Travel Teams

[philip2003]

2 cents? thats about all that was worth. I hope my kid plays yours! Mine has been playing since he was 5. By the time your kid has his 1st practice we've already perfected double cuts on a sure double. I'm tired of all this non-competitive rec ball crap. Lets turn on the scoreboard and strap it on. If you are going to play - take it serious

This is why travel ball is bad. I've played on travel teams and rec teams. Travel teams just wanna win, and that's great to a certain level. I pitched in a tourny and pitched 3 of our 5 games. Two days later we started another tourny and had to play one of the best teams in the tourny and I had just come off pitchin a whole game and he wanted to start me. I told him that I didn't feel like my arm could handle it and that I was more confident if he pitched our #2 pitcher who hadn't pitched in about 4 days. The coach told me If i didn't pitch then I could pack my stuff and get off his (bad word) team. I packed my stuff and left. The coach cussed me and my parents. My ole team won the tourny and he pitched the #2 pitcher and they won 5-2. I then decided to play on a rec team my friends dad coached. We completely killed everyone and I had the most fun I had ever had playing sports. Our coach decided to go play in a few tourny's. We were in won and i hadn't pitched at all and we still made it to the championship. We were playing the swat or something like that. We got their and there was my ole team and the coach. I started that game and we won 7-4. The coach refused to shake my hand after the game.

That is the only reason I don't like travel ball is the coach is all about winning at any expense. And with rec ball you play teams that are no where near the talent you should be playin. So i guess you have to take the good with the bad. High school favors more the travel team style so If I could go back I'd of liked to play a few more tourny's as a rec team. Because most rec teams are just as good as the AWESOME TRAVEL TEAMS. HAHA

[Rabble Rouser]

You have to play travel ball if you want to play college baseball at any level, you will not be seen by college coaches by just playing high school and summer rec leagues. This is the best apporach for a high school kid that wants to continue his high school career....

 

1. It is not the number of games that you play in the summer, its the amount of QUALITY games that you play. You need to always be playing against people that are college level players because you will never get any better if you dont play against people that perform at high levels. It will show you what you need to work on the most.

 

2. You need to make sure that you develop a good relationship with the area MLB scout in your area or any other person that has contacts with college coaches. These men can be great references for you and in baseball college coaches will use the people constantly to see how your progressing and to see what kind of person and player you are.

 

3. It is also very important that you take some weekends and weeks off from playing tournaments and go to college camps. This is the best way to get recruited because its very easy for college coaches to evalute you in their own environment and in the manner in which they want. They will be totally focused on you, and recruiting is the main reason college coaches hold these camps because they dont have the money to travel around and recruit like football and basketball programs.

 

4. In the end the most important thing is to get involved with Perfect Game Baseball. They are the number one college scouting service and orginization in America. They know what they are doing, are very successful at it, and have put thousands of kids into college. Their showcases and tournaments are the biggest attracator of college coaches year around. Every college coach in the nation goes to their tournaments in East Cobb, Georgia in July and I have played in these tournaments many a time with 30-40 college coaches in the stands, and not just any coaches, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Clemson, North Carolina, and I could go on forever.

 

If you do all of these things and always work hard during the off season then you will play college baseball, that is dependent on you having some talent to begin with

Wow, You've either drunk the Kool-aid or work for Perfect Game or East Cobb. This is completely wrong, and complete party line stuff. If you are good, you'll make it. This IS the way to buy yourself some looks and maybe even some chances, but not the only way.

 

How about the teams that don't buy into the East Cobb sales pitch, do their kids never get signed? I know they do a good job and are the 800 pound gorilla, but I can name a bunch of kids that didn't go that route that are doing just fine - because they were good players. There's the key. Only the "freaks" - and I mean that in the most positive way - make it. This whole idea of buying your way in is a myth sold by guys who sell teams and camps. Travel and camps are great, but they are not the end-all, be-all and neither is Perfect Game or East Cobb.

We've played them and beaten them more than they've beaten us. Lot of kids spending a lot of money to wear the uni and they ain't all that. They have some studs, no doubt, and we beat that team as well.

[bowler7]

I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

QUOTE(ccriders25 @ Mar 3 2006 - 02:43 PM)

 

2 cents? thats about all that was worth. I hope my kid plays yours! Mine has been playing since he was 5. By the time your kid has his 1st practice we've already perfected double cuts on a sure double. I'm tired of all this non-competitive rec ball crap. Lets turn on the scoreboard and strap it on. If you are going to play - take it serious

 

This is a truly sad statement made, I assume, by a father that wants to coach more than his son wants to play, probably. Oh I know, the 5 year old kids "really love the game."

 

"Double cuts on a sure double"? You're playing on 100-foot fields, why would you have a double cut? Odds are, you son won't even still be playing by the time he reaches high school, he will be part of the attrition.

 

I'm tired of all this non-competitive rec ball crap. Lets turn on the scoreboard and strap it on. If you are going to play - take it serious

 

You truly have issues. You're taking it a whole lot more serious than the boys most likely are.

 

This is just like the softball parents/coaches and their, "if you play Select you can get a scholarship" crap. There are very few scholarships out there, but parents/coaches justify everything by dangling this carrot. By everything, I mean ridiculous costs, travel, devotion to only one sport, etc.

 

You best baseball players are the ones that are well rounded, multi-sport ATHLETES. Each and every sport teaches something that can be applied to baseball and the best players take that teaching and become the best baseball players.

 

5-year old travel teams??? Get serious!

[GLee]

This is why travel ball is bad. I've played on travel teams and rec teams. Travel teams just wanna win, and that's great to a certain level. I pitched in a tourny and pitched 3 of our 5 games. Two days later we started another tourny and had to play one of the best teams in the tourny and I had just come off pitchin a whole game and he wanted to start me. I told him that I didn't feel like my arm could handle it and that I was more confident if he pitched our #2 pitcher who hadn't pitched in about 4 days. The coach told me If i didn't pitch then I could pack my stuff and get off his (bad word) team. I packed my stuff and left. The coach cussed me and my parents. My ole team won the tourny and he pitched the #2 pitcher and they won 5-2. I then decided to play on a rec team my friends dad coached. We completely killed everyone and I had the most fun I had ever had playing sports. Our coach decided to go play in a few tourny's. We were in won and i hadn't pitched at all and we still made it to the championship. We were playing the swat or something like that. We got their and there was my ole team and the coach. I started that game and we won 7-4. The coach refused to shake my hand after the game.

That is the only reason I don't like travel ball is the coach is all about winning at any expense. And with rec ball you play teams that are no where near the talent you should be playin. So i guess you have to take the good with the bad. High school favors more the travel team style so If I could go back I'd of liked to play a few more tourny's as a rec team. Because most rec teams are just as good as the AWESOME TRAVEL TEAMS. HAHA

 

 

 

Sorry about your experience, but 'traveling ball' is the way to go. Babe Ruth, etc. just doesn't cut it. I mentioned early in this thread that it has to be all about the players. The coach has to make it so. The right coach 'treating' players right and putting them into quality situations is, without a doubt, the best route........that along with high quality camps. The more exposure the better.........good luck.

 

Of course, if you just want to 'horse' around and have a little fun.........Babe Ruth, Senior & Junior League, etc. is the place to be.

[straightbill307]

Wow, You've either drunk the Kool-aid or work for Perfect Game or East Cobb. This is completely wrong, and complete party line stuff. If you are good, you'll make it. This IS the way to buy yourself some looks and maybe even some chances, but not the only way.

 

How about the teams that don't buy into the East Cobb sales pitch, do their kids never get signed? I know they do a good job and are the 800 pound gorilla, but I can name a bunch of kids that didn't go that route that are doing just fine - because they were good players. There's the key. Only the "freaks" - and I mean that in the most positive way - make it. This whole idea of buying your way in is a myth sold by guys who sell teams and camps. Travel and camps are great, but they are not the end-all, be-all and neither is Perfect Game or East Cobb.

We've played them and beaten them more than they've beaten us. Lot of kids spending a lot of money to wear the uni and they ain't all that. They have some studs, no doubt, and we beat that team as well.

 

So your saying that you have beaten the East Cobb Astros who have won the Perfect game woodbat world championship for the last 3 yrs. yea ok ill believe when summer comes and i see your team from TN playing them in the championship on CSS. These guys are amazing and i garantee you that only 5 of them are from the marietta, GA area , they recruit players from all over fl, ny, la, tn, ky, ca, tx. When i was 14 the east cobb aztecs flew a kid in from orlando to come up and pitch against us in the championship game at twitty city, they have so many connections. you may have beat like the east cobb browns or titans or something like that , but those are like the number 9 and 10 teams, when you play the astros or aztecs and beat like, then you have seriously accomplished something.

[baseball_101]

Travel ball is the way to go....im currently coaching at a high school that all the kids only previous experience is little league then babe ruth....when i was in school i played travel ball from 13-18 and im 100% sure that is what got me ready for the college level...my experience consisted of 3 teams and just players i know from these teams went on to Alabama, Tulane, Georgia Tech,2 Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb, Western Kentucky, and few others played at the junior college level.....All these glory dads you ppl keep talking about are the only coaches who will coach in babe ruth and little league, so if one does have a travel team maybe the kids will play some teams that beat them like a drum and make them realize just how much they need to work on there game.....if kids dont get on a good travel and compete with other good teams from other areas they will never reach there potential....and anyone reading this who thinks they are good at judging talent and have only watched kids play in your own town then you are sadly mistaken on how good the kids in your area really are....ALL of the talent in the U.S. are on the better travel teams goin where ever they have to so they can play the best competition possible...and if your kid only plays 15-20 little league or babe ruth games during the season then spends the rest of his time playing Playstation 2 or Xbox then he will more than likely never amount to anything.

[bbgocats]

Well, I feel the need to submit some feedback here on the post. I've coached recreational ball for more than eight years and now travel ball for more than three. There are a lot of bad coaches on either side of the recreational-travel baseball fence, but the comments here do not tell the whole truth.

 

First, "travel" ball is nothing more than a team that travels to other locations to play games. Yes, it's select to a degree, but is much like that of a draft in a local recreational league, just with better players. Today's travel team is much like the community Little League teams of the seventies and eighties.

 

How many games... the affects on your child... blah, blah, blah!

 

Listen - as a parent, no one controls what happens to my child except me. If your child has suffered damage to their arm because a coach overused them, then it's just as much your fault as the coaches. Take some responsiblity, step in if you think its too much. Good coaches cherish their pitching and will take care of the arms they have and will work to build on each players abilties and will cultivate pitchers. Personally as a coach, each player on my team will pitch weekly in our games. We do not overuse or abuse anyone.

 

Now, in regards to All-Stars and recreational programs and why players go to travel teams... why does it happen. One answer - Politics. One thing is very sure... in travel programs, there are very little politics that are involved in regards to the team. The players sign up and the best are chosen... from that point forward you just focus on playing games.

 

This post could go on and on and on... but I must tell you that if your child has any desire to play baseball at a higher level and is not a very gifted athlete, then you'll want to put your child in a select program where there will be a focus on building a good player.

 

In recreational programs, less talent players usually fall vicitim to coaches who lack the necessary skills to teach a player how to become better. Simply put, there is a lack of education of our recreational coaches in most recreational leagues. Leagues should spend more time developing their coaches and not the politics of who makes and All-Star team or who will serve on the next Board of Officers. Work more towards building a quality program with quality coaches and facilties that will help create good ballplayers who have dreams of playing at a higher level.

 

The concept in recreational baseball is that it is all about fun... and the buck stops there. If you've been telling yourself this and encouraging your child to think the same way, then prepare your speech for the dissappointment later in their baseball career. Ask your child first what they desire. If they desire to just have fun, then have at it and enjoy your stay in a recreational program. But if you child says they want to be the next Jeter... then you've got some work cut out for you and the sooner you start the better equiped they will be later in life.

 

Here are some facts...

 

In the 2004 Major League Draft of the top 20 players drafted, half of them were drafted right out of high school. Now I understand that there is a small percentage of athletes that will ever make it to that level of play. However, if you have already noticed that you have a gifted child, then the earlier you get to work on getting down the fundementals of baseball, so more focus can be devoted to strengthing the other areas of their baseball later in life - the better.

 

Feel free to contact me if you have questions... I've been on both sides of the fence and I am a select travel coach and we do strive to win... anyone who says they are not... is lying. Losing is not fun folks. Never has been or ever will be. Play to win always and learn to lose occassionally. No matter if you travel 10 miles or 100 miles... baseball is baseball. But you know where you stand when you've beat a rec league team for the 6th time of the season, but when you are undefeated in travel ball, you've accomplised something and if you win a "Paid" State Tournament - you're still a State Champion and no matter what you say... it's always fun to say you're a Champion no matter where you play the game.

[philip2003]

bbgocats I agree with your post 100%. What travelin team do you coach?

[In10city]

and i was just about to start my own 5-6 yr old travel team. can we only play about 90 games? it's fun to see different parts of the nation, and if we can raise enough money, we might take the kids by a amusement park a couple of times too. shucks, i did notice last yr. with my 4 yr old team that many of the teams were no better than what we used to play at the park. It cost us about $75 to sign up and maybe another $200 the rest of the year for team snacks and coke and popcorn during the games. It only cost us $4500 to run the 4 yr old team. Maybe i outta rethink this - tell me i'm wrong, it can't be can it? i know the 5-6 yr old travel league will have to be better than the one last yr. surely there aren't other dads out there taking their teams from a local rec league just to say that they played "select" travel ball are there?

 

I think some of you misunderstood the sarcasm here. (Surely this was just comedic satire and not a real dad/coach/fanatic.)

 

Travel Ball? I'd say check two things first:

1. Team Personalty

(Competent coach? Likeable parents? Similarily talented players? Within reasonable budget? "Do"able?)

2. Child's Personality (Should be considered 1st...)

(Does s/he WANT to???)

 

A few other questions to consider:

 

WHO are we doing this for?

Am I willing to spend my summer vacation with an entire baseall team and their extended families?

Does my child's ability and interest warrant the time/money expenditure?

 

When all is said and done, we do our best. And hope our kids do better.

[Rabble Rouser]

So your saying that you have beaten the East Cobb Astros who have won the Perfect game woodbat world championship for the last 3 yrs. yea ok ill believe when summer comes and i see your team from TN playing them in the championship on CSS. These guys are amazing and i garantee you that only 5 of them are from the marietta, GA area , they recruit players from all over fl, ny, la, tn, ky, ca, tx. When i was 14 the east cobb aztecs flew a kid in from orlando to come up and pitch against us in the championship game at twitty city, they have so many connections. you may have beat like the east cobb browns or titans or something like that , but those are like the number 9 and 10 teams, when you play the astros or aztecs and beat like, then you have seriously accomplished something.

Yes, our team beat the Astros. It was their only loss in their age group. Beat the other teams as well playing up an age. They are very good with lots of studs from all over. I have nothing but respect for them, but they are not the only program turning out quality players.

[Blue and Gold]

We players are young. Maybe the age of 10-12. I have found in good for them to play on teams only in our area. Limit the travel. But when they get to the age of 15 and up it is better to be on teams to get the college attention and get the pro scouts to see them. Not some local Tournment were only the parents come to. Perfect game Tournments are the best that we have been to. From Iowa all the way to Florida.

 

So enjoy your child while they are young and don't make them do the travel thing if they don't want to.

[MIKE LINEBACKER]

I think some of you misunderstood the sarcasm here. (Surely this was just comedic satire and not a real dad/coach/fanatic.)

 

Travel Ball? I'd say check two things first:

1. Team Personalty

(Competent coach? Likeable parents? Similarily talented players? Within reasonable budget? "Do"able?)

2. Child's Personality (Should be considered 1st...)

(Does s/he WANT to???)

 

A few other questions to consider:

 

WHO are we doing this for?

Am I willing to spend my summer vacation with an entire baseall team and their extended families?

Does my child's ability and interest warrant the time/money expenditure?

 

When all is said and done, we do our best. And hope our kids do better.

well spoken travel ball can be good if done the right way and for the right reason