It is your argument not mine. It was you that pontificated "vastly more players benefit from HS softball, than travel." The problem with your hypothesis is that you fail to account for the 14U - 18U TB players playing HS softball. Not to mention the high number of TB players below HS age who who never end up playing HS ball and only experience TB and subsequently only receive benefits from TB. Regardless, when you look at the numbers it is without question that there are many more travel ball players 8U-18U than those within the limited age demographics of HS ball. So even before we discuss the benefits garnered from TB vs HS ball, your argument quickly fails under the weight of data.
As to the perceived benefits or lack thereof; your perspective and experience with TB is unique and arguably different than most on DFP. To your defense given your poor experience with TB your bitterness is quite understandable. However, I think most on DFP would agree that it is ludicrous to suggest that your experience it is somehow representative of the norm within the sport. Were TB so widely horrible and corrupt as you suggest the TB community would be shrinking and not experiencing significant growth year after year. So as to the benefits, the question really comes down to the experience of the TB players who also play HS ball. I submit that most would state that they realize significant more benefit (as most would define it relative to the sport) from TB than HS ball. However, given your poor experience with TB and bitterness toward it I am quite confident that you will disagree.
However, you may agree that both TB and HS ball have their inherent, unique benefits and to suggest one more beneficial than the other is probably misguided, since they are two totally different experiences.
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