Yes, I need Sunday fellowship and worship. Creating a logo and brand is a big step for your new program. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. Nevertheless, Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6:1-4 still stand in Scripture as commands, not suggestions. In raising our children in a world where developing a one-sport athlete is pushed to the extreme, we both were counter-culture, and we have happy, well-adjusted kids now, all of whom continue to pursue fitness as a lifestyle. Travel ball is good for those who are not afraid of being challenged and want to play at a higher level. If you find yourself a great group of girls with an amazing coach, then your player can grow like crazy. While many recreational leagues let anybody play (depending on their roster size) travel teams typically recruit players and conduct tryouts. The fundamentals will already be in place, and theres no question as to whether they will dive head first to catch a ball. Travel softball can become quite expensive. While thats not very common, driving three hours one way for a practice is totally commonplace. I simply have to go find the people that need Jesus. Its better to honor God than to win, and its better for your kid to enjoy the game than for him to play at the highest possible level. Living in Oregon and playing competitively, I traveled multiple times every summer and fall to play in college exposure tournaments in Southern California. Young athletes can reach a point where they are bored with rec league play. And with more practice and play time, the risk of injury and burnout goes up, too. See caveats in opening and closing paragraphs. This can be a big problem if you are trying to compete in tournaments or leagues. A travel team may be the best way for them to learn new skills, meet expert coaches, progress in their sport, and have fun in the process. " (Travel softball) has taken high school softball out of the equation," Hutchinson says. Well-roundedness: Despite the cultural drive for pursuing one sport, well-roundedness as a child makes for happy, well-adjusted adults. Travel Fastpitch Softball Organizations by State Was it really worth it? For them, it was a matter of priorities. There have been times where we have questioned Is it worth it? in our own journey. Maybe take up your buddys offer to go play golf or go fishing. I give you a big Amen! The high-end teams travel to tournaments every weekend (sometimes out-of-state) and qualify for national tournaments. And at best a professional athlete might play into his late 30s or early 40s, then what? When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. Youre all running on less sleep than usual and even though its only 5 am, theres no more rest for you. These girls can always work harder to be better. It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. No. Now I know the reasons. Non-Christians exist because what they worship is false. Communication:Its important to have all your questions answered. A majority of these tournaments are qualifiers for the organizations national tournament, where the top teams from different regions compete in one location. this will let you evaluate if travel softball is right for your family, hopefully evaluate several different teams (not just the ones you play for, also watch the opposing teams, other teams in same age bracket, etc., gives you a chance to see them in a real I made the switch from Little League/rec ball to travel ball when I was ten years old, and from then on I consistently played at the highest levels possible. I have a feeling you may not describe yourself as so Dr. Hamilton (humble?) Rec ball is where they develop and Top 5 Reasons Your Daughter Should Not Play Travel Softball Thanks for sharing them. Most travel softball teams include between 10 and 12 players chosen by the appointed coaches. There are significant costs (thousands of dollars per season is common). I could rest. For others, it can wreak havoc. What to Look For in a Travel Softball Team - The Hitting Vault . That would inevitably awaken the competitive impulse, leading to more practices, more effort expended, and the gradual creep to a higher key. I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. Stealing home: How travel teams are eroding community baseball If the tournament is really far from home, you may end up getting a hotel room. I played two years of major college baseball at the University of Arkansas, and Ive been coaching my sons in baseball and basketball for the last 7 years or so. To establish an active select fastpitch softball organization in the area of Kitsap County, WA, exclusively to foster national and inte rnational amateur sports competition by support and development of amateur athletes for competition I fastpitch softball at the national and international level and to conduct such competition; b. Third, most days my family enjoys family travel ball, together. Its only about winning and not developing. My husband also was a quarterback at a Big 10 university, and my dad was a football coach, but we both chose to direct our son away from football and into other sports because of the enormous risk of injury, especially head injury. Many of the families on our team actually make it a family affair. A travel team is a youth sports team that plays at an elite level. Marley Hall is a writer and fact-checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. I agree with some that was said. Thats particularly true for parents and players who are just beginning their travel softball journey, because it can be difficult to know how to evaluate a team and coach. Christians are Christians because we worship what is true. As a mom of a 10 year old girl who has played both travel and rec softball we have seen first hand the pros and cons of both. She doesnt have ANY of the skills that the other girls have and the coach clearly has their own reasons for letting her ride the bench more than getting play time. My older brother played sports from t-ball to college, probably would have went pro if he hadnt hurt his shoulder (yes, he was THAT good, Im not just saying it, he had an unhittab,e curve ball), but the decision was made when he first started that God and His church would always come first, and he would not play if there was a conflict between his first priority and the game. How do you help your childs best come out, leaving the potential open for higher levels of competition, while avoiding the possible detriments of rigorous levels of the sport? After establishing a manageable budget for your softball team, you need to start promoting your program and recruiting players. Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? And given the number of kids playing and the number of available spots, even a partial baseball scholarship is terribly unlikely. Travel Baseball Teams Near You | NCSA Well-said. Im not saying that travel ball is a sin, but it seems to be something that Satan can use to tempt people away (especially dads). Any extra lessons are usually a large chunk of money. Don't Play Travel Ball: Stay in the Rec League - For His Renown We sure miss watching her play, but for the time being, we feel this was a good decision for the entire family. The U.S. government tracks about 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. There is another very sad thing that often happens as a result of a familys involvement in travel ball. Sports (Basel). Like I said earlier, if youre in Southern California you might end up paying on the lower end of that range, because your cost for travel will be much lower than someone flying into California every weekend. And remember that there will befundraisingresponsibilities, too. You also accept the fact that this may be a long day and that the next time you touch that warm bed could be 3 am the next morning if you make it to the championship. Thankfully, this was a better fit for all of us. Developing skills in (or at least having exposure to) music, art, great books, drama, theology, politics, or science-and-math-related activities makes us better, more empathetic, engaged human beings and citizens, and better leaders. Of course, there are other ways to be the problem parent such as bad-mouthing the coach and other parents, not paying your dues, not bringing your daughter to practices, etc. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. Coaches are typically parents or grandparents, and the umpires are often volunteers. SoftballGalaxy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Here are a few of the factors you should consider when evaluating your options and picking a team. Of course, we dont love spending a lot of money every weekend. I wanted to play at the highest level I could, and they were willing to sacrifice to make that happen. But, this isnt rec league either. I think God led me to this article to reassure me that we are doing right. I also when I was kid play at lyndon and never traveled and loved it and still played college baseball myself for 4 yrs. Then of course you have everything for your player to use at home to practice like hitting nets, tees, practice balls, medicine balls, balance boards, etc. If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. God bless. Also, since most teams only have one practice per week, theres an expectation that additional work is being done outside of practice. Im embarrassed to admit this, but I accidentally conditioned myself to fall asleep every time I was in a car for more than 45 minutes. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | FUTURESLASH CORP. Get two articles delivered to your inbox each week. How knowledgeable are they, and will they be able to facilitate the proper degree of skill development for their athletes? I look at another coach who is seeded number one in the league and am very glad my kid isnt with him as I can only imagine the sort of character theyd be building. I imagine that we could have lived a little more comfortably had I not been playing softball. Dont get me wrong there are alot of rec leagues that are great but if you live in the middle of no where lile wr do that was out only option to make her the best that she could be and to teach her to challenge herself and not settle for just good enough. If you are ok with giving away your weekends to softball, then maybe travel ball is a fit for you. On the off-chance that your kid is a freak athlete with the arm strength, foot speed, power, stamina, and character, who gets all the right breaks at just the right time, chances are hell rise up through the ranks of rec ball rather than being groomed on the travel ball circuit. Small towns breed professional athletes, and the reason seems to be that kids in small towns arent over-coached, over-organized, and over-specialized by the travel ball opportunities found in larger cities. We havent broken the bank, we attend church on Wednesdays is we know we will be traveling too far to attend on Sunday (otherwise we go on Sundays), and the kids are all great friends. Ok, so there were still good players in rec when you played. And does she understand that playing this sport at this level most likely requires trade-offs when it comes to things like friends, clothes, phones, and many of the other things that teens often spend time and money on in high school? Looks like a good pastor (Caldwell) commented above if thats who I think it is. Stay positive. Coaching: Are the coaches experienced? You can tell the girls that go home and dont touch a bat or glove until their next practice. They also need to learn more about taking care of their body to keep it strong and healthy through conditioning, nutrition, and good sleep habits. While on the bench she would rather play with fidgets than to watch and learn from the game. At the same time, they also want to focus on player development. Identity: Think about how your child views his or her identity. Of course, we cant forget tournament day. PAY FOR QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure you have enough umpires for all games and have them supported by all involved. Since the start of Softball Galaxy, we have gone from two daughters playing, to only one at this moment. I would also ask to establish contact with you for a best practices sharing of information and spreading of the works you are enjoying. It is no wonder so many of our children leave the church when they go to college. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. Rec ball is shorthand for Little League Softball and/or your local city league. Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. He played Little League all the way through age 14 and has wonderful memories of playoff games, sometimes leading all the way to state. These are presented in the order in which I suspect most dads think about them, not in the order of importance I would rank them (#6 would be #1, and #4 would be #2). Is the travel ball opportunity your 714 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? If you can not recover or a fix an error as quickly as another player then you will be replaced. While some languages are much harder to grasp than others, a lack of words is a travel problem with an easy solution. Really great article Dr. Hamilton! So Im writing in the hope that youll see that rec ball is a better route. This question reveals how far our cultural worldview has intermixed with a Christian one. Teach her other ways to stay involved throughout the game if she is not playing. 3. With the top-tier of competitive travelling softball teams, the coaches are generally not related to the players. As a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would benefit by travel ball deeply regret their decisions a decade later. Fourth, travel ball is expensive, but so are the other activities in which many parents place their children like show choir and band. The Holy Spirit leads us all differently. We asked our Facebook and Twitter fans what the most frequent problem in baseball and softball were and we noticed there was a very popular answer among parents, and players: Daddy Ball. It always seems to happen with those families that God is really working with. We pretty much know that were not ready to commit to a large amount of travel and that will be a consideration as our daughter gets older. There is no championship, just games. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. Listed below are six of the pitching injuries that athletes tend to experience. Plus, thats in addition to fees and travel for camps, which many top-tier players also participate in. If youre exalting baseball over all these other things, areyou serving a false god, an idol, that is going to use you and then throw you away? For those not going into coaching/training or the extremely few that will play professionally the focus needs to not get away from marketable skills once your done with college; which is a challenge in itself as athletes are often steered towards meaningless degrees to accommodate athletics. Its important to be committed to making games, meets, tournaments, and practices a priority, but not at the expense of church, or important family gatherings. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. Travel softball can be one of the most stressful aspects of the sport, especially when it comes to choosing the right team. I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. And I want to provide the best competitive opportunities I can for my own kids. What Is Travel Ball Softball? - SportsRec She backs off every pitch because shes scared of the ball. Thanks to all who replied. The group that split from us is the same group that has ruined our little league. Accepting players from all over central Florida and have had players from all over Polk County, Hillsborough County, and Hardee County. (Sometimes youll find an assistant coach who is a parent, but rarely a head coach.) Many of the assertions in this article are quite true. softball, a variant of baseball and a popular participant sport, particularly in the United States. Get access to discounts and the latest news. I dont see anything wrong with having children that play recreational sports. Nor am I categorically condemning their decisions and choices. PDF Diamond Dusters Fastpitch Organization Bylaws Loneliness. I was sad when the team cut me from the roster, but I was also relieved. Small town kids grow up playing lots of sports not getting burnt out playing the same one all year round. Voddie Bauchams Family Driven Faith. Youre going to be paying team dues of course. Well always innovate to do whats best. 2019 State of play: Trends and developments in youth sports. I intend to keep it that way. In return, the Breakers Labs organization is committed to working with each Student-Athlete to . Thanks for posting this. Kids need to see that Jesus and his church are more important to their parents even than baseball. Because the goal of this type of program is to prepare the athlete for college athletics, the teams want to win. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. Most importantly, let it be her decision, and make sure she knows youll support that decision (even if its not what you think is best). Competitive Travel Softball: Key Considerations When Picking a Team, Top 7 Things to Look For in a Travel Softball Team, Picking a Travel Softball Team Final Thoughts. But if you don't make it into your dream team, the loss is much heavier on people's pockets as well as their minds. In general, there is no regular season with travel softball it runs all year long, with club practices once or twice per week during the spring and fall season, and a full slate of weekend tournaments during the later spring and summer season. On a competitive travel team, players gain great experience in team play and sportsmanship. Its also likely that kids will need to miss school for team commitments. Thankfully, we have a great group of players, coaches, and families. There are gloves, bats, batting gloves, helmets, cleats, sunglasses, facemasks, and God forbid your daughter decides to be a pitcher or a catcher like ours. The days and times of practice as well as tournaments and leagues are chosen by each individual team manager. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. And you should. Several dads had told me that they were leaving rec ball for a low-key travel ball team, or that they were adding a low-key travel ball team on top of the rec ball their son was playing. It isnt even cheap! This is very true for our daughters as well. 1. Our hope as parents is that they think of themselves first as members of Gods family and then our family, and then perhaps as an athlete, etc., after that. Joining a travel team is definitely demanding, and not just for your kid. (No wonder God calls us to pray without ceasing!). The only kind of baseball scholarship D1 programs offer is a partial one. It was excellent, by the way. My weekend routine typically looked something like this for travel ball: In other words, its a lot of time on the road. God makes it pretty clear when Paul says, Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus We represent Him, so we will want to do our best and want our kids to understand why. Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. The specific answer varies, but the typical range of cost for participating in travel baseball is between $500 and $2,500 per year. After college, my husband played pro baseball for a while and I played on a national team. But besides that, if you are a Christian parent, the absolute worst thing you can do is teach your kids that anything is more important than God. Here in our area not so much. You can argue all you want and say you go to church when you travel, but the first time you skip church because it interferes with game time, you have taught your child that a game is more important than worshipping God. 6. Do I think that she will go pro? Within each age level there are three letters that designate the skill level: A is the highest level in a particular age group, followed by B (average) and C (kids who are playing mostly for fun). Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. Second, recreation leagues can be just as competitive and demanding as travel ball, but doesnt have the same season length. Also, some teams have fundraising opportunities that can bring down the cost to participate. Subscribe below. This is related to the previous: the best players leave the rec league for travel ball, and then the mediocre players get tempted to do so, and then all the kids get burnt out and stop playing baseball. Now, teams just showcase players instead of playing team softball. Growing up I loved baseball. Do they want to try out for the travel team just because friends are doing it, or because it seems like the next step? And keep in mind, the level of competitiveness usually coincides with how much work is expected outside of practice. On the court. Truthfully, we have gotten better instruction and development at a Rec ball/All Star level. It became known in the United States by various names, such as kitten ball, mush ball, diamond ball, indoor-outdoor, and playground ball. 7. Breakers Labs, located in North San Diego County, is an elite, competitive Fastpitch Softball Organization dedicated to developing the student athlete. Sometimes travel teams also change players during the season, adding and moving around players based on performance. If we dont, then look in the mirror. How do players interact with their parents? My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. Dont sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope that hes the next Derek Jeter. We practiced a lot, doing as much as the NCAA allowed, all year long, in season and out. How to Start a Travel Softball Team | Jersey Watch Softball Leagues + Travel Softball Teams - Lakeland Mom Overall, the risks are pretty much the same as regular baseball. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. We always had food on the table, but the effort put in by my parents to facilitate my amateur softball career was exorbitant. The repetitive throwing motions that softball pitchers perform may irritate the tendons of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist, causing tendonitis. Ive seen a couple of families fall into the travel ball trap. Its Saturday morning and the sun hasnt risen yet. Your email address will not be published. Using our tools you can find travel or club Softball teams in spring, summer, winter, or fall near you or across the country in just a few minutes' time! The cost is a fraction of what a travel season would cost but may actually put you in front of more coaches. Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? doi:10.3390/sports7070171, Merkel DL. Team fees may cover tournament entry costs, batting cage rental, practice field rental, uniforms, equipment and organizational costs. Unfortunately, we dont all have that money tree growing in our backyard. I was recently Contemplating to start travel ball from my son recently and for some reason Ive been holding back . If I was in the big leagues, my summers (and falls, and springs) would be dominated by an unrelenting schedule leaving no opportunity to coach my kids teams. Were enjoying the homeschool league to which we belong right now, but also realize that our daughters team is not a highly competitive team, but the JV/Varsity teams are a bit more competitive. They dropped out of church and I think it really showed their kids that priorities of baseball come before any commitment to church attendance or service. My thoughts written here veer away from the focus of recreational versus travel leagues as the original blog talks about, but include some areas to think about whichever route of competition you choose. Of course, we dont love those miserable weather days where its cold and wet. Other important considerations are coaching style, character and overall attitude. There are TONs of small but critically important things young players learn over the course of YEARS playing travel softball that you'll have to catch up on, especially if you want to play catcher, the toughest of all positions. But my friend who suggested that I do this also told me what was going to happen: he said I needed to understand that the other travel ball teams werent going to be low-key, so we would get pummeled at tournaments and probably lose every game.
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