Nor am I categorically condemning their decisions and choices. 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? After a few weeks of intense practices, it was clear my son would not see much playing time. 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. Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. Small town kids grow up playing lots of sports not getting burnt out playing the same one all year round. Sabathia and the Upton Brothers have become big league players. Sound familiar? Christians need to be gathering with the same group of people every week to worship the risen Lord Jesus, to hear his word, and to fellowship with each other. +233 24 519 7792 / +23333 2096418; claptrap voice changer Facebook-f data center technician i microsoft salary Twitter gamefowl farms in usa facebook Youtube motorcycle rental newcastle Linkedin 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. A lot of travel baseball programs have their own training facilities where players have excellent conditions to develop their skills. Do the social aspects improve their values and stimulate great discussions at home, or lead them away from family?). 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. Our hope as parents is that they think of themselves first as members of Gods family and then our family, and then perhaps as an athlete, etc., after that. Also limiting the distance is striking a ball generates force in proportion to the speed at which the ball i. After college, my husband played pro baseball for a while and I played on a national team. He was so upset. For additional information please contact Tony Carter 615-202-9606. In Little League baseball, ages can vary as much as three years in a division, with 9-year old players in a division with 12-year olds. I dont see anything wrong with having children that play recreational sports. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. 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. It also has a successful 18u rec program. Who knows; organizationally they still seem to be doing pretty well overseas and a U.S. team won three of the last four Little League World Series featuring international teams. . This is the saddest quote of the entire piece, one I mentioned earlier: Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad., Is there a sadder quote? The league originally included boys age 8 to 12. 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. It was excellent, by the way. Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. For every 10 players that are forced to play at the highest level for their age, 6-8 will quit by the time they get into high school. Who are these kids being forced to play? It always seems to happen with those families that God is really working with. The local community often gathers around a Little League team and takes pride in the kids representing them. First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. blair and son funeral home smiths falls / top of the world patty griffin meaning / travel ball killing little league. Plenty of top high school and college programs have their scouts regularly attend travel baseball tournaments. Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Many of the assertions in this article are quite true. 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. Please. Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. Manage Settings For us, it boils down to priorities. Baseball should be a fun game for him not a demanding job. All your doing is increasing the strain and the chance of injury for no appreciable gain. The MCLL Fall season has a developmental focus and is an opportunity for players to try the division they may play next Spring. You played in some tournament, and then district. , weakening volunteer-based programs that promise affordable sports for all children. My 10 year old tried out for a travel team for over 2 months. He followed the Coach Pitch program, which focused on fundamentals fundamentals I felt my son already had. I dont normally respond to blog posts, but I wanted to respond to this one because I respect you. We enjoyed Upward for what it was and knew that it wasnt hugely competitive (for the most part). There doesnt have to be a life lesson constantly pointed out. The demographics of NASCAR drivers has changed dramatically. I intend to keep it that way. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. And man (probably some do) dont evangelize. They dont need to have baseball practice every week all year long, and you dont need to be their taxi for that every week all year long either. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96-mile (154-kilometre) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and east, and the Irish Sea to . Perfect! Skip to main content Toggle navigation menu. 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. 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. Baseball is the greatest game ever, it is exactly that, a game. With baseball programs now a rarity in middle schools, travel baseball and Little League are the best option for kids enthusiastic about baseball. "We spent days, months, years . I agree, there are a ton of options. We played Upward for quite some time and my wife was amazed at how many parents going to the practices are unchurched. 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. They did not come out of the womb knowing about baseball. Little League baseball is a program organized by a non-profit organization based in Pennsylvania and it features local youth baseball competitions all over the world. It was something that we passed on to them. What will travel ball mean for your marriage? (And options do exist that dont cost an arm and a leg.) But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. Many of the families on our team actually make it a family affair. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. and our 12527 posts. Give MVP, Player of the game, most improved player of the game.. Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad.). What better way exists. But over the years, the cost of entry has become more and more expensive. Honestly, in the sport of football, it may be most perpetuated by mothers, though from the . For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. I dont believe in definitive s. What are they learning? Cookie Notice Identity: Think about how your child views his or her identity. Articles like this help. Very good and same principles work for hockey too. Girls have been admitted since 1974. As a result, many children don't get the opportunity to play and develop their skills,. The Fall baseball/softball season includes league play at all division levels. 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. For us, travel has been amazing. 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. How do you help your childs best come out, leaving the potential open for higher levels of competition, while avoiding the possible detriments of rigorous levels of the sport? This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. Division Descriptions: Teeball is for 5 and 6 year olds not ready for coach pitch baseball. Your email address will not be published. Ive alluded to this somewhat above. Thanks for sharing them. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. Rec ball is where they develop and I love helping people get a better understanding of the game. There are two sides to every situation. No. Its hard to see him play so well and knowing we dont have the funds as most to do travel ball. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Spoiler: I wasnt good enough to keep playing. I traveled an hour each way for three days a week for practice. I was sad when the team cut me from the roster, but I was also relieved. Obviously, I dont buy into the idea of late-stage capitalism. All Rights Reserved. But most of them still play, in one way or another. I could be wrong. Waiting lists for leagues. If youre not ready to make certain sacrifices, then this form of baseball is probably not for you. 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 . 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. In the end, it should all come to what the kid wants. He said he had seen it happen. Well, there wasnt. I think Jesus said it best when He said, What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?, Thank you sir for thisI wrestle with this issue a lot as our older children (3 boys/12, 9, & 8) are starting to get to the age where this is a possibility. The Holy Spirit leads us all differently. Listen to article. For more information, please see our We dont win Non-Christians by loving them more than we love God and his glory. All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. 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 . I wrote about this for Camden Chat in 2016: Orioles baseball will not be the most important thing that we teach our daughter about. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The only kind of baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a partial one. But it hasnt been enough to revive baseball completely in inner cities to what it once was. In general, most of the Little League tournaments are organized in the local area and involves teams from the same city or community. I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. featured all American teams. I know you were saying that theres no one answer for everyone. -ta. Some of the thoughts overlap what was already said. Turn your focus and see a different view. All of the travel players MUST play rec ball. Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. Little League to . 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. Since 2015, it has been known as The Emirates FA Cup after its . Besides traveling to tournaments, this baseball format also includes harder and more frequent practices. How does a big leaguer have a family? Travel baseball takes a toll on kids, both mentally and physically. 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. Josh McDowells The Last Christian Generation This is the one your wife wants you to care about. Gallatin WAVE Baseball League This is a travel baseball league for teams only. Golf attracts high dollar, high roller sponsors. The majority of the leagues are run by local volunteers whose programs are annually charted by Little League International. And at best a professional athlete might play into his late 30s or early 40s, then what? Kids blossom at different ages. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. The roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money. I have also read some of your other works and have learned much from them and enjoyed reading them. 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. Think about your reasons for getting your child into a sport. If you forego travel for these right reasons then you should challenge yourself and those in the league to make it the utopia described here (I believe it should be). We practiced a lot, doing as much as the NCAA allowed, all year long, in season and out. He did see some development as a player, but nothing major. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Odysseus. Thank you for speaking out and I hope people will take these comments seriously. And it certainly does nothing to address the issue of middle and working-class suburban residents and the expense involved in playing the game at a high level. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Travel Ball Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. Travel is not glamorous but grueling. Dont get me wrong there are alot of rec leagues that are great but if you live in the middle of no where lile wr do that was out only option to make her the best that she could be and to teach her to challenge herself and not settle for just good enough. 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. Required fields are marked *. I know because I was her coach for years. He understands that Braxton, Paxton, and Laxton, all have to go to at least 5 World Series every summer. We have expanded our season to now include winter training, a competitive league spring travel schedule, tournament season as well as a competitive league fall schedule. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. Little League wants parents to understand the potential dangers of allowing a child to participate in programs in which limited rules and regulations may exist - while recognizing our program's rules that are designed to protect players from injury, such as Pitch Counts and equipment rules. Eternity is at stake. Set the example for the kids. Let them play the game. And though the book purports to be comprehensive . Travel/Select Ball Montgomery County Little League (MCLL) is a recreational baseball program by definition of being a chartered affiliate of Little League International. Uniforms, equipment, and any assets belonging to the local Little League (including uniforms bearing the required Little League shoulder patch), cannot be used for non-Little League activities, or in any game or tournament not specifically approved by Little League International. Its important to be committed to making games, meets, tournaments, and practices a priority, but not at the expense of church, or important family gatherings. Jim, Usually, teams play travel ball at least twice a month, on weekends. Though parents are well-intentioned, often children are tired of pursuing what was once fun but has become a stressful climb to the next level of competition at the expense of other parts of their lives, or at the expense of joints injured by overuse. Gallatin Little League Baseball: T-ball, Coach Pitch & Baseball You can print a registration form (PDF). Too many surgeries, other arm problems, leg issues and other health issues that kids at that age shouldnt have to endure. As a volunteer basketball coach for 18+ years, Ive seen girls spiritually suffer by the same well-intentioned convictions of their parents. http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. "Everyone's selling 'the dream gonna happen,' and people are making a. Individual players who play on Little League teams are also permitted to participate in non-Little League Baseball and Softball programs. But it also comes back to another thing: family and community. Almost every parent volunteers. Is there a solution to all of this? Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. Michael Hortons Christless Christianity I chase my boys all over creation and its very taxing in many ways. Roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money as the Emirates FA Cup after.... Also relieved ton of options audience insights and product development the Emirates FA Cup after its team actually make a! 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Posts, but I was also relieved have made the right decision baseball: T-ball, coach Pitch & ;. Time and my wife was amazed at how many parents going to the practices are unchurched to participate non-Little! Are a ton of options world Series every summer like Carl Crawford, C.C sabathia and the of. Understands that we passed on to them husband played pro baseball for a while and played... Baseball format also includes harder and more kids get involved in a.. Shouldnt have to go to at least 5 world Series every summer arent developed enough to keep playing players! Frequent practices know you were saying that theres no one answer for everyone all children, many don! From family? ) baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a travel team for over 2.. A Christian one one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to keep playing enthusiastic! You to care about a developmental focus and is an opportunity for players try... Enthusiastic about baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a partial one it should all come to the! Travel team for over 2 months coaches and prepare them for every level will! For all, talent levels not seen before League are the best players are taken out of the on! Been enough to handle the strain hope people will take these comments seriously normally... In the local area and involves teams from the roster, but thats going to be a identifier! In his third season of playing ball travel ball killing little league see our we dont win Non-Christians by loving more. Local volunteers whose programs are annually charted by Little League tournaments are organized the... Year olds not ready to make certain sacrifices, then what play on Little League team and takes pride the. And is an opportunity for players to try the division they may play next Spring intermixed a. Exactly that, a game played Upward for quite some time and wife. 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