Is Travel Baseball Right For Your Kid?

The World's #1 Backyard Baseball Trainer
By Matthew Jorn

Throughout my years as a young baseball athlete I have played on many different traveling teams, as well as local and high school teams. From this experience I have come to find out all of the different pros and cons of each type of league. Many parents ask "Is it better for my child to play on traveling AAU or non-traveling City Leagues?" Some even want to know if they should play neither and simply wait till high school to travel. For each individual the answer is different. Based on the availability of money and time to drive the child all over the country, it is primarily also related to the passion that the individual has to actually play baseball now or even at the next level.

Starting with the local City Leagues there are many great opportunities for your child out there. Depending on the area in which you live there are usually several quality City Leagues for them to participate in. The upside of City League is that it is relatively inexpensive, almost all of the games are played on the same set of fields close to home and the games are usually scheduled around school obligations. This makes it easy for parents to get the child to the game, be able to afford the required equipment and keeps the kid from missing out on necessary school work or sleep.

City League has some downsides. For one, you get what you pay for. Many of the coaches are dads who have volunteered there time that really do not know much about the nuances of baseball, let alone teaching it to your child well enough to prepare them for the next level. Also, the equipment supplied by the city is usually beaten hand-me-down items which in turn means buying extra equipment. If your child is just looking for something fun to do on the weekends and you are desperate to get them out of the house then City League is for you. However, if your child wants to excel at the next level and learn from the best then you should probably look into some sort of traveling team.

This brings me to AAU and USSSA; these are the two principal traveling ball leagues. These leagues are nationwide and require a very large amount of time to be put in by each player. The expression "you get what you pay for" applies here as well, only the player gets the highest quality baseball education available. Depending on the popularity of the team the cost is as much as $5,000 per season. Where that may seem like a lot of money it covers all of the uniforms, top dollar equipment, entry fees for games played in huge stadiums, and the knowledge of a highly experienced coaching staff. The upside to traveling ball is that your child will receive the best training, play more games than they can count, and visit places that they have never been before. Every ten year old dreams of playing in Yankee Stadium and many times these teams do play in Minor league stadiums or spring training stadiums. The only real down side to all of this is that it is expensive, requires at least one parent to, for the most part, not have a job and can really burn your child out if they are not that serious about the sport.

Now that you see the difference in the two types of leagues you may be thinking well why not play both? Well if your child is that dedicated and you have the time and money then maybe they can play in both leagues. I will caution you though; it really can burn your child out both physically and mentally.

Mentally you may see a fall in academics because all they think about is baseball and becoming a professional so they don't need school. This is wrong because you have to go through high school and college ball to play in the pros these days. Physically, playing that many games can really take a toll on a developing body. While they may be young and not feel the effects immediately, once they are 20 years old and playing in college they could finally tear that ligament or rip that muscle that has been over used throughout the years. Playing in both leagues means that you play all year long with no breaks, which is terrible for the healing process of muscles and non vascular tissues. In my second year of college ball I tore my Labrum which required surgery. I was a star pitcher in Florida and now I can barely play catch with a child. This was all due to over use, playing nonstop in high school and AAU as well as City League. Taking care of your arm and body in general is always priority to playing as many games as possible. If something doesn't feel right take some time off to heal, in the long run it will pay off.

The best advice I can give you is to ask your child to evaluate their passion for baseball. If you think they have the skill to take it to the next level then stick to travel ball for all of their pre-high school playing days. Once high school rolls around have them concentrate on playing for their school. If your child is good enough a college or even pro scout will find them no matter what league they play in. Just remember to play with moderation because a broken player is not a player at all.

Email the author of this story at Strikeout1352@aol.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Jorn

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When and Why a Player Should Play Travel Baseball

When and Why a Player Should Play Travel Baseball
By Jack Perconte

Whether a child should play travel baseball and at what age they should begin playing travel is often a tough call for parents. Deciding to go the travel baseball route too early in a player's career can be detrimental to their desire to continue playing baseball in subsequent years. When anyone of the key factors listed below are missing, it may lead to unhappy ball players. Whereas, not playing travel soon enough can feel like a year wasted, it is usually not so serious because a player can try out the following year for travel ball. I believe a player's talent will come through in the end whether they play travel baseball or not. But when a child seems to be bored or not challenged at the in-house recreational league, it is time to consider playing travel baseball. Every travel team and community is different, but generally, travel baseball provides a higher level and more interested player. Also, baseball players who are around good players and are challenged correctly have the opportunity to improve their skills at a quicker rate.

There are four key things that can help determine when and whether a kid should play travel baseball. The key things are listed in my order of prominence but the importance of each factor is a little different for each family, based on their particular situation.

1. Interest level - parents should talk to their child about travel ball and observe their actions when playing baseball to judge weather a child appears to have the added interest that travel ball requires. The decision to play should not be because the parent wants them to play.

2. Skill level - putting a player in a level they are not ready for is the quickest way to have them want to discontinue playing. Parents should check out travel ball player's skill level before tryouts, when possible. Asking for an outside opinion about their child's skill level from their previous season's coach may be helpful. Even having a player try out for a team - when they are obviously not ready for that level of play - can hurt a child's self-esteem and desire.

3. The coach - in my opinion, having a child play for a knowledgeable, well-respected coach is priceless. When parents hear of such a coach they should look into the possibility of their son playing for his team. Good coaches help players even beyond the playing field and serve as positive role models for kids.

4. Time commitment - meeting the demands of much more playing can be tough to balance while having kids stay involved in other activities, including non-sport related ones. It is never a good idea to have every hour of a kid's day and week scheduled, providing no free time for kids to just "hang out" with friends and family. Playing travel ball with more than one sport, when their seasons overlap, can cause this type of over-scheduling.

Of course, there are many other factors that may go into the decision to play travel baseball. Among those, a family's financial situation as well as the effect on other family members must be considered.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball

Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte

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Travel Teams - Separating Fact and Fiction

By Andy Pohl

The following is an example of what I have heard many student athletes say: "My All Star Travel Team is going to be playing in the Holiday Wood Bat Classic in Peoria during the 4th of July Weekend. This is a great opportunity for exposure."

FACT: There are only a select few tournaments for both baseball and softball where a vast number of college coaches will be in attendance. In terms of the example above, you can be sure that college coaches will not be spending their 4th of July weekend away from their families on the recruiting trail.

FACT: Getting exposure through tournament play is only possible if college coaches know who you are prior to attending a particular tournament. Just like showcases, most college coaches come to tournaments to evaluate players they already know. Thus, the chances of being discovered at an exposure tournament are slim, unless you play for a well known elite program, in which case many college coaches are already familiar with the caliber of players that compete for your particular team.

FACT: Travel baseball and softball is extremely watered down. Playing for a Travel All Star Team does not necessarily mean that you are on a truly elite team, despite what the coaches of these programs may say.

FACT: Travel baseball was at one time only about player development. Then it later evolved into a contest between coaches to see who could win the most games and tournaments. More recently, several coaches and organizations realized that money could be made if they somehow tied college recruiting to travel baseball and softball, or at least made it appear that a connection between the two existed. When choosing a travel team, find a coach and program that puts the needs of student athletes first. Travel baseball and softball is first and foremost about development, not about winning tournaments or getting exposure. If you choose a program that is sincerely about athletic development, then the recruiting aspects will take care of themselves.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

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