Big money summer programs

[tailormade643]

Are the big money summerball programs any better than the school teams?

[cbg]

Are the big money summerball programs any better than the school teams?

You should ask two questions:

Will I be watched by more professional & college scouts playing for a school team or a high profile summer league team?

In the past have more players been signed from my school summer league team or the higher profile summer league team?

 

Both college and professional scouts like to watch teams play that have several prospects playing at the same time.

 

Past results are a good indicator for future success.

[rcpatriot]

"Big Money" teams doesn't mean better talent. Just means that the parents are paying more for their kid to play, and/or their is an individual/group backing the team financially with the means to support the expense so they can attempt to lure the better talent without making mom/dad pay.

 

Travel teams in general are the better route in the summer due to the level of competition which basically means you have several good players that may not play on the same HS team (similar to putting together an allstar team). If I understand CBG, that is what he's stating when he says that the "college and professional scouts like to watch teams play that have several prospects playing at the same time".

[Soxfan1]

Much easier for college scouts to watch basically an all-star level team in the summer ("big money" travel team) than a HS game in the spring.

Edited October 4, 2010 by Soxfan1

[ksgovols]

Define 'better'

 

Better for the individual player or for the high school team? Even that's dicey. It's 'better' for the good players to play against the best competition they can play. It makes them better which makes their high school team better. It's 'better' for the high school team to play together as a team to build team chemistry and make every player accountable to his team.

 

To me, it's 'better' that the high school team have a summer program than for all of the players on the high school team to be left to their own devices to find a team to play on. Then you get some playing travel, some playing rec and some going fishing all summer. It's 'better' for the team if all of the players plays some sort of competitive summer baseball. There's 10% that are going any further than the high school level.

 

Let's also define 'better' competition. If you're getting an elite team together and playing a regional or national schedule, then you're facing the best competition you can face. If you're getting some from this school, some from that one and playing a couple of tournaments outside of your area and beating up on local high school summer teams the rest of the time, what's the difference in that and playing for your high school summer team? I liked what our coach did with his team. He encouraged those that would benefit to play on the best travel team they could find with his blessing. When that team wasn't playing, they were expected to be at the high school summer games.

[DISS78]

I feel there are 2 important aspects:

1. The high school team needs to continue building chemistry. That is done through offering high school players the opportunity to stay together during the summer. Additionally, if good players cannot afford the expensive travel ball...this is an opportunity to be seen.

 

and/however

 

2. If there are college prospects on your team, then they need more exposure outside of middle TN. That is where some of the high profile/expensive travel teams are important. Unfortunately, some coaches do not allow their players to play on both teams....and unfortunately, some of our best athletes do not have the financial means to play for the bigger travel teams.

 

Biggest question....What are we (parents and coaches) doing to make the game fun for our kids and at the same time putting them and their team in a position to be the most successful.

[highandinside]

College coaches are playing themselves during the high school season and doesn't have the free time to go across the state and watch players. If your son is good enough to make a big money summer league team, do it no matter waht it takes. Scouts come to watch high dollar teams because they have high quality players. High dollar teams play at Div.1 universities all around the southeast. Great exposure to many colleges Just my 2 cents and know from experience.

Edited December 17, 2010 by highandinside