Is Club Ball the Beginning or End of High School Athletics?

I recently came across this article that was written by Sam Wardell for PrepAlert.com on March 13, 2006. I thought Mr. Wardell brought up alot of poignet points concerning the influence of travel ball on High School Softball.


http://eteamz.active.com/MIXEDFORCES14U/news

 

The article was actually written for prepalert.com
http://www.prepalert.com/

Travel ball is the best way to been seen , but I don't think it will ever replace school ball completely.

 

I read this article and most of it is fairly accurate. I do believe that if your DD wants to play college ball at a competative level then travel ball is where you should be. This does not mean giving up your time with the HS teams. Some of my own DD's best memories are playing HS ball. She still stays in contact with her HS coach because he had a profound effect on her not only as a ball player but as a person. For this reason alone I will always have respect for her HS coach. She is one of the lucky ones in that sense. Travel ball is a great way to form friendships that you might not have made otherwise and to expose your DD to playing with other players she might not have grown up playing with in community ball (something that has gone away and sad too) which will help her when she gets to college playing ball or otherwise. BUT, just playing on a travel team and winning tournaments and putting trophies up on the mantel is only part of it. Playing in the most competative tournaments you can find and exposing your players to the best players out there is the best thing you can do as a travel team coach. The statement was made that college coaches only get to travel ball tournaments due to their limited travel budgets in some cases and just not enough time since HS and college basically play at the same time. But, they mainly go to select showcase tournaments because even during the summer they have limited travel budgets and time and need to see the best talent in those few tournaments they are able to attend. We all get out here and say this and say that but honestly we are really just trying to verbalize what the college coaches tell us and sometimes we don't hear everything they say and quote them correctly. I hope that the college coaches who do read whats written on here feel free to correct us if we are either misinformed or just didn't understand fully. I know that College coaches also get to some HS games when their schedules permit and if its close by. This is where the travel coaches and HS coaches can relay info about their players onto the college coaches and if a schedule change or game time changes then hopefully they can relay this to them in a timely manner. Travel ball in its purest form should be an extension of the HS athletics. Not dicated by the HS but working with them to help the players and the local HS program(s). I have worked closely with Alan Parham over the years and I consider him a good resource of the talent in this area. He is also a good friend. In conclusion I would like to say that whatever level you are playing be it HS, travel, College, be dedicated not only to your team but your teammate as well. Here's hoping the local talent continues to shine in the more competative tournaments that are available to them.

 

Mixed Forces is indeed a fine program. My daughter has played for them. She has made a lot of friends there and received excellent instruction, all the while gaining valuable experience.
However, I think Mr. Wardle may have missed the point.
Travel ball is an excellent opportunity for girls to further develop their talent. They face talent and situations they have never seen before, they get coaching they may have missed out on before. Therefore, they become better.
The travel ball team is a complimentary tool for an individual group of young ladies but not necessarily the reason for their success. It may be a big part in a girls taking another step or two in their abilities. The young lady had to do the work though.
I believe that 10 years from now that the face of high school softball will be forever changed due to travel ball. When you look at the number of travel ball teams that are starting younger and younger, I think it lends itself to the fact that just making the high school team 10 years from now is going to be tough.
More involvement leads to better understanding and fundamentals, thus producing better players. Just an opinion.
We look forward to it again this year!

 

Good Article,Mixed Forces is a well coached team,with alot of talent from top to bottom.My DD's travel team has played them a few times,& it usually came down to whomever made a mistake lost,or who was hot that game won.As far as what I have observed in HS ball is, whatever school had the most travel ball girls, usually had the better teams.They have been prepared better, for the game can be so fast, a split second decision may cost you a game.Yes,it takes money,time,(usually all my vacation), & dedication,but the friendships my DD, & myself have made throughout the yrs,I would not trade ever.I have cherished ever minute of it!
IMO,HS ball is to have fun,& playing for your school, though no one likes to loose.Yes,you have the Monte Sherrills,& Mike Lambros's who bring so much to the game,& opinions are valued by college coaches.But if you are serious about going to the next level,then travel ball is where its at.Travel ball to me,is like the HS playoffs each weekend.The competiveness is so good.But you can't say enough bout the girls who spend their summer out on a hot,dirty ballfield each weekend,while their friends are at the lake, or mall ,etc.
Could go on,but won't write a book.But I can tell you this, I will hate the day when it's my DD's last travel tour.Hopefully she'll play ball for a college,but I just get so bored in the offseason,been told I'm obsessed,guess I am!Go Cobras!!!!!!!!!!

 

I totally agree with softball nut ( Whom I Know ), he has hit the nail on the head.....My daughter has always enjoyed the "TRAVEL BALL EXPERIENCE" Vs. "SCHOOL BALL", because of the experience / greater knowledge of the game...Not knocking school ball,but I've been around too long and seen a lot of ball play,and without a doubt more talent is generated from travel ball vs.school ball........everybody can't go to Central Cabarrus where the best 4 A team in the state or probably in the S.E. exist,but even at that rate both coaches daughters play travel ball..........The proof is in the pudding....take all girls off the school team that play travel ball,and see what percentage you have left that will produce with their hits,glove,and etc...The answer is not so much travel ball, but the girls that do travel are more dedicated / committed to the sport that's why they appear to be more superior athletes..........not trying to make anyone mad ,but your treasures are where your heart is and in the competitive edge you must continue training ,and travel ball is a sacrificial time during the summer where the serious kids give up going to the beach or 2-3 vacations to equip themselves for future college play...not all kids will make it to college,but I would venture to say the ones that play travel ball will have a better chance................Thanks,Softball Guru...

 

Excellent post softball guru. You said it the way that I wish I would have said it!
I do believe you are right about that dedication and determination. I think that helps them not only with ball but also in the real world where 10 years from now it will matter most, after the mitt is on the nail.

 

i think the problem now is getting enough qualified hs coaches to keep up with the knowledge and training the travel ball girls have (and will only get better with time). this lack of knowledgeable coaches will only frustrate and bore the players as time goes. already seeing the batting catching up with the pitching. hs coaches usually have to rely on their pitchers having their own pitching coach to provide the team with a quality pitcher. hs coaches are also going to have to provide a tougher schedule to get their team primed for the conference play and challenge the players. some teams still provide politics as usual or tenure coaches that have done it that way for 20 years.

 

Agreed, what I've seen in the past are "So Called Coaches", with no experience will try to teach young girls the ropes of softball, and this further frustrates the issue, in the travel realm kids learn and pickup from other kids the positive,more than the negative ways of proper play..grant you though everybody is trying to throw together a travel team,and I'm sorry to say that there are a few teams that should not be in the travel ball circuit...Competitive ball most stay competitive so that each kid will be challenged to improve her skills............"Throw Like A Girl" should not exist in travel ball, but dirty uniforms, scrapes on the elbows / knees, skint chins will always differentiate between the girls who still want to play with barbies and those that want to play for real...........Softball Guru

 

You could go to a HS game anywhere, not knowing a single player on the field, and pick out the TB players. Their performance and determination to win would be apparent to all; So would the frustration! When a non TB player can't make a routine play, lay down a bunt, slide or even make a reasonable attempt to get a ground ball, the TB player will be instantly ticked off. After days, weeks and years of playing on these HS teams sometimes they have just had enough of "recreation softball" thats not even fun! :banginghe