Travel ball high school balance

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Apr 17, 2019
194
28
This year has been a busy one for my dd, between high school ball and travel. Once hs was over she got maybe a 2 week break and then the summer travel season started, once that summer season wrapped up, there was no break between it and fall, her team played 6 or 7 fall tournaments. Now she’s on a no softball break till January, but her travel team is already talking about tournaments before high school starts up in the spring.

To me it’s too much right now, and I worry about her getting burnt out mentally and over use injuries.

What are other guys yearly schedule like? Would you approach the travel org coach and talk to them about it being just too much? By the end of the fall season you could see kids in the team were just done, and most of them didn’t also play hs, but do play other sports. All the teams we’ve played on have some sort of break between summer and fall except this one.
 
Sep 3, 2015
372
63
This is how it works for competitive softball players.

Usually you will get 6 weeks off from November to January, a few TB tournaments before HS starts, a short break in May depending on how good the HS team is, then TB from June to the end of July. A few weeks off then TB from Aug to November.

It’s a grind, for parents too, and summers will get more expensive as you progress to 18U.

Try to enjoy it


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LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
I think a lot depends on where you are located. For most states, we play our HS ball in the spring, so that's where my experience lies. But even teams in the same state at the same age level do things differently. Here's what we do/doing this season.

On August 1, 2022, the season was over. We did tryouts two weeks later, and practices started the last week of August. My daughter played school field hockey, so lessons were a bit of a struggle to coordinate with her schedule, and her pitching suffered because of that. Never again for field hockey, by the way. We did seven tournaments, four involving plane flights., and every off weekend involved Sat/Sun practices. Thankfully, we are done now. We all needed a break.

Our team only has optional winter workouts, but every girl is expected to work hard over the winter to be ready for travel ball.

We do not start travel until Top Gun in mid-June. Our travel ball coach, while not a huge fan of school ball, respects that school ball is the number one priority during the season. Starting with Top Gun, we then have five other events for the summer, including IDT and PGF, so it's a full summer season.

For the record, I know a lot of members on here think school ball is a waste of time and will schedule events before and during the school season. We make it abundantly clear that we will not participate in any travel tournaments during the school ball season.

I see that even MLB players take a break after their season ends to rest and recuperate. Why should we be any different in softball?
 
Jun 19, 2020
83
18
Unfortunately what your dealing with is the norm. Your concerns are legitimate, and you have to keep a close on your Daughter. DD is a Junior this year, we went deep High School playoffs last year and straight to summer ball, followed by a few camps and recruiting trips following September 1st. Then straight into a very tough 18U Fall schedule. She told me she needed a few weeks off following the Fall and I let her tell me when she was ready to get back at it. She took a total of 16 days off and was ready to get back to work. My DD does a good job of making sure she eats right, hydrates properly and sleeps as much as she can. She monitors those things and it has definitely helped her. She still like to lift, as she says it lowers her stress level. We never play before High School Ball starts, and neither do most of the 16U / 18U teams that I know. I didn't see your age level in the post above. Good luck!
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
In Texas, HS tryouts are the 2nd week of January and State playoffs finishing during the first week of June. No TB at all during that time period. It's understood in the community that players competing in the playoffs are off limit until their last game.

The first Summer event is usually Memorial Day weekend and it's usually a round robin. Sucks if you are missing players b/c of playoffs.

But yeah. 2 week break after the last Nationals. Then Winter break. DD's HS team never made the playoffs but TB coach called practices after the last regulars season games. No break.

Once they get to college they get longer breaks and real time away from the game.
 
Jun 20, 2015
848
93
ohio HS season offically starts in Feb (actually slightly later, but that's another argument) Travel starts after player is eliminated from HS playoffs, usually mid-late May, then travel tourneys weekends June and july. Try outs in early August for the next season. Fall tourneys are always tougher with other sports, Homecoming, etc, but it's complete by Halloween.

Indoor winter practices sundays (4 hours) in Nov, Dec and Jan. with weekend off for Thanksgiving and 2 weekends off for X-mas and New Years.
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
In Texas, HS tryouts are the 2nd week of January and State playoffs finishing during the first week of June. No TB at all during that time period. It's understood in the community that players competing in the playoffs are off limit until their last game.

The first Summer event is usually Memorial Day weekend and it's usually a round robin. Sucks if you are missing players b/c of playoffs.

But yeah. 2 week break after the last Nationals. Then Winter break. DD's HS team never made the playoffs but TB coach called practices after the last regulars season games. No break.

Once they get to college they get longer breaks and real time away from the game.
Isn’t it sad that we ask middle and high school kids to put more time into their sport than a college athlete? I wish there was a way for one person to fix it, but man, youth sports are broken…and probably permanently.
 
Apr 17, 2019
194
28
Thanks for the replies, seems like most of them are on par with what we are doing with the exception of no break between summer and fall.

Honestly as far as breaks and stuff I blame the few parents that seem to be running the team. The other parents just don’t want to speak up.

What’s everyone’s teams experience’s with injuries and over use injuries are you seeing a good amount?
 
Dec 19, 2021
259
43
Here HS starts early Feb and goes to mid-May. TB usually starts practice the following week, and of course ends at the end of July, at which point many of the high schools are already back in session ( several from our team last summer started HS classes before PGF, went to PGF, then back to school). Tryouts early to mid August. Many teams start practices and tourneys around Labor Day. We got lucky this year and coach didn't start practices until late Sept. Fall season was intense with heavy travel. Then 1 tourney in Dec and two in Jan, then back to HS. DD also plays a fall HS sport, so fall is our busy season. HS season is like a vacation.

I haven't seen too many overuse injuries. A kid on the TB team has had to shut down throwing for her shoulder but.... she initially hurt it playing cough *soccer* cough. Go figure. My brother in law also wrecked his shoulder playing soccer.

I think the hard part is coming back from injuries. It is so hard to have the players and families take the time they need when they are trying to get on the recruiting radar.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
I don’t have any issues with taking breaks but comparing it to professional athletes is flawed imo. MLB for example are at the ball field for (at least) 6 to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week from Feb -Oct nvm all the airplane trips,etc.
 

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