IS TRAVEL BALL leaving people/players/rec & school behind...OR...

[Rick M]

Here is a question to ponder as it relates to this topic: What is the actual purpose of a Rec league? Is it just to get some exercise and have fun 2-3 nights a week in the spring? Is it to help identify girls who have a talent and passion to play? Or is it cheap babysitting with a social aspect (as a coach who routinely dealt with kids who were dropped off and then stood in a dark parking lot waiting for them to be picked up)?

DD played Rec through 14U, and our town was able to retain our travel players in the local league for most of that time. It was great and our Rec program continues to thrive, but at the upper age levels we got a lot of grief from other towns for bringing travel players to a Rec game. Sometimes you just can’t win.


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[GKCO]

Here is a question to ponder as it relates to this topic: What is the actual purpose of a Rec league? Is it just to get some exercise and have fun 2-3 nights a week in the spring? Is it to help identify girls who have a talent and passion to play? Or is it cheap babysitting with a social aspect (as a coach who routinely dealt with kids who were dropped off and then stood in a dark parking lot waiting for them to be picked up)?

DD played Rec through 14U, and our town was able to retain our travel players in the local league for most of that time. It was great and our Rec program continues to thrive, but at the upper age levels we got a lot of grief from other towns for bringing travel players to a Rec game. Sometimes you just can’t win.


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Rec ball to me should be introduction to the sport and development. If you have eyes, you should be able to tell if your kid is actually getting better. Also, ask them if they enjoy the sport. No sense forcing them to do something they don't like.

 

[CoachJD]

Here is a question to ponder as it relates to this topic: What is the actual purpose of a Rec league? Is it just to get some exercise and have fun 2-3 nights a week in the spring? Is it to help identify girls who have a talent and passion to play? Or is it cheap babysitting with a social aspect (as a coach who routinely dealt with kids who were dropped off and then stood in a dark parking lot waiting for them to be picked up)?

Can't it be all of those things?

When I played LL throughout the '90s, I played because I loved playing baseball (and I was good). Other kids played because they enjoyed playing/their friends played. Some kids played because everyone should try everything until they find their thing (these kids usually play when they're 7-8 years old and not much more after that). Some kids were pretty much forced to play for years because their parents either wanted them out of the house or their dads were trying to live vicariously.

A rec league's primary purpose in any sport should be a convenient place to be introduced to the sport, to play the sport, to have fun with the sport. Some players are going to develop beyond that. But a lot of kids are good rec players who will play rec ball, play on their HS teams, and then they'll become an adult. And that should be good enough, but for a lot of parents, it's not.

 

[PJR202]

Where do you live with so few athletes?

A small town with a 2A (out of 6A) sports classification, with the closest bigger town of a whopping 30k people being 45 minutes away. I probably should have made my blanket statement more regionally based. We barely pull 15-18 kids for the HS team because soccer has spring and fall school seasons, and basketball seems to play nonstop. Total program rebuild three years ago, from LL to HS. We're improving, but it's slow. We have to hold open sessions all summer to try and gain some ground.

It's fine though. We have fun. We just try to get better however we can.

 

[GKCO]

A small town with a 2A (out of 6A) sports classification, with the closest bigger town of a whopping 30k people being 45 minutes away. I probably should have made my blanket statement more regionally based. We barely pull 15-18 kids for the HS team because soccer has spring and fall school seasons, and basketball seems to play nonstop. Total program rebuild three years ago, from LL to HS. We're improving, but it's slow. We have to hold open sessions all summer to try and gain some ground.

It's fine though. We have fun. We just try to get better however we can.

I guess I should feel lucky living in the Orlando area because we have so many (too many) options for playing sports.

 

[PJR202]

I guess I should feel lucky living in the Orlando area because we have so many (too many) options for playing sports.

Well...we have insultingly (to Floridians) low home prices here, so it ain't all bad.

And of course, we don't have "Florida man" doing all kinds of crazy stuff.

 

[Agcy]

Travel ball is, simply, more commitment (money and time) than Rec League. And, for that, you get better players and better competition
Travel Ball = Higher financial investment and 9 months commitment
Rec Ball = minimal financial investment and 3-4 month commitment

It really isn't different that other activities, piano lessons, go kart racing, 4H, voice lessons, dance, they all take time and money. You can spend many thousands of dollars on pigs just to compete at a high level at the State Fair. The higher you aspire to climb, arguably the more time and money it takes.

From my experience, girls willing/wanting to play travel ball have higher aspirations and , therefore, get the challenge/opportunity to play against girls with like minded goals (and resources). But our club bent over backwards to financially help anyone that was good enough and wanted to play.

I will say that I was too cheap to get into any activities with my oldest and I regret it. He knows and understands and, hopefully, if/when he has kids he doesn't let the same opportunity slide by.

 

[GKCO]

And of course, we don't have "Florida man" doing all kinds of crazy stuff.

Gotta take the good with the bad.

 

[PJR202]

Gotta take the good with the bad.

He makes for some great headlines. He's practically a national treasure at this point.

 

[radness]

He makes for some great headlines. He's practically a national treasure at this point.

And people are talking about him on dfp