But for us, when you lay everything out on the table, our daughter getting to play this incredible sport with an amazing team outweighs all the negatives that come with it. And you are right about MLB not being all its cracked up to be; several of my sons college teammates were drafted in the top 10 rounds (as high as supplemental 1st round), and with only one exception, they all complained about the grind and monotony (not to mention extremely low salaries) once they entered the minor leagues. (Their varsity team is seeded #1 or #2 nationwide and is competitive, though still strives to put Jesus first.) With all of that said, here are some things you need to know about competitive travel softball. Maybe take up your buddys offer to go play golf or go fishing. What guides me is Paul in 1Cor9:22-23 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. Ideally, you dont want to have parents serving as coaches. As one who has three sons, two of whom played travel ball for part of their youth, and one who didnt, I can affirm everything you say here. You will have to have tournament entry fees and food for the day, whether you bring it or buy it from concessions. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. Those were the programs I kept going back to. Its also important for everyone involved to be honest about the players skill level. 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. However, there are those few girls out there that just clearly have no business being in travel softball. See also: How to Pick the Right Softball Bat. . 2. Developing skills in (or at least having exposure to) music, art, great books, drama, theology, politics, or science-and-math-related activities makes us better, more empathetic, engaged human beings and citizens, and better leaders. The only kind of baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a partial one. How knowledgeable are they, and will they be able to facilitate the proper degree of skill development for their athletes? We all know the problem parents. However, the main reason weve stuck with travel is the consistency that it offers. 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. As a follower of Jesus, this consideration is the most important one for me. While some languages are much harder to grasp than others, a lack of words is a travel problem with an easy solution. Well-said. Ok, now lets switch gears and imagine this. Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. Alexa has been working with The Hitting Vault since 2017 as a hitting coach, social media content creator, and writer. Read our, Tetra Images - Erik Isakson / Getty Images, Sports Specialization and the Risk for Injury and Burnout, Dealing With Bullying on Youth Sports Teams, Budget Friendly Extracurricular Activities for Tweens, 2019 State of play: Trends and developments in youth sports, Burnout and perceived performance among junior athletes-associations with affective and cognitive components of stress, Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. Encouraging the pursuit of excellence and rewarding hard work and God given talent. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. 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. No. That means that even if your kid is the best thing since Babe Ruth, if he goes off to play major college baseball, the baseball team isnt paying all the expenses. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. A job is not a game. 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. Travel ball is good for those who are not afraid of being challenged and want to play at a higher level. He told us last week that he is glad that we have taught him to focus on his eternal future. My Kids Dont Play Sports If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. 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. For them, it was a matter of priorities. So, during pool play, playing time tends to be more evenly distributed in order to give everyone game experience (as well as the opportunity to be noticed by college coaches, when the time comes for that). Let kids be kids, they and their bodies will decide what they can and cant do. More general instruction. 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). Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? Also, since most teams only have one practice per week, theres an expectation that additional work is being done outside of practice. The three year old is already all in and ready to play. Back in 2011, CBS News reported that one Georgia family paid $4,000 per year for their 9-year-old son's travel team. Thankfully, we have a great group of players, coaches, and families. More important than that, you and your family dont need a summer long break from the life and fellowship of your local church. It was excellent, by the way. But what do the managers do? Look for positive, fair-minded coaching. I hear this quite a bit. Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. Rec players are given basic techniques and instructions at a pace they feel comfortable with. 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. Between $500 and $5,000 per year (with an average of about $2,000), depending on where you live, the level of competition, and the time commitment. 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. The cost is a fraction of what a travel season would cost but may actually put you in front of more coaches. Other parents might be emboldened to speak up. 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. Thats commendable, but I suspect that those tournaments dont always start the Sunday games at times that make finding a worship service possible. Most importantly, let it be her decision, and make sure she knows youll support that decision (even if its not what you think is best). 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. Rec ball is shorthand for Little League Softball and/or your local city league. They understand the intangibles of the game, and can teach a higher level of mechanics that go beyond the fundamentals. And you should. However, as parents now of three young adult children we handled sports for them in a much different way than the current culture dictates. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. 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. Keep him in rec ball, where he wont get burnt out because hes a kid facing the demands of a profession. Learn from others short comings and honor God with your precious time on the field. I know because I was her coach for years. We love them by showing them that God is infinitely more valuable than all else. Nevertheless, Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6:1-4 still stand in Scripture as commands, not suggestions. Id bet if you polled the MLB players the vast majority of them would agree. I never felt that way until I got to college, but looking at the demands of travel ball, I totally understand how the kid feels. You all make very good points to consider. No one slept that well because you were up late packing everything into the vehicle. 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. There have been times where we have questioned Is it worth it? in our own journey. Travel softball can be one of the most stressful aspects of the sport, especially when it comes to choosing the right team. This is mainly to get those on the fence to really question if this type of play is a good fit for them or if maybe rec ball would be a little more suitable for them. Travel baseball costs average around $3,700 annually. 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. She also coached collegiately for 3 years at the University of Montevallo (D2). I imagine that we could have lived a little more comfortably had I not been playing softball. Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. Well break the costs down in more detail later. I also grew up watching sports slowly take over Sundays as the team practices/warmups got earlier and earlier until they happened during church times. All your doing is increasing the strain and the chance of injury for no appreciable gain. Lack of skill It's not easy to admit that you or someone you love is not good enough for something. 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. I talked to a dad who was committed to having his family in church even when they were on the roadand he said they traveled as a family as often as they couldfor tournaments. Out of these two scenarios, could you handle the 2nd scenario? Im not willing to give up the Lords day for sports as much as I want him to play in a better league. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. Educate them. 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. Does your child have the discipline, maturity, and attention span required to succeed? There is almost always a try-out or audition process to join the team. Focus on what you can do. Extend your season, make sure that all teams are drafted equally. Build this league and you will have travel on the decline. I dont believe in definitive s. You need the church, and the church needs you. I want your son to love baseball, to have the opportunity to be a kid, and to play the game as a kid. Since day one, weve been here for our players, with our players, and because of our players. On the other hand, dont force her to join a competitive travel ball team if she just wants to have fun. 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. Do the social aspects improve their values and stimulate great discussions at home, or lead them away from family?). Communication:Its important to have all your questions answered. It also gave her a place to play when a local rec option was not available and softball was her #1 choice. The tournament is 2 hours away and its cold and misty. You often hear coaches do this and that. The best outcomes were consistently when we stayed in the local rec leagues. There are significant costs (thousands of dollars per season is common). No formula exists, but here are a few ideas to think about: Variety: Encourage your children to play a different sport each season until their upper teens. We all need to be careful that identifying with just one sport and spending most of our time with it can deter a child from gaining skills, interests and appreciation for other activities and knowledge. Recreational softball and competitive travel softball teach many of the same life skills, like teamwork and sportsmanship. Its also increasingly common for elite travel softball organizations to have two 18U teams, with the highest level designated as 18 Gold. There are no tournaments for which classification as an 18 Gold team is mandatory for entry these teams participate in the same high-level tournaments as A-level teams. You have to trust that all decisions are made for the good of the entire team. We asked our Facebook and Twitter fans what the most frequent problem in baseball and softball were and we noticed there was a very popular answer among parents, and players: Daddy Ball. Our youngest has decided that gymnastics is a little more important to her than softball, so we have taken her out of travel softball. There are multiple organizations that host tournaments around the United States. The high-end teams travel to tournaments every weekend (sometimes out-of-state) and qualify for national tournaments. Glad to see you are faithful (and a baptist!). you dont say what age your DD is, but see if there are opportunities for guest playing. Softball. There are half a million pieces of debris larger than 1 centimetre and 100 million pieces of. I, personally, never even knew travel softball existed until high school. But I say be wise. http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. All rights reserved. What should she do? Voddie Bauchams Family Driven Faith. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. Travel Softball Rankings. sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope, each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, Dont Play Travel Ball: Stay in the Rec League | For His Renown | Pastor John Reading List, http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411, 6-String Salvo, February 12, 2016 Mike Lee, The Daily Discovery (February 12, 2016) - Entreating Favor, More Great Reading | Second Chance Pastor, Todays Links // 4 Free Kindle Books, Worship Songs, Socialist Millennials, Buy a Friend App, Freedom from Anxiety | Word + Life | KevinHalloran.net. In fact, most experts believe that if your goal is for your child to go pro, the worst thing you can do is overplay them. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. 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. 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. I have seen it just recently in the church Im attending now. On the diamond. Joining a travel team is definitely demanding, and not just for your kid. Jim, We are leaning strongly to go back to his Rec ball league that we enjoyed in the spring. Here in our area not so much. 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. this will let you evaluate if travel softball is right for your family, hopefully evaluate several different teams (not just the ones you play for, also watch the opposing teams, other teams in same age bracket, etc., gives you a chance to see them in a real There is a big time commitment: practices; games; travel; and parent volunteer hours all add up. Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. This is very true for our daughters as well. Dont sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope that hes the next Derek Jeter. Its Saturday and its 10 am. 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. Along with a recreational league, they have Travel Ball Teams that play competitive softball. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. At tryouts, you should expect to be tested on your home-to-first sprint time, your home-to-home sprint time, and your overhand throwing speed. But dont hold her back if she wants to push herself. You accept the fact that today you will be cold, wet, sleepy, and possibly moody. But its also a major commitment, so its important to think carefully about what kind of program is best in your specific situation. For the summer travel season, once teams are chosen, practices and games will start in May and go through to the end of July. Many high-level programs are fully-sponsored by product manufacturers, or at least get discounted rates on things like uniforms and equipment. foster a love for the game. Of course, there are other ways to be the problem parent such as bad-mouthing the coach and other parents, not paying your dues, not bringing your daughter to practices, etc. It can be a huge change in commitment, skill level, and dedication depending on the type of team and price you go into. We dont win Non-Christians by showing them how little we care about worship and the assembly of believers, we win them through honoring God as better than all other appetites. I would urge you to consider how trustworthy Jesus is, how he can reconcile you to God, how he has paid for your sin, and how his Spirit can enable you to love others and enjoy life with them in a gathering of people joined together at a local church. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. For some may not even be an issue. Dont let one child be turned away because they cant afford registration or equipment. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. There are two sides to every situation. If the coaches seem wishy-washy about these topics, dont offer straightforward answers, or seem like they just dont want to be bothered with the questions, thats a red flag. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | FUTURESLASH CORP. Get two articles delivered to your inbox each week. And if it means giving up travel ball, by all means give it up. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. There is no championship, just games. Youre all running on less sleep than usual and even though its only 5 am, theres no more rest for you. Competitive travel softball players come to the field every day with the intent to compete, push past their limits, and get themselves to the next level. As a PastorI certainly appreciate the sentiments expressed in this article. How does a big leaguer have a family? If your daughter is interested in playing college softball, youll want to be part of an organization that: When I was coaching at a Division II school, there were a handful of travel ball coaches I knew well and could really trust to give me honest feedback on a kid as an athlete and a person. Your daughter will be around these girls for months at a time, and they say you become who you surround yourself with. So, whats the vibe of the players? But besides that, if you are a Christian parent, the absolute worst thing you can do is teach your kids that anything is more important than God. Many of the families on our team actually make it a family affair. For others, it can wreak havoc. They need to run and jump and exercise other muscles than the ones required by baseball. 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. Its apparent that wegenerally speakingspend more time encouraging our children to pursue athletic excellence than we do in developing a Biblical Worldview in them. (Sometimes youll find an assistant coach who is a parent, but rarely a head coach.) The U.S. government tracks about 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. 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). Travel ball is being on the right team, knowing the right people, and working on your skill set; not that much different from academic pursuits really and more so I suppose. That would inevitably awaken the competitive impulse, leading to more practices, more effort expended, and the gradual creep to a higher key. Required fields are marked *. If you can not recover or a fix an error as quickly as another player then you will be replaced. Teach her other ways to stay involved throughout the game if she is not playing. These parents are the ones that complain when things dont fit their idea of how the team should be run. . Well always innovate to do whats best. Find out: Travel team play isn't right for every child, but it can be a lot of fun if you make the right match between child, sport, and team. 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. Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. 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. Jesse played baseball for many years, served in the U.S. Army for 15 years, and began officiating 32 years ago. 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. #momof3boys. 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. You as a parent cannot choose the level your daughter wants to play at. Not as organized- depending on the organization. This causes an influx of these types of players. These rankings are modified based on your feedback and recommendations. Ive alluded to this somewhat above. I have a neighbor who constantly pesters me about our childrens sports involvement level-rec. 2019;7(7). Are those stewardship issues as well? It always seems to happen with those families that God is really working with. 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. It's really helpful to talk with other parents a few years ahead of you on the paththose who have experience with the same club or league you're looking at. I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. . Go to a couple of games and see how the team plays together, and ask to watch the team practice before committing. These girls can always work harder to be better. 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. What will travel ball mean for your marriage? At RIP-IT we match looks with performance to deliver unrivaled gear that protects and inspires. How do players interact with their parents? What is the time commitment? What is Daddy Ball? On the low end, a $500 budget may be enough to cover your team fees and play in local tournaments with lesser competition. Your daughter, as the player, is going to be pooped. The biggest softball hubs are Southern California, Texas and Florida. He was so upset. Growing up, I was more on the lower end of the middle class. 7. Kids need to be challenged so they can grow. He played Little League all the way through age 14 and has wonderful memories of playoff games, sometimes leading all the way to state. While many recreational leagues let anybody play (depending on their roster size) travel teams typically recruit players and conduct tryouts.
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