problems with travel softball

If you are ok with giving away your weekends to softball, then maybe travel ball is a fit for you. Problem #2: Athletes need to OWN their decisions, both good and bad We need to put an end to the helicopter and lawnmower parents, those who mow down all the obstacles for their kids, and give ownership to the athletes. My son (now aged 26) was approached from age 10 on to play travel ball, but we declined year after year because it would pull us away from church plus cost us a small fortune. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. If non-Christians are playing travel ball on Sundays and all the Christians are in church with other Christians, how will the Christians win the non-Christians to Christ? Were enjoying the homeschool league to which we belong right now, but also realize that our daughters team is not a highly competitive team, but the JV/Varsity teams are a bit more competitive. This not only applies to the sport of baseball and softball, but in all sports where a dad coaches their own son or daughter. Website. Travel with extended families and make bonds with good people. The repetitive throwing motions that softball pitchers perform may irritate the tendons of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist, causing tendonitis. Accepting players from all over central Florida and have had players from all over Polk County, Hillsborough County, and Hardee County. Thats why Im writing this post. The regular season typically runs from March to May, with single games twice per week, and one or two practices per week. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Also, keep in mind that many tournament teams have monthly dues of around $200 to play on the team and have access to their training facility. So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. Al Mohlers Culture Shift Generally speaking, these parents dont do the Sunday sports to evangelize. While rec ball was enjoyable, the ever changing pool of players, coaches and parents made for inconsistent experiences for my daughter, some good and some bad. As a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would benefit by travel ball deeply regret their decisions a decade later. Hopefully, this helped you decide whether its the step that you should be taking or not. Your subtotal today is $-.--. It seems to me that time comes in the mid to late teens, but thats going to be a judgment call . There are TONs of small but critically important things young players learn over the course of YEARS playing travel softball that you'll have to catch up on, especially if you want to play catcher, the toughest of all positions. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Also, some teams have fundraising opportunities that can bring down the cost to participate. My name is Alexa Peterson. In those cases, your club fees might include two or three uniforms, matching bat bags, visors and bats (some teams exclusively swing one brand). (on which more below). In travel ball, your teammates and coaches become part of your family. doi:10.3390/sports7070171, Merkel DL. 5. I also when I was kid play at lyndon and never traveled and loved it and still played college baseball myself for 4 yrs. A job is not a game. I submit that even with all the excitement of the game, and the money and fame that come with it, the life of a professional athlete is not one to be envied. With all of that said, here are some things you need to know about competitive travel softball. Talk through the process and help her see the pros and cons of each option. My son is 11u, and this fall was his first (and possibly final) season of travel ball. . Growing up I loved baseball. We dont have Sunday games and Id venture that shes in the lower end of competitive teams. No one wants to admit that the little girl that they love and adore so much, is just not good enough to be doing something. Not posting some long winded bs. I dont believe in definitive s. Do I think you are sinning if your kid plays travel ball? There is another very sad thing that often happens as a result of a familys involvement in travel ball. Competitiveness: Make sure you understand what level of competition you daughter wants. These rankings are modified based on your feedback and recommendations. Dont get me wrong, there is definitely room for improvement with all players. So we are playing upward thru our church. Lack of skill It's not easy to admit that you or someone you love is not good enough for something. Kids blossom at different ages. I appreciate the article. Rec ball is where they develop and The majority of players at this level hire an experienced outside hitting or pitching coach. These girls can always work harder to be better. This is related to the previous: the best players leave the rec league for travel ball, and then the mediocre players get tempted to do so, and then all the kids get burnt out and stop playing baseball. With travel ball, there is minimal time to recover from errors. Let kids be kids. *****. While on the bench she would rather play with fidgets than to watch and learn from the game. If this sounds like your daughters work ethic, then maybe travel ball isnt for her. Sound familiar? 2. A majority of these tournaments are qualifiers for the organizations national tournament, where the top teams from different regions compete in one location. Below are just a few stream of consciousness suggestions as readers consider their views on how they encourage their children in sports. Check out: The Nehemiah Institute (nehemiahinstitute.com) Back in 2011, CBS News reported that one Georgia family paid $4,000 per year for their 9-year-old son's travel team. Thanks for sharing them. I do want to finish by saying that we absolutely love travel ball. Its only my observation of course but many areas in life are dog eat dog competitive, as it were. There may be instances in which its the right thing, and when a kid gets to be 15 to 16 years old, its understandable that commitment levels and demands are going to rise and choices are going to have to be made. I have a feeling you may not describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton (humble?) Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? During my travel softball career, I played for some amazing coaches that pushed me to be a better person and athlete, as well as some that didnt believe in me. Shes the one that still plays in the dirt instead of gets in the ready position. I grew up wanting to be a major league baseball player, and Im so glad I never even got drafted. As of now, we do believe that we are pursing the wisest course. Its not for every child or family, but we have enjoyed allowing our child to play travel ball, at least today. The travel teams are turning into a true business. Once we knew about travel ball there was no going back. Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. My weekend routine typically looked something like this for travel ball: In other words, its a lot of time on the road. Create a Logo and Brand. Its quality time in a certain way, but probably not in the way youre envisioning right now. I, personally, never even knew travel softball existed until high school. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Really great article Dr. Hamilton! First up, travel softball is a lot more intense than traditional one. I hope that this guide was informative and helped you understand what to look for, so that you can make the best choice for your family and have as rewarding of an experience as I did. Allows them to play against better competition. Like I said earlier, if youre in Southern California you might end up paying on the lower end of that range, because your cost for travel will be much lower than someone flying into California every weekend. After establishing a manageable budget for your softball team, you need to start promoting your program and recruiting players. . This can include not having enough balls, bats, or gloves. Tha KS alot for all your insight!!! At the same time, they also want to focus on player development. Creating a logo and brand is a big step for your new program. (Their varsity team is seeded #1 or #2 nationwide and is competitive, though still strives to put Jesus first.) The majority of those programs cover their coaches travel expenses as an incentive. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. These coaches have years of experience, and often played many years themselves. Glad to see you are faithful (and a baptist!). However, as parents now of three young adult children we handled sports for them in a much different way than the current culture dictates. A travel team may be the best way for them to learn new skills, meet expert coaches, progress in their sport, and have fun in the process. Depending on where you live, you could be spending a ton of time in the car, or even on a plane. Let them play the game. If you're acting like your son has already made it, then you are killing his drive. All your doing is increasing the strain and the chance of injury for no appreciable gain. I think this is an important topic that needs to be discussed. Stay positive. Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? The percentages are outrageous. It all depends on what attitude you approach it with. If your daughter wanted to be a catcher at a higher level of play like travel ball, then shes going to be putting in some work. Alexa Petersons College Softball Recruiting Journey. Teach her other ways to stay involved throughout the game if she is not playing. Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. Parents: Want to Find the #1 Issue in Your Athletes Swing, Robbing Their Power? Rec ball in many places is competitive. I dont see anything wrong with having children that play recreational sports. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. I dont even want to think about how much parents pay for their 714 year old kids to travel to tournaments, to stay in hotels, to pay the tournament entry fees, and whatever else all this costs. Im not saying that travel ball is a sin, but it seems to be something that Satan can use to tempt people away (especially dads). Focus on what you can do. In general, there is no regular season with travel softball it runs all year long, with club practices once or twice per week during the spring and fall season, and a full slate of weekend tournaments during the later spring and summer season. What is the time commitment? Consider D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and those scholarships can be divided up between players. Sometimes travel teams also change players during the season, adding and moving around players based on performance. Again, its an interesting post but when it comes down to it is the field that you or other high achieving people are in really all that much different? Although the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pushed back the starts for some travel seasons, Northwest Whitfield High School head softball coach Todd Middleton said most of his team is playing a travel softball schedule currently. Rec players are given basic techniques and instructions at a pace they feel comfortable with. Ask former or current players and parents to describe the coaching staff, and see if they would be a good fit for your daughter. Truthfully, we have gotten better instruction and development at a Rec ball/All Star level. So much time was freed up by not having to go to practice. Feel free to ask about financials (whats included in team fees, fundraising, etc. It's not just what you'll spend on equipment and fees, which can be significant, but extras such as travel costs and required apparel purchases (like a team jacket or bag). Of course, we dont love those miserable weather days where its cold and wet. Please advertise when you have this league so I can get the 70 or so kids I will bring with me to get in registration line. Maybe my son will get a chance to play as long as he continues to love the game. We pretty much know that were not ready to commit to a large amount of travel and that will be a consideration as our daughter gets older. Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. There have been times where we have questioned Is it worth it? in our own journey. We sure miss watching her play, but for the time being, we feel this was a good decision for the entire family. On the other hand, dont force her to join a competitive travel ball team if she just wants to have fun. I give you a big Amen! (source). Were seeing some growth in her skills and she loves the game. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. But its also a major commitment, so its important to think carefully about what kind of program is best in your specific situation. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. Coaching: Are the coaches experienced? How do I know which is best for my daughter? Christians are Christians because we worship what is true. The cost of travel is not included in the monthly dues. Breakers Labs, located in North San Diego County, is an elite, competitive Fastpitch Softball Organization dedicated to developing the student athlete. Here are the 10 biggest problems in youth baseball and softball, and how we can fix them. My concerns in the post are directed not at adults pursuing excellence in their callings but at parents of kids in the 714 age range . But if you cant imagine doing this every weekend or every other weekend (not always cold and misty of course, but it does happen) then maybe travel softball isnt a good fit for you and your family. Our children assume that Sunday morning is time to worship with our church. When we read books about how it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert on anything, it may wrongly motivate us to try to create little experts out of our kids by the time they graduate from high school. He was so upset. Michael Hortons Christless Christianity At the end the experience had her ready for 10U travel and to contribute straight away for a 10U team beyond pitching (she plays 2B and CF when she is not pitching). For them, it was a matter of priorities.

St Mary's Lancaster Bulletin, Paul Pierson Obituary 2021, Pictures Of Murdered Babies, Articles P