They have grown together, developed rapport and strong friendships. Below are just a few stream of consciousness suggestions as readers consider their views on how they encourage their children in sports. And teams may invite players from anywhere in the region. Team fees may cover tournament entry costs, batting cage rental, practice field rental, uniforms, equipment and organizational costs. 10 common travel problems and how to deal with them - Worldpackers 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. Creating a logo and brand is a big step for your new program. I see quite a few girls that are not willing to put in the extra work to get better. No. Looking back, Im so thankful they gave all they did so that I could be successful its something I can never repay them for. Excellence: Pursuing excellence is important, but be sure you know and your child knows what you mean by that. They stand out on the team from the girls that clearly go home and put in the extra work, the extra exercise, even the extra lessons to constantly improve. If non-Christians are playing travel ball on Sundays and all the Christians are in church with other Christians, how will the Christians win the non-Christians to Christ? I appreciate the article. I do offer the opportunity to advertise your league and ask that you share it here and anywhere possible. Christians are Christians because we worship what is true. Reduces boredom Cons Expensive Increased risk for injury Potential for burnout Time-consuming Pros Young athletes can reach a point where they are bored with rec league play. 10 Things Wrong with Youth Baseball and Softball (And How We Can Fix 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. 3. The majority of players at this level hire an experienced outside hitting or pitching coach. In raising our children in a world where developing a one-sport athlete is pushed to the extreme, we both were counter-culture, and we have happy, well-adjusted kids now, all of whom continue to pursue fitness as a lifestyle. . When children are interested in a particular elite team, it's important to find out in advance what their expectations are. Unlike recreational softball, travel teams don't play a set number of games every season. I hoped that I would get information like yours Jason. 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. Ive heard of travel ball teams that play 60 games in a summerfor kids under 10!and then they practice at least once a week through the winter. I wanted to play all the time, until I got to college and had to do so. Subscribe below. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. Dont get me wrong: I love competition. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Learn from others short comings and honor God with your precious time on the field. James Jesse, Vice President (Umpires) for Grand Slam Tournaments (GS), leads corporate oversight of all GS umpires and directly manages a team of 60 umpires in Atlanta, Georgia. Shipping and taxes will be calculated at checkout. It's almost the only way your player can get exposure to college scouts for scholarship opportunities. I think it does need to be approached carefully and prayerfully, especially with the demands on the family and commitments that call us away from the church. 5. For others, it can wreak havoc. Moen F, Hrozanova M, Stiles TC, Stenseng F. Burnout and perceived performance among junior athletes-associations with affective and cognitive components of stress. With that, the cost to play increases. Also, parents may not have a realistic view of how talented their son or daughter is in sports, often over or underestimating their abilities. Stay positive. Speaking from experience, the game, the desire to compete, and the love of always being challenged those things are either there or theyre not. Help your kids find the joy of learning in areas other than sports. 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. As a follower of Jesus, this consideration is the most important one for me. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. Go to practice twice a week, throw on her hundreds of dollars worth of catchers gear, catch for a few hours, then go home and not touch the gear until the next team practice day? It was excellent, by the way. ), playing time and how its divided up, and the coaching staffs goals and priorities. 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. Our son never felt like he missed out on anything; he was too busy playing other sports and doing other activities. Stealing home: How travel teams are eroding community baseball 2019 State of play: Trends and developments in youth sports. A strong brand can help your team with credibility and bring some excitement to your program. Thats particularly true for parents and players who are just beginning their travel softball journey, because it can be difficult to know how to evaluate a team and coach. I am confident that there are better ways to steward those thousands of dollars. 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. Recreational softball and competitive travel softball teach many of the same life skills, like teamwork and sportsmanship. But we have had a great experience with travel ball and have been able to balance our commitments to both Christ, his church, and our family. Wr had to travel 3 ours to find a competitive travel team. 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? 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. (Their varsity team is seeded #1 or #2 nationwide and is competitive, though still strives to put Jesus first.) Its quality time in a certain way, but probably not in the way youre envisioning right now. I, personally, never even knew travel softball existed until high school. Maybe families should pray over the decision that best suits each individual child. Was it really worth it? It all depends on what attitude you approach it with. This makes for an unhappy family in my opinion and makes a good case for keeping a player out of travel ball. So Im writing in the hope that youll see that rec ball is a better route. (No wonder God calls us to pray without ceasing!). a. Turn your focus and see a different view. Your email address will not be published. Let them play the game. 1. My son excels in travel ball and weve started a bible devotion for the boys before every tournament. Train your coaches and prepare them for every level they will be involved. God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. 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. Out of these two scenarios, could you handle the 2nd scenario? Kids need to see that Jesus and his church are more important to their parents even than baseball. As a PastorI certainly appreciate the sentiments expressed in this article. The pitchers pitched far more balls than strikes. A job is not a game. These rankings contain some of the best travel softball teams in the country and are comprised of the top travel softball teams across the United States. Get access to discounts and the latest news. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. Let kids be kids, they and their bodies will decide what they can and cant do. Listed below are six of the pitching injuries that athletes tend to experience. All rights reserved. 7. You will have to have tournament entry fees and food for the day, whether you bring it or buy it from concessions. On the other hand, dont force her to join a competitive travel ball team if she just wants to have fun. Very few will walk in my church doors on Sunday. The biggest softball hubs are Southern California, Texas and Florida. Travel ball gives high school softball programs boost with restricted Travel Baseball - 10 Pros And 7 Cons - Little Ballparks The roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money. I dont believe in definitive s. What are you waiting for? Talk through the process and help her see the pros and cons of each option. I look at another coach who is seeded number one in the league and am very glad my kid isnt with him as I can only imagine the sort of character theyd be building. While you make some great points, let me provide an alternate perspective, even if I appear at present to be the lone dissenting voice. Baseball should be a fun game for him not a demanding job. This can be a big problem if you are trying to compete in tournaments or leagues. If you think the coach is doing a bad job, then take your daughter off the team. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. See also: How to Pick the Right Softball Bat. My name is Alexa Peterson. . Age brackets are 8U (8-years-old and under), 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U. 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. The 4 Biggest Problems in Youth Sports Today When I walked on and made the Razorbacks, the sport I loved to play became a year-round job. It also gave her a place to play when a local rec option was not available and softball was her #1 choice. In those cases, your club fees might include two or three uniforms, matching bat bags, visors and bats (some teams exclusively swing one brand). Thanks to all who replied. 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. Kids blossom at different ages. Top Six Most Common Softball Pitching Injuries - Rothman Ortho Some teams charge a flat fee up front, some allow parents to pay as they go and some combine the formulas. Postal code Distance Teams Age Group State Facilities Coaches 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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. And keep in mind, the level of competitiveness usually coincides with how much work is expected outside of practice. Take the 59 second "Unlock Your Power" Analysis Tool, and find out exactly how your athlete can add 30-50 feet to their line drives (instead of ground outs). And you should. When you go to a game, you are there to support the team. Rec ball pushes equality, fairness, and gives each player the same opportunities. (Sometimes youll find an assistant coach who is a parent, but rarely a head coach.) If she cant get enough of softball, wants to travel around for more games, and is excited to play throughout the summer, then travel ball is the way to go. This is what we due when we gather for worship. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. You also accept the fact that this may be a long day and that the next time you touch that warm bed could be 3 am the next morning if you make it to the championship. You often hear coaches do this and that. If your children think you are most concerned about their being the best baseball pitcher, back-stroker, or whatever, they can become guilt-ridden for wanting to even think about spending time in other pursuits because they naturally want to please you (or the constant stress of knowing how vital it is to you, may act to make them hate it). 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 My daughter loves the game more now than ever before. Which is Better for My Daughter: Rec Ball or Travel Ball? As a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would benefit by travel ball deeply regret their decisions a decade later. They learn more socially because they have different teammates for each sport and different roles. 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. Often, good organizations will reach out to a player that caught their eye and invite them to come to the open tryout. Focus on what you can do. Too many surgeries, other arm problems, leg issues and other health issues that kids at that age shouldnt have to endure. Alexa has been working with The Hitting Vault since 2017 as a hitting coach, social media content creator, and writer. 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. Can I get a travel ball history lesson? | Discuss Fastpitch Softball Its better to honor God than to win, and its better for your kid to enjoy the game than for him to play at the highest possible level. Thus the rec league dries up. The main ones are USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association pronounced U-Triple-S-A), PGF (Premier Girlss Fastpitch, USA (Formerly ASA), Triple Crown, and NSA (National Softball Association). Does your child have the discipline, maturity, and attention span required to succeed? 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. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. Messages conveyed: We parents need to pray daily about what messages we are sending our children by the sports or other activities we have them in. With your TeammatesCommunication on the actual playing field is critical. 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. That makes YOU the problem parent. Al Mohlers Culture Shift Wake up at 5 a.m., get in the car and fall asleep for the whole drive there. Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. Additionally, they will probably have fewer injuries and enjoy the competition more. One of the most common problems is not having enough players to field a team. Im betting you would be better off saving your money to help him with college expenses. 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. My son started disliking baseball at 9 years old because the boys in rec wouldnt hit a cut off, and dropped the ball so often.

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