These teams travel, often long distances and out of state, to games, competitions, and/or tournaments (hence the name). If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. And while its obviously better to find a coaching staff that believes in you and is committed to nurturing your talent, I was able to learn important lessons and grow in both types of environments. We want girls who are team players, dedicated and committed to playing softball at an elite level. It allows each player to have the opportunity to play. Be a parent. Tendonitis. 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. These teams expect you to take the game seriously: 15 minutes early is on time; you walk into a tournament in an orderly fashion; and you recognize that while theres a time and place to be goofy, youre there to get better at softball. I enjoyed my time as a travel softball player, but it wasnt always easy for me or my family. Things like being on time, sportsmanship, work ethic, speaking respectfully, putting the team first, uplifting those around you, and attention to detail; those are all crucial life skills that youth sports can help build. Your subtotal today is $-.--. Top Six Most Common Softball Pitching Injuries - Rothman Ortho If you find yourself a great group of girls with an amazing coach, then your player can grow like crazy. We must show them how to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring. Baseball cant raise the dead, but Jesus will do just that when he returns to make this world into the new heavens and new earth. We still put prior commitments first and the coach understands that we cant make all games/practices as a result. It seems to me that time comes in the mid to late teens, but thats going to be a judgment call . How does a big leaguer have a family? That would inevitably awaken the competitive impulse, leading to more practices, more effort expended, and the gradual creep to a higher key. I hear this quite a bit. If you plan on being on a travel ball team, you need to be prepared to dish out some money. Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. On the contrary, travel baseball is pure commitment! My sons high school teammate played in the minors for several years before being cut and at age 26, he is just now finishing college and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Travel softball teams will also sometimes have two different dates options for tryouts, so that athletes can attend the one that best fits their schedule. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. Keeping Youth Softball Travel Teams in Perspective Breakers Labs, located in North San Diego County, is an elite, competitive Fastpitch Softball Organization dedicated to developing the student athlete. Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. I have a feeling you may not describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton (humble?) This is how travel sofball is. Confused! 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. Does she want to be on a team that beats everyone 10-0? I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. I want your son to love baseball, to have the opportunity to be a kid, and to play the game as a kid. When my life ends, I will have to give an account to my Lord as to whether I obeyed the command in Matt28:19 that says Go. Lack of specified instruction. Since day one, weve been here for our players, with our players, and because of our players. A travel team is a youth sports team that plays at an elite level. For the summer travel season, once teams are chosen, practices and games will start in May and go through to the end of July. 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? While thats not very common, driving three hours one way for a practice is totally commonplace. Extend your season, make sure that all teams are drafted equally. Also, parents may not have a realistic view of how talented their son or daughter is in sports, often over or underestimating their abilities. For others, it can wreak havoc. Hopefully not though. 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. We decided to engage in travel ball because the coaching was better. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | FUTURESLASH CORP. Get two articles delivered to your inbox each week. Thanks, Roy. Having coached both my sons in travel an rec ball, and being on the board of our local rec league, serving as president for several years. The physical and mental challenges of pursuing more than one sport is healthy in every respect. Travel softball can be one of the most stressful aspects of the sport, especially when it comes to choosing the right team. Well-said. I, personally, never even knew travel softball existed until high school. Subscribe below. Are those stewardship issues as well? Sad to see but strengthened our resolve that sports would not take priority over God and our church family. Unlike recreational softball, travel teams don't play a set number of games every season. If you stumble across a high level program that does, most likely the coach has been around for a long time and is trusted to look after the best interests of the whole roster (not just their own child). Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. We havent broken the bank, we attend church on Wednesdays is we know we will be traveling too far to attend on Sunday (otherwise we go on Sundays), and the kids are all great friends. After college, my husband played pro baseball for a while and I played on a national team. These reflections grow out of my own experience playing and coaching and watching other families. There is no championship, just games. If youre coaching your 12 year olds travel ball team, what does that mean for the rec league opportunities your 7 year old has? Thanks, To Him Be the Gory (in travel ball and everywhere else in His Creation). Educate them. They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. He was selected and after spending money on uniforms, dues, tournaments, he was cut from the team because he had a slump in his batting. We love them by showing them that God is infinitely more valuable than all else. Do you know the coach or coaches? Kids need to be challenged so they can grow. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. On the court. Not criticizing anyone not on same path, but if they want it, you wont stop them. The U.S. government tracks about 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. Articles like this help. Lesson learned. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. There are multiple organizations that host tournaments around the United States. The main ones are USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association pronounced U-Triple-S-A), PGF (Premier Girlss Fastpitch, USA (Formerly ASA), Triple Crown, and NSA (National Softball Association). Even a child with exceptional innate talent still needs to be a good team player. Often, good organizations will reach out to a player that caught their eye and invite them to come to the open tryout. As a volunteer basketball coach for 18+ years, Ive seen girls spiritually suffer by the same well-intentioned convictions of their parents. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. If your children think you are most concerned about their being the best baseball pitcher, back-stroker, or whatever, they can become guilt-ridden for wanting to even think about spending time in other pursuits because they naturally want to please you (or the constant stress of knowing how vital it is to you, may act to make them hate it). Thank you for speaking out and I hope people will take these comments seriously. Focus on what you can do. My arm hurt all the time, and I wasnt a pitcher. Our time in sports opened up a world of opportunities, and more importantly taught us much about life, ourselves and God, so we are very pro-sports. Wow this article really spoke to me. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. These are presented in the order in which I suspect most dads think about them, not in the order of importance I would rank them (#6 would be #1, and #4 would be #2). Loneliness. Maybe families should pray over the decision that best suits each individual child. Do they want to try out for the travel team just because friends are doing it, or because it seems like the next step? BE INVOLVED , VOLUNTEER, ATTEND MEETING AFTER MEETING, FUND RAISE, HOLD ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR TIME, HONOR, COMMITMENT AND GET ALL THE KIDS TO ENJOY THIS LEAGUE YOU ARE A PART OF. The fundamentals will already be in place, and theres no question as to whether they will dive head first to catch a ball. No. No zoning restrictions. The journey the Lord had me on led to me being cut from the team after I did not play summer ball following my sophomore year. And yes, they will see how I live and whats important to me the other 6 days a week; for better or worse. More general instruction. They learn to be a part of a team effort and that there are sacrifices that need to be made for the team (for instance being pulled during a game). How dedicated is your child? However, they are much more severe. " (Travel softball) has taken high school softball out of the equation," Hutchinson says. Joining a team where youre not among the absolute best players can motivate you and build your work ethic, but joining a team where you get virtually no playing time or attention can hinder your development. Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. What is the true cost of travel softball? No one slept that well because you were up late packing everything into the vehicle. Travel softball is expensive! Thats fine for an 18 year old on the cusp of adulthood, but theres no reason to put a 714 year old through that kind of rigor. 15 to 20 tournaments per year (with tournament fees), Knows the rules surrounding college recruiting, Will help educate players and parents about those rules, Will be advocates for them during the recruiting process. By your argument, we should never have church services because, if were in church and the lost people arent, how are we going to win them? There are half a million pieces of debris larger than 1 centimetre and 100 million pieces of. Any extra lessons are usually a large chunk of money. The Difference Between Travel Softball and Little League. RelatedReading: Alexa Petersons College Softball Recruiting Journey. It is important that each player is available for every team practice and game. See also: How to Pick the Right Softball Bat. (And options do exist that dont cost an arm and a leg.) Thoughts on a 15 year old trying to play for a travel team with no Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. Allows them to play against better competition. Back in the day, if you played travel softball, you were a serious player striving to become an elite athlete, and you had the full intention of playing in college. Jun 8, 2016. a. 10 types of CRAZY baseball parents & how they're RUINING Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); on Dont Play Travel Ball: Stay in the Rec League, Great Books Selections for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016. Also, some teams have fundraising opportunities that can bring down the cost to participate. On the off-chance that your kid is a freak athlete with the arm strength, foot speed, power, stamina, and character, who gets all the right breaks at just the right time, chances are hell rise up through the ranks of rec ball rather than being groomed on the travel ball circuit. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. Would it not make more sense to let this girl play rec ball a few seasons more and get some good one on one training before spending the effort, time, and money that is involved in travel ball? Create a Logo and Brand. Voddie Bauchams Family Driven Faith. We dont have Sunday games and Id venture that shes in the lower end of competitive teams. She needs to throw on her gear almost daily and work on blocking up the ball. The Do's and Don'ts of "Daddy Ball" - Amanda Scarborough Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. Let kids be kids, they and their bodies will decide what they can and cant do. Since tournaments and games are . However, the main reason weve stuck with travel is the consistency that it offers. Are you prepared and willing to skip regular family vacations because your weekends and your travel budget are going into softball? How do I know which is best for my daughter? The pitchers pitched far more balls than strikes. This makes for an unhappy family in my opinion and makes a good case for keeping a player out of travel ball. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. doi:10.3390/sports7070171, Merkel DL. They will actually improve more at each sport because a variety of new skills enhances old ones in ways that cant be quantified. Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. The time committed to travel softball requires a lot more of your free time than rec ball requires. This guide will help you understand what to look for in a traveling softball team, and will answer some of the most common questions parents have about the process, including: Joining a traveling softball team can be a great experience, both in terms of enjoyment and player development. Its only my observation of course but many areas in life are dog eat dog competitive, as it were. The repetitive throwing motions that softball pitchers perform may irritate the tendons of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist, causing tendonitis. Generally speaking, these parents dont do the Sunday sports to evangelize. Verywell Family's content is for informational and educational purposes only. If your player doesnt have the drive to get better by putting in the extra work, then travel softball most likely isnt for her. Its wonderful that your child wants to play at a higher level, but you need to be sure they understand what all youre signing up for if they make the team. Chemistry: Consider the overall chemistry of the program, not just the chemistry among the players. If instead you go to games and yell out how to do things to the girls or degrade them or constantly run to the dugout to chit chat, then you are a problem parent. Travel ball isnt free by a long shot. This is a great place to learn the rules of the game, to see if your daughter enjoys softball, and to just have fun while learning sportsmanship and the very basics of fundamentals. Do I think that she will go pro? Of course, we dont love giving up almost every Saturday to softball. But, this isnt rec league either. How Much Does Travel Softball Cost - ourlittlesmarties.com But my friend who suggested that I do this also told me what was going to happen: he said I needed to understand that the other travel ball teams werent going to be low-key, so we would get pummeled at tournaments and probably lose every game. That makes YOU the problem parent. I enjoyed your article and the discussion following it. Softball teaches you how to communicate with those who are in authoritative positions about something you really want. There doesnt have to be a life lesson constantly pointed out. The answer to that question depends on two main things: her love for the game and your wallet! I agree 100% with your article. Travel softball can become quite expensive. I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. With the top-tier of competitive travelling softball teams, the coaches are generally not related to the players. 5. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. However, I am concerned about the amount of time spent in preparation, travel, and practice that can rob a family of what is truly important from a Scriptural perspective. And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. Tha KS alot for all your insight!!! What will travel ball mean for your marriage? I am coaching a 5-6 yr old team and can already feel the pull of private instructors, out of season ball, travel squads, etc. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. There were wide variances in playing . They have grown together, developed rapport and strong friendships. I have also read some of your other works and have learned much from them and enjoyed reading them. The fear that if children dont specialize in one sport by eighth grade they will miss opportunities is unfounded. Dont get me wrong, there is definitely room for improvement with all players. I know because I was her coach for years. My son is 11u, and this fall was his first (and possibly final) season of travel ball. Thanks for sharing them. And does she understand that playing this sport at this level most likely requires trade-offs when it comes to things like friends, clothes, phones, and many of the other things that teens often spend time and money on in high school? It is simply not necessary for the younger kids. I played two years of major college baseball at the University of Arkansas, and Ive been coaching my sons in baseball and basketball for the last 7 years or so. How do players interact with their parents? As parents, however, we can sometimes unknowingly pressure our kids to continuing pursuing things at a higher level because we want it for them, not because they want it, and we proverbially try to put a square peg into a round hole. 2019;7(7). Give your kid the chance to be a great person and cultivate that through sports. I see quite a few girls that are not willing to put in the extra work to get better. In those cases, your club fees might include two or three uniforms, matching bat bags, visors and bats (some teams exclusively swing one brand). Well, what a great life skills and bonding opportunity. She needs to be developing the leg and core muscles daily to give her the power to play that position to the best of her ability. Our children assume that Sunday morning is time to worship with our church. 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). Baseball should be a fun game for him not a demanding job. 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). Loneliness is not one of the travel problems which affects everyone, but when it strikes it can be the worst problem imaginable. On the field. Communication:Its important to have all your questions answered. 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. Rec ball in many places is competitive. But if missing church on a Sunday for travel ball is condemning, then missing church for family vacations, work, sickness or any other reason is the same. Thankfully, we have a great group of players, coaches, and families. Fridays and Saturdays are pool play games, meaning you play a small number of the teams in the tournament, and then get seeded. On Sunday, you participate in double-elimination bracket play, with winners always taking home something cool like a trophy, medal, plaque or ring. Less competitive teams tend not to travel quite as far or as often. Cant keep my almost 13 yr old from it since 5, and 3 yr old hits a large bucket of real balls off the tee by himself at the indoor facility in a cage while his brother hits in another.
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