- May 17, 2012
- 2,803
- 113
Had an interesting discussion with some parents tonight regarding school ball vs. travel ball. The back story is a travel team is split up in 3 Middle Schools in two different grades (7th and 8th). Four of the teams without the two pitchers are terrible, the two teams with pitchers are decent.
The middle school coaching is atrocious by any standards and the scores for the four bad teams are usually 20-4, 27-3, etc.
The question is are they better off quitting school ball (for good) and playing travel full time?
The pros are that the 7.5 hours that are currently used as middle school practice could be used for TB practice. The players would be playing TB tournaments and practicing through the week as a team. They currently don't practice for TB as Middle school games and practices dominate the week. There is concern that the players are regressing as the middle school practices and games are sub par.
The cons are they would forgo representing playing for their schools and the benefits that coincide with that.
Should they tough it out and wait for HS (knowing the drama and politics that dominate HS ball; see the other threads). I personally blame the HS coaches and Middle school coaches for not moving players up a level (or grade) when appropriate.
Anybody quit school ball at an early age and go full time travel for good?
The middle school coaching is atrocious by any standards and the scores for the four bad teams are usually 20-4, 27-3, etc.
The question is are they better off quitting school ball (for good) and playing travel full time?
The pros are that the 7.5 hours that are currently used as middle school practice could be used for TB practice. The players would be playing TB tournaments and practicing through the week as a team. They currently don't practice for TB as Middle school games and practices dominate the week. There is concern that the players are regressing as the middle school practices and games are sub par.
The cons are they would forgo representing playing for their schools and the benefits that coincide with that.
Should they tough it out and wait for HS (knowing the drama and politics that dominate HS ball; see the other threads). I personally blame the HS coaches and Middle school coaches for not moving players up a level (or grade) when appropriate.
Anybody quit school ball at an early age and go full time travel for good?