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

[JoeBob]

My DD is trying out for her school modified team this week.

You can say what you will about travel ball but the difference in the Rec girls Vs. Travel girls is simply the amount of time they have put into their sport. There are (2) girls trying out for modified and both girls we tried to pull into travel 3yrs ago. There is a HUGE difference in their basic skills and hustle level compared to the travel girls. Our DD has had practice almost every week for 3yrs and these 2 girls have played rec ball for all 3 years and have a total of 9months of practice and play over those 3years. Some people say that travel ball ruins rec and school ball but I feel like it makes it better and give these kids the opportunity to work on their sport all year.

 

[_MIA_]

Good/mediocre players in bad HS areas leave for travel
Great players in bad areas make HS team competitive
Good players on great HS teams leave for travel because they cannot crack starting lineup
Great players on great HS teams don't leave for travel (State teams)
Younger HS players leaving because they feel as though they are missing out
Mediocre travel ball coaches/dads advising girls to play travel and not HS

It seems to be everyone else's fault why Rec or HS ball is bad, except the players and families. If you're not playing the national tournaments you're not playing travel ball and those don't happen during HS/college season. That is called paying someone's bills who suckered you into a tournament.

Why some rec is bad and why some HS ball is bad are two different things. I would think the percent of kids who play TB who don't play HS ball isn't very high (now the percent of parents of TB kids who bitch about HS ball is a different story..lol)

 

[Catdad]

This my daughter’s last year of rec ball because of age limits and she’ll be old enough to play school ball next year. She plays travel ball but because about half the team is already old enough to play school ball, we don’t have many tb practices now until may and rec league gives her a chance to face lots of live batters.
The rec league here is well organized but I think my daughter is the only girl on her team that has ever even played before.

 

[JoeBob]

My DD is playing TB, Rec, and SB, this spring. She is currently attending practices for all (3). I will say this will be her last year at Rec ball though. She loves playing with her friends but this year is a little bit too much.

 

[_MIA_]

The rec league in our town is renting the City park and is now locking the fields up so nobody can go with their kid to practice. Probably not the best way to improve the quality of the rec league..(and yes I know I have posted this 10 times already on DFP but it is really pissing me off..)

 

[JoeBob]

The rec league in our town is renting the City park and is now locking them up so nobody can go with their kid to practice. Probably not the best way to improve the quality of the rec league..

Oh man, that is the other thing. I went to a few Rec meetings and it's like an Old' Boys club in my town. The softball field is second rate compared to the baseball fields. There is (1) Softball field and (3) baseball fields so finding time to get onto an open field is difficult.

 

[PapaBear]

Why some rec is bad and why some HS ball is bad are two different things. I would think the percent of kids who play TB who don't play HS ball isn't very high (now the percent of parents of TB kids who bitch about HS ball is a different story..lol)

Agree on the parent part. Each HS team is unique as majority goes in peaks and valleys. We had 4 mediocre underclassman leave for travel last year or transfer schools. The starting 9 has 4 D1, 1 D2, 1 NAIA.

 

[23and9]

It doesn’t cost anything to practice in the garage, backyard, or at the park with friends. It’s all INITIATIVE. Kids are lazy and stuck to their phones. Parents allow it. If the kid wants it, it’s there.

 

[_MIA_]

Agree on the parent part. Each HS team is unique as majority goes in peaks and valleys. We had 4 mediocre underclassman leave for travel last year or transfer schools. The starting 9 has 4 D1, 1 D2, 1 NAIA.

Around here at the HS age TB is pretty much dead during the season so while you can quit HS ball, leaving it for TB is probably not the right phrase (around here at least)

 

[_MIA_]

It doesn’t cost anything to practice in the garage, backyard, or at the park with friends.

If you can find one to practice at that isn't locked (ok I will stop now..)