Travel ball effect on LL/Pony/DYB, etc.

Rocky Horror Show

You won't believe the awful things I see and hear while umpiring from coaches/parents at 10-12u tournaments....it's a wonder any child will love the game!!!

 

Its about the coaching

If your son is interested in playing baseball then make sure he gets good solid coaching at a young age. This is a time when you can control the type of coaching he gets. Find a coach that is more interested in teaching the game than winning the championship. Find a coach that makes it fun and challenging and does not just focus on how to win the games. How many times have we seen the team that runs every ball to the base? Don't throw it Jimmy run it over there! The practices consist of teaching the guys how to win the games. Instead the practices should be like baseball camp every day. Teaching the proper way to throw , catch , field and hit. Then let them go out there and play the game. Encourage them to throw the baseball and learn how to make plays.

Its not about what team you get your kid on. Its about who is coaching the team! Put your focus on making sure your son is taught the proper way to play the game and not on how many plastic trophies he wins.

I have seen parents search out the "Elite" teams. The teams with the top players in the area on them. Ask yourself are they the top team because they are the best coached or because they have brought in the most talented young players?

What happens when these players do not progress as they get older? What happens when they are no longer bigger and stronger than all the other kids? What happens when they have not been taught baseball but have rode the talent at a young age over kids that were not as big or strong at a young age? The team goes out and finds kids that are.

If your kid is taught the proper way to throw , field and hit at a young age he will progress in the game at a steady sure pace. As his body catches up and he continues to work at the game he will far exceed the players that have been put on "elite" teams and rode the talent to "fools gold success."

The most important thing you can do for your kid if he wants to be a baseball player is get him around baseball people that are more interested in teaching him the game than winning games. Then when it matters the most who wins and who does not he will be in the line up.

When I coached AAU it was because I wanted to coach young kids that had a true passion for the game. Kids that wanted to work to get better just as much as they wanted to win. The goal was not to be the best 12 year old player in the state. The goal was to work towards being the best 18 year old player in the state. Winning was important at that age. But more important was teaching them the things that would make them successful when they were older. "Throw the baseball." If your afraid of making mistakes you will never make a play. "Swing the bat with nasty intentions." If your afraid of striking out you will never mash. "Want the baseball." If your afraid of getting the baseball hit to you then you will not be in the line up and you will never have fun playing.

Its not about finding the elite team so your son can be seen or win the most trophies at this age. Its about finding a coach that will teach your son the game of baseball and develop him in the game. Games and competition are a part of the equation. But an even bigger part is teaching the game of baseball and building a love for the game. Building a love of working at the game in order to get better every day.

Im no expert. This is just my opinion. But I have seen too many young "studs" that were studs because they simply were bigger stronger and faster at a young age. There was no need to shorten that swing because it worked. Speed was not a factor because of the lack of arm strength and the size of the fields. "Hey if its not broke don't fix it." No that long swing is not broke facing that pitching at 12. But it will break in a couple of years. Teach them what will make them successful at the level they aspire to play at. Instead of what will allow them to be successful at the level they play at. Running the ball to second to prevent a double works great in coach pitch. It doesnt work too well at the hs level.

 

hahahaha...well said

Personally, I don't care what a family decides to do. It's their choice. But I don't want people to believe they must play TB at the younger ages to be a better player at the HS level. That is simply not true.

But I will say this, the biggest complaint people have with amateur baseball is it's become a "country club sport"...and that's a shame.

 

Country Club Sport

Braves,

Thats what I think I was trying to partially get at in my original post. Also I was thinking that maybe travel ball has taken something away from the youth game. It used to be something which communities rallied around to some degree. When I was growing up the stands where always full. Now they don't seem to be.

I think we have lost some of our community as a result from travel ball. That community spirit was part of the fun.

Travel ball seems a little "Country Club." The thought certainly runs across my mind when I'm walking through the parking lot, admiring some very fine automobiles, at a weekend AAU/USSSA tournament. Seeing little Bobby boy and his MommyMom or DaddyDad, get out of a $70k car, well "Country Club" just runs in my mind.

With regards to missing out on something if ones kid doesn't play TB.

They won't. There is good coaching in rec and TB. Look for them and find them.

 

Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!!!!!

How many times can one guy hit the nail on the head in one post??? You are worth your weight in GOLD Coach27.

If great posts were Home Runs he'd be chasing Sadahara Oh for the lead.

Another Gem By Coach27.

 

you guys can bash TB all you want, but its growing and will continue to because the competition is much better than rec ball. Too much babysitting and wondering who is going to show for practice or games. will we have enough to play. show up for the game but forfiet because little johnny wants to go to the pool instead. you can have that.

Do you have to play TB at an early age to make it on a HS level, certainly not. But I will say that when you watch the youth programs of the Carolina Angels, Caldwell Spartans, Charlotte MegaStars, GBC, Fuquay Predators, Cleveland Indians, NCBA, Proehlific Power, Carolina Mustangs, and numerous others, these are some very talented and hard working kids that will progress through thier programs and I believe will be the future stars of HS baseball. By the time these kids are 13, some will burn out but I think most of these kids will have a very good understanding of how to play the game because they have good coaches and play near year round. Most of the rec players are gonna have a lot of ground to make up. Just my $.02

Big Stick

 

Not intended to bash TB

I respect exactly what you are saying. My points are that perhaps TB has taken something away which gets little Johnny to want to go to the pool rather than the field. I think we lost something. We are shooting ourselves in the foot.

I think that the standard of play at the rec level has changed. It has certainly changed as the most talented players leave rec and hit the travel circuit.

For instance, "Be careful you might get hit with the ball."

Well of course you might get hit with the ball. Its not Christmas for gosh sakes.

With these things, that we have managed out of the game, at the youth level, we have essentially sent the competitive spirit out of the game.

Im not mashing TB. Im very involved.

Essentially, we have developed a system, that develops players, within a competitive atmosphere, at the expense of community.

 

These are 8 yo teams?

 

Really? In what areas? We are talking about 2nd to 4th graders aren't we?

 

I was talking about 13 year olds. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought you said you should not start TB before age 13.

Anyway, most of these programs start the kids at 8 and have teams up to 13 or 14.