that area's loaded with talent, they were good every year. Like any other thing, legion teams must have backing and support with people & $$$. Good luck to yours, and hope to see you again soon.

 

$$$ isn't the problem.

 

"How much of the Legion problems are attributed to the aging & dying off of the war veterans?"

I think you hit the Nail on the Head!!!!! In Lumberton, the post itself isn't even active let alone the old legion program it used to support. The greatest generation is about gone and the world is far worse off for that.

 

OnePutt, I understand.

 

I am sure what Winfield was referring to is the decline in interest in the sport among young Afrcan American males. MLB has a whole initiative concerning this by trying to build facilities etc in urban and traditionally black neighborhoods. Unfortunately I think his is an unfortunate and misguided analogy. I do not think that the huge influx of basbeall talent from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries would qualify in any way as members of the country club set. Young black males prefer football and basketball in our society.. especially basketball; more importantly their parents prefer it and are willing to spend the money to support their desire to play. As a general rule interest in baseball is not as supported. My son has played both travel baseball and basketball and I have seen this firsthand.