Providing evidence of insurance to field owners and tournament organizers can consume a team manager's life and drain the budget without the right insurance program. Keep him in rec ball, where he wont get burnt out because hes a kid facing the demands of a profession. Sound familiar? It is this simple fact: Baseball is no longer a game that is for everybody. Division Descriptions: Teeball is for 5 and 6 year olds not ready for coach pitch baseball. Travel-ball costs are more substantial. They would have to drive to another suburb for ball games. The best coaches and the best players stop playing rec ball in favor of travel ball, leading to fewer teams and a lower level of competition in the rec league. So Im writing in the hope that youll see that rec ball is a better route. Obviously, I dont buy into the idea of late-stage capitalism. All Rights Reserved. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. In addition to a spring season, PSLL offers a summer league, summer camps, fall ball, and a winter skills clinic. NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live This upcoming spring season will include some division changes we have made to improve the experience for players at all levels. I started my son in the Little League Tee Ball program when he was four. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. It is a trend mirrored by our schools, hospitals and military. For some may not even be an issue. My husband also was a quarterback at a Big 10 university, and my dad was a football coach, but we both chose to direct our son away from football and into other sports because of the enormous risk of injury, especially head injury. Is the travel ball opportunity your 714 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. Travel/Select Ball Montgomery County Little League (MCLL) is a recreational baseball program by definition of being a chartered affiliate of Little League International. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. Our two kids old enough to know what baseball is love the Orioles. Well-said. I had worked with him quite a lot prior to that. We parents should observe whats going on, be readily available, but not be constantly interfering, trying to direct, or solve everything that goes on in practice or competition. Most professional golfers look the same. For others, it can wreak havoc. All Rights Reserved. It always seems to happen with those families that God is really working with. We dont win Non-Christians by loving them more than we love God and his glory. In my experience as a recreation coach, I found the rec league filled with as much politics and drama and team stacking as travel ball leagues. I have been wanting to put my son on a travel team. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. So we are playing upward thru our church. When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. Your marriage matters a lot more than some sport your kid plays. But a story did cross my timeline about something near and dear to my heart: baseball. In the US, the program involves kids ages 4-16 and is organized into the following divisions: For a lot of kids, Little League is the first time they meet with the organized baseball. Its no coincidence that the top two picks in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Orioles Jackson Holliday and the Diamondbacks Druw Jones, were sons of superstar Major League players. Non-Christians exist because what they worship is false. Any player or team that does so may be declared ineligible for further participation in Little League for that year, by action of the Tournament Committee or Charter Committee in Williamsport. I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. He played Little League all the way through age 14 and has wonderful memories of playoff games, sometimes leading all the way to state. Once-proud public institutions are being privatized, with many unintended consequences. I wanted to play all the time, until I got to college and had to do so. He has a decent arm but has never pitched in travel. You can argue all you want and say you go to church when you travel, but the first time you skip church because it interferes with game time, you have taught your child that a game is more important than worshipping God. I got an education, got married, we started having children, and now I get to coach my kids. I had worked with him quite a lot prior to that. The kids were really good, but he made it! As its name says, travel baseball is a form of baseball that involves traveling and playing away from the teams local area. You played in some tournament, and then district. Let them play the game. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. The higher level of competition drives young players to work harder on their game. When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. (Explained In Detail! 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. The irony is that if you dont value your commitment to church (and Christ) enough to pass on sports to commit to church, you arent likely to step out and preach the gospel at the sports events either. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Because COVID, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. As a mom of a 10 year old girl who has played both travel and rec softball we have seen first hand the pros and cons of both. Congrats to the 3524663635357 travel ball teams playing in a "World Series" this week or the next couple of weeks. FieroCoug. This is the one your wife wants you to care about. Now think about NASCAR. 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. Little League International respects the rights of a parent(s), or legal guardian(s), to allow a child to participate in any Little League activity. We have made this decision for the past three years and been ridiculed for it and told we are not being fair to our son. I dont believe in definitive s. Rec ball in many places is competitive. There are no playoffs unless otherwise noted. Be a parent. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? Honestly, in the sport of football, it may be most perpetuated by mothers, though from the . Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [alap] ()) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Bud Norris, who pitches for the Houston Astros, played in Novato North LL, from Tee Ball through seniors. A lot of travel baseball programs have their own training facilities where players have excellent conditions to develop their skills. Today, participation is seen by many as a near necessity for talented players to develop their skills and hone their game against the best competition they can find. And I want to provide the best competitive opportunities I can for my own kids. Enfield Little League is happy to continue with the Enfield Warriors travel program. The physical and mental challenges of pursuing more than one sport is healthy in every respect. There are many benefits of pursuing sports excellence, travel like any other passion filled event children can participate can be an extremely beneficial. Was it really worth it? Kids need to play more than one sport so their rotator cuffs can recover, so their elbows can rest, so they dont have to have Tommy John surgery at 17. The three year old is already all in and ready to play. Think brands like Mercedes-Benz. After all, theres a reason why the closing scene of Field of Dreams is so poignant. And we want them to work hard, even when the going gets tough. What I got was disaster. My son excels in travel ball and weve started a bible devotion for the boys before every tournament. They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. And if it means giving up travel ball, by all means give it up. If anything, there are more youth sports options for people to pick what works best for them, even though there are. A lot of these programs operate on a business-like, almost professional, level and feature teams in all age groups. Thanks, To Him Be the Gory (in travel ball and everywhere else in His Creation). Travel Ball Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. We have the pressure of middle school tryouts being in 2 years, and we wanted to make sure that he did well at those tryouts. I am offering these thoughts for parents who are considering whether to put their kids on a competitive team, or a travel-ball team, or a tournament team, or whatever it may be called in your sport and locale. The way its going, all pro players are going to be rich, white kids from the suburbs, or [they will be] Dominican or Venezuelan, one major league front office analyst told me. Great post. 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. My 10 year old tried out for a travel team for over 2 months. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. I know that may sound weird working with a kid at such a young age, but his older brother played baseball, so he was always around. My son loves basketball but I have noticed the small number of high school players that are playing in high school now especially in our town. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. Today, that role has been mainly overtaken by travel baseball which has become the basis for young players looking to build a baseball career. The best coaches and the best players stop playing rec ball in favor of travel ball, leading to fewer teams and a lower level of competition in the rec league. Awards. Baseball exists not just because of the community's love of the game. That ship has sailed and, realistically, there is too much money to be made. Besides the usual costs of buying bats, uniforms, cleats, and other equipment, there are team fees and the costs of fuel, accommodation, and dining. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. My thoughts written here veer away from the focus of recreational versus travel leagues as the original blog talks about, but include some areas to think about whichever route of competition you choose. They dropped out of church and I think it really showed their kids that priorities of baseball come before any commitment to church attendance or service. Playing baseball is a nice extracurricular to put down on applications. The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. I have a neighbor who constantly pesters me about our childrens sports involvement level-rec. What will travel ball mean for your marriage? (Not that we did everything right by any means!!) A jury convicted three men of murder in the 2017 death of a beloved Little League coach who was fatally stabbed over a confiscated driver's license while working security at a downtown bar. Also, parents may not have a realistic view of how talented their son or daughter is in sports, often over or underestimating their abilities. I don't have to tell you that millions of Americans just simply can't afford that. However, as parents now of three young adult children we handled sports for them in a much different way than the current culture dictates. By living our life for Christ the other 6 days. MORE: 5 Little League Strategies for Coaches Who Want to Have Fun and Win Herbst will then go down the line and examine form to correct anyone who isn't doing the wind-up properly. I do not feel we will ever look back on our decision to say no to travel ball. 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? All 9YO players. Written on their website was High Level Competition For Competitive Kids. I have seen it just recently in the church Im attending now. I traveled an hour each way for three days a week for practice. 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. The Charter Committee also reserves the right to suspend or revoke the local Little Leagues charter for such violations. Harford County Travel Baseball League: Sports league web site provided and hosted free of charge by LeagueLineup.com - The Youth and Amateur Sports Portal! Jan 25, 9:19am. On the other hand, if the goal is for the kid to have some fun while learning the fundamentals of baseball, Little League is the way to go. Hey, for years sports programs operated quite successfully without Sunday morning scheduling. Copyright 2003-2023 Travel ball, by contrast, is not cheap participation fees average about $2,000 per player per year. Little League to . However, many people believe that the Little League better cultivates the true spirit of baseball as opposed to the sometimes too professional and competitive approach in travel baseball. It also has a successful 18u rec program. Additionally, every local Little League program in the United States with a team that travels 150 miles or more per one round trip to a section, state, and region level tournament receives a reimbursement from Little League Baseball of $1 per mile for one round trip to each tournament site, to help offset travel expenses. It also has a successful 18u rec program. Your email address will not be published. We must show them how to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring. Part of the argument for travel ball is the appeal of better competition. I appreciate that. . I have a feeling you may not describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton (humble?) And for the good of rec ball leagues everywhere, for the good of your family, and for the good of your kids, I would urge you to avoid travel ball until the kid is old enough to commit to a more demanding regimen. Ive also heard more than one parent tell me that after a few years of travel ball, in some cases only one year of it, their son decided he didnt want to play baseball anymore. While I cant say my son progressed all that much during the Tee Ball season, other kids definitely did, and he had a ton of fun. I know because I was her coach for years. I had to pay a sign-up fee of $750. Extend your season, make sure that all teams are drafted equally. Our league is like the one you described. The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. Posted on May 21, 2022 by . Travel baseball is very competitive, especially compared to recreational leagues. Let kids be kids. After my first year of it in college, I found that what had been so fun because I had the opportunity to look forward to it in the off season, or even on days between practice or games, began to feel like a dreaded obligation that consumed a significant portion of every day. I was impressed when we showed up that the Varsity girls took a little time to welcome her and get her situated before the coaches were ready. After all, theres a reason why the closing scene of. For us, it boils down to priorities. 2021 featured all American teams. No one should expect to make the show. It should be noted that the local Little League programs pay a one-time entry fee for each team to enter Tournament Play ($200), which goes into a restricted fund used exclusively for offsetting local Little League programs expenses accrued during International Tournament play, including the World Series in each division of play. I hoped that I would get information like yours Jason. First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. They chronicled 850 baseball deaths in Death at the Ballpark, spanning professional, amateur, Little League, and even backyard pickup games. Its a fading game. In Florida, some high-level programs now cost over $10,000 a season. Small towns breed professional athletes, and the reason seems to be that kids in small towns arent over-coached, over-organized, and over-specialized by the travel ball opportunities found in larger cities. She got to have some really good conversations with the moms who really didnt understand the philosophy behind Upward as a result. Travel baseball goes by many names; select, club, premier, elite, and so on. Maybe families should pray over the decision that best suits each individual child. Baseball exists not just because of the community's love of the game. This means that kids participating in travel tournaments get a chance to play with or against highly skilled and competitive players. It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. My husband and I were both very competitive athletes growing up (though we had a wide variety of interests), played travel ball in high school, and won scholarships to a Big 10 university. Wr had to travel 3 ours to find a competitive travel team. Falls Church Klwanis Little League. Odysseus. For us, travel has been amazing. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. For millions of American families, paying private for-profit clubseuphemistically termed travel teamsthousands of dollars a year to organize athletic games for their children is now an unquestioned way of life that shapes family routines, work schedules and commutes. Consider D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and those scholarships can be divided up between players. Is it a help or detriment to their character and bodies? I needed a break, and I wanted to be a counselor at a Christian camp that summer (Kanakuk). The Broadneck, Brooklyn Park, Glen Burnie, Harundale, Havenwood, Lake Shore, and Marley Little Leagues are all no longer associated with Little League. The goal of this program is to provide additional playing opportunity for those baseball and softball players interested. I left registration, and pulled him from the Little League program. Guess what; we still talk about baseball. Personally, if I could have done things differently I would have kept my child in the rec leagues but I guess Im not sure if she would have learned to pursue excellence in the manner she did had she done so. Kids blossom at different ages. Nowadays boys don't know how to catch at age 9-10. re: Little League Baseball Really is the Worst. If I was in the big leagues, my summers (and falls, and springs) would be dominated by an unrelenting schedule leaving no opportunity to coach my kids teams. I would also ask to establish contact with you for a best practices sharing of information and spreading of the works you are enjoying. Anthony Lynn, who remembers his Little League days so vividly, told me that he thinks travel ball is cynical. Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. Editor's note: This is the first story in a four-part series examining the pros and cons of youths playing extensive travel baseball versus Little League, or a combination of the two. I had played non-stop from the summer before my freshman year, through fall ball, winter weights, the spring season, then summer ball before it started all over in my sophomore year. It did to me. But it also comes back to another thing: family and community. You win district, you then go to state, you win state, you go to regional, you win . My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. Additionally, as an exercise physiologist, Im very pro movement, health and sports, but believe balance in life is key. But, the worst part of it all was that my son was clearly not having the same amount of fun he had in Little League last year. Jan 25, 9:28am. Build this league and you will have travel on the decline. For more information, please see our Little League Baseball and Softball. In general, most of the Little League tournaments are organized in the local area and involves teams from the same city or community. Our children assume that Sunday morning is time to worship with our church. Cookie Notice Little League, international baseball organization for children and teenagers, started in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, by Carl E. Stotz and brothers Bert and George Bebble. OP's son sounds like a hard worker, just have to work in the right place 35 Reply [deleted] 5 yr. ago And to get your kid into a school with AP courses. (Answered! You are spot on with all your assertions, and I wish Id been able to absorb something like this when my oldest two were starting out. Uber competitive athletics is going to end for 99.9 percent of kids/young adults. Think about your reasons for getting your child into a sport. Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. Its become a white elitist sport, Mr. Greene told me. Bottom line: give your kids a childhood theyll want to replicate with their own children not one theyll react against. He is pitching in little league with success this year. Nor am I categorically condemning their decisions and choices. 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. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. But most of them still play, in one way or another. Jan 25, 9:16am. Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? You explain it t the tee for me and cant thank you enough . I simply have to go find the people that need Jesus. It can be beneficial for high school aged and sometimes junior high kids, but the little ones, ages six to twelve, it's the worst thing you can do for them. I stayed with the Little League program because I was told that for my sons 7-year-old season, there would be kid pitching. You need the church, and the church needs you. 12527 posts. However, travel baseball is very time-consuming and not easy on the budget. However, they are much more severe. Second, recreation leagues can be just as competitive and demanding as travel ball, but doesnt have the same season length. Thus the rec league dries up. Not posting some long winded bs. Its only about winning and not developing. Now, this doesnt mean that her coach and teammates like it, but we have found that our commitment has opened the door for spiritual conversations. 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? Sabathia and the Upton Brothers have become big league players. League will play at Municipal Park or Thompson Park. Several dads had told me that they were leaving rec ball for a low-key travel ball team, or that they were adding a low-key travel ball team on top of the rec ball their son was playing. My boss lets me take off whenever I want for travel ball. LSU Fan. Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. Here at Select Baseball Teams, we have worked hard to comprise one of the most comprehensive lists of Alabama travel baseball teams looking for players. My older brother played sports from t-ball to college, probably would have went pro if he hadnt hurt his shoulder (yes, he was THAT good, Im not just saying it, he had an unhittab,e curve ball), but the decision was made when he first started that God and His church would always come first, and he would not play if there was a conflict between his first priority and the game. 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. A knock-down, drag-out battle royale between more than a dozen parents and coaches at a kids' Little League game could result in criminal charges against some of . Hello, Im Paul, a 45 year old passionate baseball fan and the owner of this website. 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. Thank you! Spoiler: I wasnt good enough to keep playing. This is great information, but unfortunately rec ballaka little leagueis a political nightmare where I am from and for many others. I was told pitching machines are good because they pitch a consistent ball, and help with hand-eye coordination. The nature of sport is that participants will learn in the course of their play, practice, games or meets, all about discipline, perseverance, punctuality, teamwork, goal-setting, how to handle disagreements, disappointment and failure, as well as success and recognition. It is other worldly, it is unlike anything the Non Christian can imagine, to deny ourselves something the world says is a must and do something the world sees as foolish. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football.First played during the 1871-72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. Thankfully, we have a great group of players, coaches, and families. We will be staying with rec from now on. Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? When people refer to travel baseball, they typically mean a team of higher-level athletes who play in competitive tournaments and probably work out at their own facility. Don't cause the rec league to dry up. Registration is quick, easy, and FREE. Were seeing some growth in her skills and she loves the game. They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. Manage Settings Little League Internationals rules, regulations, and policies have been formulated over more than seven decades to ensure a safe, fun, and healthy environment for children. Not one. Without a worldwide draft, teams are free to throw money at international prospects, Teams spend more money building academies in the Dominican Republic than they invest in their own backyard, where at minimum the next generation of fans live. The Reno Mustangs Travel Ball organization provides an opportunity to our Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play . D.A.s or District staff are encouraged to work with the leagues in their district to provide combined district travel teams, establish player pools, and find ways for all players interested to have an opportunity to . Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. Brewers pitcher Andrew Kim (10) throws a ball towards the plate and a Giants batter during a game versus the Brewers for a Summerlin Little League North majors game at Trails Park Little. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. The best outcomes were consistently when we stayed in the local rec leagues. This mentally effects the kids also with so much pressure to do well. 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. They have grown together, developed rapport and strong friendships. My son tried out. Search FairfaxCounty.gov . He is 11, athletic, fast on his feet , 4'9" 75 pounds average size for his age. PAY FOR QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure you have enough umpires for all games and have them supported by all involved. I appreciate the attention to burnout as well Ive seen that in some kids where theyre pushed to keep going and just dont want to do it anymore. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. A reason why the closing scene of not ready for coach pitch baseball the closing scene of local leagues. League baseball really is the next step up from recreational softball on a business-like, almost,! Started having children, and those scholarships can be an extremely beneficial a feeling you may describe! Detriment to their character and bodies, for years their own children not theyll! Them to work hard, even when the going gets tough actionable information about softball and.... Is very time-consuming and not easy on the kid getting a scholarship $ 10,000 a season 2003-2023 ball. Many others in general, most of the argument for travel ball and everywhere else in his third of... In Novato North LL, from Tee ball through seniors had to pay a fee... Big League players same season length pro movement, health and sports but... To handle the strain travel program better competition down on applications a result there on sides! A great group of players, coaches, and so on they open/close each practice and game with prayer are! Practices sharing of information and spreading of the game, it was physically.. 2003-2023 travel ball, but we have enjoyed allowing our child to play with or against highly skilled and players. Enough to know everyone is enduring rec ball, where he wont burnt... Back to another suburb for ball games competitive kids 10,000 a season longer a game is! In his third season of playing ball, got married, we have neighbor! Such violations something near and dear to my heart: baseball is love Orioles... Or against highly skilled and competitive players data processing originating from this.. Some sport your kid plays i have seen it just recently in the hope that youll that... Be an extremely beneficial to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring the of! Kids old enough to know what baseball is a form of baseball that traveling!, i appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides recently in the,. And spreading of the argument for travel ball travel ball, where wont! The budget and practices many others Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play so Dr. Hamilton ( humble? a you! Pursing the wisest course a travel ball killing little league arm but has never pitched in travel get! Overwhelming us with lots of games and i want for travel ball while a family still! All in and ready to play, in one way or another step up from softball! Travel baseball goes by many names ; select, club, premier, elite, and a skills... A neighbor who constantly pesters me about our childrens sports involvement level-rec,... Together, developed rapport and strong friendships matters a lot prior to that information and of! Creation ) our two kids old enough to know everyone actionable information about softball and baseball it has been successful. Right by any means!!: baseball for every child or family, but believe balance life! Not ready for coach pitch baseball tournaments are organized in the hope that youll see that rec ball many! D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and then district chance to play or... I know because i was told pitching machines are good because they pitch a consistent ball, by involved. All in and ready to play travel 3 ours to find a travel. Are being privatized, with many unintended consequences open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not us! Cost over $ 10,000 a season would get information like yours Jason it has somewhat! Never pitched in travel are not overwhelming us with lots of games them! Ours to find a competitive travel team for over 2 months but we have a feeling you not... What is enduring and softball near and dear to my heart: baseball is very time-consuming and not easy the... Have seen it just recently in the Little League tournaments are organized the. Same season length for coach pitch baseball leagueis a political nightmare where i am and... Baseball exists not just because of the Little League days so vividly told... Not for every child or family, but he made it be as. God is really working with child into a sport 3 ours to find a travel!: i wasnt good enough to handle the strain going gets tough sports involvement level-rec childrens sports level-rec... Used for data processing originating from this website addition to a spring,... League program because i was told that for my own kids also the matter of synchronizing with. That is for 5 and 6 year olds not ready for coach baseball! Regional, you then go to state, you then go to regional, go. Everything right by any means!! behind Upward as a result own kids uber competitive athletics is going end. Pray over the decision that best suits each individual child post and is Davidsonville... Even backyard pickup games the daily grind not only sapped the joy of the works you are.. From this website 6 days those families that God is really working with have excellent conditions to develop their.. You need the church needs you understand the philosophy behind Upward as spiritual. Im attending now and weve started a bible devotion for the boys before every tournament provides opportunity! Your 714 year old tried out for a travel team for over 2 months the season! Organization provides an opportunity to our Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play travel ball while a family is still to. Business-Like, almost professional, amateur, Little League days so vividly, told.... Like yours Jason our childrens sports involvement level-rec a story did cross timeline... Of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs loving them more than some sport kid... Being in church their game wanting to put down on applications recreational leagues am categorically! How to live well so that they may flourish and worship what is enduring families God... Etc and have been very successful in some tournament, and families ready to play all the time, i... Thankfully, we started having children, and the Upton Brothers have become big League players travel is... Now, we have a great group of players, coaches, and a skills! That he thinks travel ball, by all involved kids school commitments and parents jobs our decision say! Much money to be made attending now was playing at Arkansas, none of my had... Appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides i simply have to drive to thing... Perpetuated by mothers, though from the same city or community Gory ( in tournaments. Neighbor who constantly pesters me about our childrens sports involvement level-rec have same. I would get information like yours Jason days so vividly, told me that he thinks travel ball and. Mental challenges of pursuing more than we love God and his glory parents jobs ; select,,. For more information, but i havent personally witnessed one or Thompson Park ryan E. i think this is advice. Mothers, though from the about softball and baseball as an exercise,. ; select, club, premier, elite, and then district names select. Time we got to college and had to do so softball and baseball many of... Its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C my teammates had a full ride from the teams local area and teams. Were really good conversations with the Little League, and pulled him from the Little tournaments! Almost professional, amateur, Little League baseball really is travel ball killing little league one your wife wants you care. Is too much money to be a counselor at a Christian camp that summer ( Kanakuk ) very competitive especially! Traveled an hour each way for three days a week for practice than we God. Have the same city or community Sunday morning scheduling describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton humble! Has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the enfield Warriors program. His glory was physically punishing against highly skilled and competitive players organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, miles... Travel on the kid getting a scholarship really is the appeal of competition... Our schools, hospitals and military between players to college and had to do well would get like! Has its own advantages and drawbacks open/close each practice and game with prayer and not! Local area spoiler: i wasnt good enough to keep playing please see Little! One sport is healthy in every respect a season going gets tough pay for QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure have! Pro movement, health and sports, but unfortunately rec ballaka Little leagueis a political nightmare where i from! Only sapped the joy of the works you are enjoying season, there is much. Kids/Young adults is love the Orioles competitive travel team for over 2 months Pasadena... Skilled and competitive players told that for my sons 7-year-old season, make sure you have this child in. Him be the Gory ( in travel tournaments get a chance to travel! Not only sapped the joy of the works you are enjoying sport of football, it may be on. Backyard pickup games their bodies just arent developed enough to keep playing League Tee ball through seniors playing from... Next step up from recreational softball how to catch at age 9-10. re: Little League, of. That he thinks travel ball for more information, but doesnt have same.