Is travel ball really travel ball?

[Coach_Gonzalez]

It seems like the travel ball world has dramatically changed. Now, I am only 22 but I coach and instruct and it seems like anyone can play travel ball these days. If an athlete can not make a travel team, then they either find another or else their dad starts a team so they can play "travel." Now this is my first year out of college baseball but the world of baseball/softball has dramatically changed. In my time...around 8 years ago when I began playing travel, I was hand-picked to play travel, as were every other player on my team. 100% of our players went on to play ball in college, junior college, or got drafted. There were no pity positions or positions filled by athletes who wanted to play travel, they were athletes who earned the travel experience. Now I am all about providing students of the game with the best opportunities, but we are handing it to them on a silver platter. Because of it, public and in-house leagues are struggling, and travel ball has been watered down into something that does nothing for the player in the future. Travel got me into college ball in some ways because I played for a prestigious team, it taught me life lessons, and I was cultured in the game. Are we doing players a favor? Why do we let athletes water down the game? To protect us from their tears or them? This really bothers me for some reason. Anyone else in the same boat as me?

[ManitouDan]

I believe it varies greatly within geographical area's. Here in Ohio my vote is that it's heavily watered down. (AT 12u) Too many teams, too many start ups (not that all start up's are bad) . The Web site for players is full of ads for 12u players. Even the most established org's are still looking. It's crazy. I was just saying on another site that our rural ohio county had 5 ASA teams last year. Several are just "dabbling" in it. But if they take even 1-2 players that can play it hurts the others who are trying to play a more competetive schedule. MD

[jofus]

Yes, I agree with you, and it's not just in softball either. My son is in a soccer "club" that plays travel tournaments, and one of the coaches really campaigned in the rec league this past fall, so the number of kids in the program roughly doubled for indoor soccer. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, except the try-outs basically consisted of "make a check for $XXX out to YYY ZZZ soccer".

As for rec leagues, there are areas in WV that have completely stopped playing Little league, play a short ASA league season and make up a couple travel teams to go to tournaments....one team in a nearby town that my DD subbed for one weekend last year isn't even playing in the ASA league this year, just going all travel tournaments.

[Sftbll4ever]

I remember a really really really really really long time ago when there were really only like 5 travel teams in So Cal. You either made the team or you didn't. If not, you went back to Little Miss or Bobby Sox to play.

Ahhhh, the good ole days.

Seriously though. As long as they are having fun and staying out of trouble, that is good with me. They will either get seen or not get seen. If they don't care, they are playing for fun.

[frogs_mom_15]

I will also agree with that. When we lived in MI they did not have enough girls for softball so they split them up and played baseball with the boys. This was overhand coach pitch.
We moved to TN about 7 yrs ago when DD turned nine. Here they have fastpitch coach pitch (Dixie League) Her league coach also coached the 10U travel team, and asked her to come out for the team. We were basically a rec all-star team that traveled to a few tournaments. Maybe eight teams in each age group. Good competition up until her first yr 12U. We played in 14 tournament between March and August. Each one had at least 12 to 20 teams in the 12U group. Most of them were "open" tournaments and I can't count how many times I watched a game where the two teams had no business being on the same field togeather. And I mean girls risking serious injury! Now, three years later, second yr 14's I don't see it that often. I think by the time you reach a certain age, the atheletes that have the ability and drive stay with it and the player who wants to hang with friends is at the mall.


Just my $.02 worth

[Coach_Gonzalez]

I remember a really really really really really long time ago when there were really only like 5 travel teams in So Cal. You either made the team or you didn't. If not, you went back to Little Miss or Bobby Sox to play.

Ahhhh, the good ole days.

Seriously though. As long as they are having fun and staying out of trouble, that is good with me. They will either get seen or not get seen. If they don't care, they are playing for fun.

That is exactly what I am talking about, and thats what it should be.

[addiction]

I remember a really really really really really long time ago when there were really only like 5 travel teams in So Cal. You either made the team or you didn't. If not, you went back to Little Miss or Bobby Sox to play.

Ahhhh, the good ole days.

Seriously though. As long as they are having fun and staying out of trouble, that is good with me. They will either get seen or not get seen. If they don't care, they are playing for fun.

That is exactly what I am talking about, and thats what it should be.

[qwikvr6]

I do 250 miles a week avg.

[coolstuff]

I think the opening post has a lot of truth in it, but the rec leagues here seem to have no shortage of girls who want to play.

[Sam]

I remember a really really really really really long time ago when there were really only like 5 travel teams in So Cal. You either made the team or you didn't. If not, you went back to Little Miss or Bobby Sox to play.

Ahhhh, the good ole days.

Seriously though. As long as they are having fun and staying out of trouble, that is good with me. They will either get seen or not get seen. If they don't care, they are playing for fun.

That is exactly what I am talking about, and thats what it should be.

Lets examine the absolute silliness of this post, shall we:

1) The 5 "real" travel teams would have nobody to play except themselves.
2) Those 5 teams don't win Nationals a lot any more.
3) The old system produced some real peach coaches....arrogant SOBs with little or no coaching talent.
4) The NCAA is getting a lot of excellent ballplayers from unknown teams.
5) Thousands of hard working young ladies are receiving scholarships for their efforts...who wouln't even have a team to play for in your scenario.
6) Many people choose travel because their kids are getting much better coaching than they would in rec ball....just because somebody is on the board doesn't make them a great coach.
7) The explosion of teams has spread throughout the country and now Nationals is getting to truely be a national tournament where teams from many different areas of the country have a chance not only to compete, but to actually win the tournament.

You may think it is watered down...but look at college sports....they have DI, D2, D3, NAIA, JC...you might as well be arguing that there should only be 10 college teams so they can choose the best of the best....it would make picking the top 10 much easier.