I’m all for internal competition. The problem is, not everyone is willing to spend upwards of $3k per season *before gloves, bats, cleats, drip* to watch his kid sit. It’s not about soft kids or “fairness” so much as it is a financial calculation. Now, if expanding the roster lowers the cost significantly, that’s a different story. But the truth is, travel ball coaches want to win and want to coach only the players they believe are best ready to help the team win *that season,* so the smaller rosters ensure the limited number of players get time, and the coach can pursue his ends. Personally, I wish more public and private parks had ball fields, or at the very least, kids had a space to play pickup games and did a lot of experimenting on their skill set that way.
The real problem is nothing really matters until you’re in high school! How can kids get better if they can’t get the reps in? Telling a 8yr old he’s not good enough is the real problem.
Most of the comments do not get the point at all, what is the purpose for playing baseball? The other way can any coach promise they won't play favoritism?
Reps cost money nowadays. If you can only afford rec ball for your kids they're at a disadvantage, unfortunately. Parents with money but their kids' success.
The problem is a societal one as well. Kids are being shielded and protected from hurt feelings or any kind of adversity. Which is the very reason they invented these non competitive sports leagues where they don’t keep score. Competition is now considered a bad thing
I do not agree with you about daddy ball. I have seen it over and over again where the coaches kid was not as good as some setting on the bench.So many times the coaches kids are playing infield positions when their are better fielders setting on the bench.
many dads start teams because their kid didn't make a good team... others can start out with good intentions but their kid quickly becomes their main focus. we have seen very good and very bad dad-led teams with our two boys. the most glaring example was the "cool kid" school team for my youngest son. i was not in the cool dad club even though i would help with practice. cool dad club sons would always play the most, hit at the top of the order, etc. it is funny that at 14u my son is one of two of these boys who is even still playing baseball!!! my youngest son stuck it out, went to teams where he would get more reps and got better. now he has to decide if he will pursue baseball or lacrosse in HS. the youth sports experience was such a love/hate thing for us. we saw our oldest son make the teams, get the time even when he was raw because he was tall and passed the eye test. our youngest a little small but athletic as well. both boys earned everything on their own as i was not going to field a team to create opportunities for my sons. the bias is there, egos are involved, and the parent today really has to choose a team wisely...
No. The problem is all these small communities have ruined summer league ball by opening these BUSINESSES of travel league and ruining the city ball. Bring back city league and let the average every kid experience baseball. In my town, after Tball the only option is travel ball. When I was young there was city ball and about 2 kids from each age group went off and played all star or travel ball. The business of youth sports has ruined the youth game and it’s disgusting. My son starts Tball this year. I’m going to bring back city ball and hopefully put an end to this BS
I coached high school baseball...varsity and jv...but for years we used to call it frosh/soph ....and a lot of times the freshman didn't start unless he could beat out a sophomore for his spot...and if the freshman was better he started...and if he was really good he played varsity...None of this ..everyone plays bs ...and you pushed your team mates to work hard and get better...and in my day...you didn't run home and cry about playing time....and the players knew it WASN'T LITTLE LEAGUE ANYMORE
Well I am running my team this way(internal competition) and I am having a lot of trouble with a couple of parents disagreeing with me. I spoke to the players on this subject at the start of the season during practice and again mentioned it during our first and second tournament. I said that kids will sit and some of them will sit the bench a lot. But I did make a promise that during practice I would help them develop and give them opportunities to get better in the areas that they are struggling. My wife has urged me to have a mid-season parent meeting so I have decided to do that. Probably end up with a lot of 🎆!
Here’s the problem. If you are a coach and pick a kid to make your roster, there’s no excuse for you to NOT have a plan for him on your team. The problem is coaches have no damn idea how to run a team.
Your competing for a spot is a good life lesson not just baseball , it teaches work ethic , if you want something you have to work for it but to often dads and friends of the daddy team up and give there kids the position they want and don’t have to earn it and there is no lesson in that while the talented kids get the positions that are left and that hurts the game
I don’t have a problem with the coach having a kid on the team , but he should compete for a spot as well and not just be given a spot that will hurt his own son down the road you can’t avoid working hard it will catch up with you in the long run , everyone should compete for a spot even the most talented kid on the team can benefit from that , he will learn to work hard to keep his spot and that also helps the team to have fight in them
Kurt Rennels nonsense. Do you also agree with the NJ cheerleading team allowing every one that tries out to make the team? There are different levels of skill. Some kids are rec, some are select, some are club standouts. Hurting the team and the player development by sticking a kid that can't keep a glove on his hand in so "he doesn't feel left out" is bad coaching.
You are changing the subject. OP is arguing more kids (15-16) should be allowed on club teams so they can compete for a position. He says too many kids get handed playing time on club teams. I disagree. Taking on more kids for the purpose of sitting kids to teach them a lesson about competition is absurd. Let the kids learn how to compete on the field. Let the kids just play. It is a game; they are kids.
I agree with this. I also agree with travel baseball being watered down. I think most players that are playing travel ball are probably good baseball players but not great, and I mean by that going to the collegiate or pro level. but I feel like there should be a tryout before the tryout. There needs to be some kind of national standards to make sure kids should even be playing travel baseball and keep them at certain levels to keep the competition where it should be to help them all get better. I feel like if you got the money you can go play travel baseball and is that really good for the player that’s trying to get better?
In my area the best players are playing travel ball and don’t even bother with little league anymore. I feel most parents can not only not afford to Put their kid into travel ball but to make it work in terms of getting their kids to practice and weekend tournaments that are out of state
The real issue is the money parents have to pay. Its ridiculous. I played rec all the way up and never had a problem making any team. Travel is a money grab out of parents pockets. And, for some parents they can boost their kids in saying "my kid plays travel". Its the cost.
Travel ball is all about status and it’s definitely an expensive hobby .. many kids are probably”priced out” of being able to play travel ball and that’s unfortunate
Parents aren't going to pay upwards of $300/mo for their kids to "learn how to compete" and sit the bench, especially when the coaches aren't actually developing the kids in practice. The only teams that should consider carrying15 players are AA teams that are more developmental. AAA and Majors teams that are competitive are sticking to 11/12.
U just said the problem. You think you pay you play. No. Pay gets you the chance. It’s on you and your child to put in the work. We do travel ball but you can just feel something isn’t right. We need competition and yes there will be some let down and feelings hurt but show me just 1 adult who doesn’t go through the same trials. I totally agree with the guy. It’s the lessons learned that’s the most important. Got news for ya , child probably isn’t gonna be in the majors. But what they can get is lesson to help them cope and succeed AND fail and learn how to overcome.
I agree with this and that's as a parent of a kid that sat on the bench a lot last year. Sure it was painful to see my son going through the stess of not playing but now that the season is over he is working like a machine to get better for next baseball season 100 percent motivated by the desire to get in the game. It's up to parents to speak with their kids about it and turn it into motion not dispare.
If the only place your kid is "developing" is during games (or even organized practice) your kid is not that serious about getting better. It's the practice that they do on their own, with friends, or with family members and how often they do it that cements the motor memory and "baseball moves" into their body. The stuff they do on their own is probably the most important.
Good video. My neighbors(husband and wife) took over the reigns of coaching our towns little league team. They had 16 players and had decent talent but insisted from day one that all kids would get a certain amount of playing time. That doesn’t create good results on a competitive league and they ended up winning 3-4 games . I struggle so much vs the “everyone will play an equal amount!” Type mindset in sports
This is a ridiculous blanket statement on the sport. The value of competition both internally and externally are important life skills but only at a particular point. Younger than 10 in a rec league should be focused on developing all players and teaching them fundamentals. Not everyone has the luxury of time and or money to work the travel ball route. Having the coaches kids being the only ones playing positions of impact does nothing but destroy opportunities for players to find a skill set they may otherwise never obtain.
really good points, unfortunately the alternative is rec ball which is the same minus any real instruction or competition. I'm thinking the extra reps, practice and access to kids who take it serious is a huge benefit when they do have to compete. Im still weighing if the cost is worth it though.. $1500 seems a bit much for a 10 year old, compared to $35 rec ball. On the plus side in 1 practice he got more instruction than 2 seasons of rec..( batting cages, bat Velocity, pitching , kinetic foot work drills, etc etc.)
This take is ridiculous. Everyone pays the same money. Every kid goes to practice and gets worked the same. Every kid should play.. there will be plenty of time to compete for playing time in highschool and college and even pro ball. But as a child, every child deserves the right to play if they want to play
Need help guys. Is it better to join a very competitive team but your son's role would be Pitcher Only (14U) or join a C team where your son gets to bat, field, and pitch on a less competitive team?
Totally agree, Steve. We are losing, or possibly have already lost, the character-building block of competing with others for a "spot". Most, 99% or more, of the players we coach in high school or middle school will not go on to play at the next level and even less than that going further. But ALL of them will be going I to this thing we call life and I do believe part of our responsibility as coaches is to get them ready for life
Agreeing with the coach here. The kids are handed their spot and never have to compete for playing time, so they never improve to the height of their potential. I see so many 10 and 11 kid rosters at the select level where there are 4 kids with good talent and the rest are just roster fillers that would be better served playing rec ball. The coaching isn't bad, it just focuses on the top players and the rest are left to scuffle along and rarely improve. Until the coaches encourage competition on larger squads along with better teaching there will be more parents complaining about their dissatisfaction with travel teams.
Most of the travel teams, players have tryouts and ya have to earn your spot on the roster. But yeah, once the season starts the players dont have much competitipn at all to keep their spot for that season. But if they dont perform that season, they could definitely lose their roster spot the next season.
Well, the problem is i think the pool of people wanting to play baseball is shrinking. So of course the overall talent level will go down. Lots of people with talent, dont wanna committ to it, cuz of work or they rather play baseball through a video game.
So let me get this straight: Take on more kids at a club (and thus more $) for the sole purpose of having some kids sit the bench. 😂 Let me guess, they can get off the bench if the parents hire a professional coach for the extra money…I mean extra practice…which won’t matter b/c everyone on the team does it. There is something called TRYOUTS that you can hold annually to select your players to work with and develop. Not everyone makes the team and the kids learn rejection/failure. Sports specialization is becoming such a money grab.
If a dad will get out on the field and work with their kid day in and day out for a considerable amount of time their kid will drastically improve even in the absence of professional coaching.
As a parent travel ball is practice! There not getting signed or recruited at 12 year old. I wouldn't pay a ton to join and then travel to have my kid/ kids sit them bench. Let high school, college and rec- ball be the place for 15-16 kids or more for a team
They completely changed the game I had to learn a new set of rules because I’m coaching my son I don’t like the continuous batting order people who never show up to practice or off the bat taking someone else’s spot who’s been working hard showing up every day on time and even practicing at home compared to the kid that doesn’t wanna play at all
Perhaps if more emphasis was put on the TEAM getting better and winning together then each player would hold each other accountable for always striving to be their best so when they are playing and called upon there is more readiness and overall support and a positive vibe for the team, which in turn improves the overall effectiveness of the team. No one seems to be mentioning what I feel is the major missing piece here. The mind. The mind and vibes and flow of the players and team and even fans and coaches. Mindest is everything and when you got chaos in many minds you got chaos on the team. Less talent but on the same frequency will almost always have the edge over more talent that is scattered frequencies. Facts!
I made it clear to my nephew when he played that travel ball that travel ball are just glorified scrimmage games where you are playing for a t-shirt and plastic toy shop rings. I saw alot of coaches and parents yelling at games the from the 8U to 13U level because they all thought their kids were showcasing for D1 offers. Meanwhile, there are no high school or college coaches in the stands at these youth tournaments. In Calif there would be around 700 kids at any particular weekend tournament and the chances of even just 5 kids going D1 from this 700 is so slim.
Travel ball is for privileged kids only . It’s a very dedicated lot of parents that put their kids into travel ball - the practice and travel is pretty extreme. The better players don’t even play little league anymore
@@brianmeen2158 we actually doubled-up on travel ball and little league. So on any particular week, we would play 3 little league games and 4-5 travel games. I always felt nothing can simulate game situations like playing games. I even felt our little league coach was better than our travel coach in teaching the game. Most travel coaches just send out group texts to players of what time and where the game is on the weekend - thats it. We pretty much did the 'free-agent' travel thing. Play a tournament on the weekend - catch the eye of another coach/team - they ask you to play for them next week, we say yes, and off we go.
sitting that bench as a kid will not get you better...find a team where you get reps and teams have quality practices, start based on your skill level and work to move up. a lot of dads start teams so their kid will play...i have seen this for years with my kids... if kid cannot make a team, dad starts a team. not always but it is very common. so there are some flaws in your logic here although you are not wrong overall. the landscape is a little more nuanced than you are leading on.
I know I'm a little late on this as my son is 8 and starting travel team at the 9U level....I kind of disagree with competing for a spot because you have to try out for the team and there were 30 plus kids trying to make the team and there was 2 days of try outs he had to go to and compete to make the team. Yes, the roster is only 12 kids but only 9 can be on the field so there is still kids sitting the bench.
Think about it if they never learn to compete for there position they will never go anywhere in mlb they have 30 guys a team only 9 people play so if they want to play they get better
Why would you pay all the money for travel club team and your kid not play? The issue is we have way more people living in the US than ever before. Texas had a population of 11 million in 1990 now in 2023 the population is 30 million. Only 9 kids play on the high school team. A lot of somebody’s aren’t making that team. So travel teams are born. The percentages are still the same as far as how many kids go D1 and how many go to the Majors. There is just way more competition now than ever before. So you need to get your kid playing and practicing.
I think the issue is you make the team automatically and it’s so expensive and they make it out like you have to play to make it to the next level but I don’t play travel I wish I could but maybe it’s better I just play local and tryout for my school team
Parents aren't going out of pocket for thousands of dollars to watch their kid set the bench for a season on a travel team. If your parents can afford to pay for it you will play, period. What I love is when they have tournaments through USSSA, perfect game, Triple Crown Sports with 6 tiers and then all the parents post their kid's "state championship" baseball team. Talk about creating entitled little brats. They always forget to mention their kid won the "state championship" in the B bracket in the 3rd tier.
Too many games, too little practice, cuts of some kids turn themselves off to baseball. Just get them on a kid, get them reps, get them instruction, and get them having fun.
If you can’t figure out how to rotate players that make your team, especially travel ball, that don’t improve during your practice, maybe you need to consider a different hobby or occupation or......re-evaluate your own instruction, if any.
You have it backwards. One word comes to mind when I watch this. That word is "coachable" Travel baseball and being coached by dads during a crucial time in develepment as a player but more importantly mentally creates the opposite which is "uncoachable" later on. The problem is in Fact Travel Baseball and Dads because there is a notion that Travel Baseball is the only road to later success, Egos explode and later on they are told no and they cant handle it. What we need more of is kids whether they play all the time or not is to understand hard work and being rewarded with success and a lot of time thats the complete opposite that being coached by dad or being on a Travel team gives these kids. Youth players need to simply play and practice as much as possible but understand that no spot on a roster is free. There are a few dads that do a great job, but I see far more that are actually hurting kids develepment and they don't even know it.
Unfortunately, meddling parents and weak coaches don't always have the best players playing. Sometimes kids play because the coach is afraid to tell the parents that their kid is not good enough to play while the better player sits because his parents aren't in the coach's ear.
If the kid wants to play ...get better. If they are not getting enough reps in practice to get better......practice at home. Get better and you will be on the field.....guaranteed. We practice at home more than with the team.
I agree. It's all about reps. Every kid will improve with more reps. You don't have to drop a ton of money on professional coaching. All you have to do is get off the couch and go outside and practice baseball with your kids daily and be consistent. You will be amazed how well they will do in a year
My son had Era o.oo cuz only got to pitch 1 Inning and did his job and still nvee got see mound again cuz politics....half the time kids are cliques that can't play baseball
Really? I could name way more problems in travel baseball. If your talking about age 13 and up yes I agree with you. But 12 and under their kids give me a break. Maybe on Sunday you start your best 9 either way there’s a much bigger problem with TB like the company’s that put on these events every weekend year around, and there pitching rules are 3 innings on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. That’s a flipping joke. I could go on and on, but let’s also distinguish the difference between travel baseball which to me is 12 and under. Then you have Showcase baseball which should be 14 or 15 and up. 13 should be a year to get used to such a huge jump in field size which is ridiculous btw. Remember there’s 10 times the amount of travel ball kids then there are high school baseball players in this country. I did some math only 7% of high school players go on to play college. That’s on a 25 to 35 man roster and that’s not counting red shirts. You have to win a job or you don’t play. That number decreases. Only .7 percent go on to have professional careers. Did I mention each MLB team has Rookie ball, Instructional league, Low A ball, High A ball, AA ball etc. So only about .005% of travel ball kids will play on a big league roster. There’s only approximately 750 players each year. So what’s really important about travel baseball. Let’s teach them life lessons through baseball that will make them good young men. Btw I’m not Virginia I’m an x college player, x travel ball coach, x private lesson coach, and x site director for USSSA in Florida. Smh
With the prerequisites that coach promises no bias, no favoritism, equal opportunity for each player to compete and race, indeed most coach even can say they do this way
First: there are tons of travel teams. You can't find enough players to have 15. Many tournaments require rocket hitting so 15 would not be fun. If you sit 12U and under, kids will switch to a team that will play then. It's assinine to play travel teams that are under high school the way you say. And travel ball IS rec. ball. They're kids! Sure, you have to make a team and not every kid can like in rec ball, but once on a team it's basically the same. There may be certain "select teams" but that's for only Rich kids, not good kids.
@@Elovebaseball Travel ball is often all that is available. It's replaced rec baseball in many places. We had a lot of fun with 11 players through 13U. We were a mid level team that won 50% or so of the time. Maybe won one tournament a year. Spent lots of time developing players, helping them get better. The select teams we're usually not fun for the kids. Sure they won a lot, but they weren't having fun. Parents were asses for some of the teams like that. 14-16U we joined a larger team with P.O. players and then won 80%. To each his own.... But no reason ten year olds need to play like the varsity high school team!
Let’s beat this horse some more. Parents won’t tolerate their kid sitting the bench all the time when they are paying thousands and giving up their weekends and I don’t blame them. There are so many travel teams out there now that they are completely watered down. All so mom and dad can brag on social media about their kid’s gold medal win from the bronze bracket. Sorry but your kid finished in 12th. Travel has its place for those that are truly dedicated, have talent and need the challenge but with all the teams out there now, it’s become a money grab. If most would just return to rec ball it would become competitive enough for most again but that horse is out of the barn.
Only the best kids are playing cuz they're paying you're not going to spend all that money and get the hotel rooms in the gas if your kids sucks everybody on our team is good there's only 12 kids
No one here gets what he's saying. He's saying that travel ball is "pay to play." Every parent who says "back in my day you had to..." has a kid who has a paid-for position. And they call their kid "elite." Rec ball is where it's at. That's real baseball.
I politely disagree because I've been doing it since 8u now I'm 13u my parents pay 9k a year for it and we travel across the west coast and I am on one of the best teams in Washington state, I've been to North Carolina, California, Oregon, Idaho, and about to go to Nevada and Arizona this year I actually do have pro, ex pro, and collegiate coaches, plus it's so much more competitive you can lead off at 9u your can headfirst slide at 12u I already have a spot in my highschool team because they've all seen me play and enjoy watching me so I mean it can only go for certain people my parents 50k have done me good so far I am a natural baseball player I was born on opening day 2008 and enjoy baseball.
You are just another privileged kid. You got youngsters in the DR and other Latin countries that don’t have anything your parents have provided and they’ll be just as good if not better.
I’m all for internal competition. The problem is, not everyone is willing to spend upwards of $3k per season *before gloves, bats, cleats, drip* to watch his kid sit. It’s not about soft kids or “fairness” so much as it is a financial calculation.
Now, if expanding the roster lowers the cost significantly, that’s a different story. But the truth is, travel ball coaches want to win and want to coach only the players they believe are best ready to help the team win *that season,* so the smaller rosters ensure the limited number of players get time, and the coach can pursue his ends.
Personally, I wish more public and private parks had ball fields, or at the very least, kids had a space to play pickup games and did a lot of experimenting on their skill set that way.
The real problem is nothing really matters until you’re in high school! How can kids get better if they can’t get the reps in? Telling a 8yr old he’s not good enough is the real problem.
Best comment
It’s about getting the reps in
Most of the comments do not get the point at all, what is the purpose for playing baseball? The other way can any coach promise they won't play favoritism?
Reps cost money nowadays. If you can only afford rec ball for your kids they're at a disadvantage, unfortunately. Parents with money but their kids' success.
I agree with you! Sometimes they over look kids for kids they have relationships with! It’s a not fair with some teams!
The problem is a societal one as well. Kids are being shielded and protected from hurt feelings or any kind of adversity. Which is the very reason they invented these non competitive sports leagues where they don’t keep score. Competition is now considered a bad thing
Truth.
You haven't seen travel sports, have you? It's was more competitive than the 70s and 80s.
That's the problem
I do not agree with you about daddy ball. I have seen it over and over again where the coaches kid was not as good as some setting on the bench.So many times the coaches kids are playing infield positions when their are better fielders setting on the bench.
many dads start teams because their kid didn't make a good team... others can start out with good intentions but their kid quickly becomes their main focus. we have seen very good and very bad dad-led teams with our two boys. the most glaring example was the "cool kid" school team for my youngest son. i was not in the cool dad club even though i would help with practice. cool dad club sons would always play the most, hit at the top of the order, etc. it is funny that at 14u my son is one of two of these boys who is even still playing baseball!!! my youngest son stuck it out, went to teams where he would get more reps and got better. now he has to decide if he will pursue baseball or lacrosse in HS. the youth sports experience was such a love/hate thing for us. we saw our oldest son make the teams, get the time even when he was raw because he was tall and passed the eye test. our youngest a little small but athletic as well. both boys earned everything on their own as i was not going to field a team to create opportunities for my sons. the bias is there, egos are involved, and the parent today really has to choose a team wisely...
No. The problem is all these small communities have ruined summer league ball by opening these BUSINESSES of travel league and ruining the city ball. Bring back city league and let the average every kid experience baseball. In my town, after Tball the only option is travel ball. When I was young there was city ball and about 2 kids from each age group went off and played all star or travel ball. The business of youth sports has ruined the youth game and it’s disgusting. My son starts Tball this year. I’m going to bring back city ball and hopefully put an end to this BS
I coached high school baseball...varsity and jv...but for years we used to call it frosh/soph ....and a lot of times the freshman didn't start unless he could beat out a sophomore for his spot...and if the freshman was better he started...and if he was really good he played varsity...None of this ..everyone plays bs ...and you pushed your team mates to work hard and get better...and in my day...you didn't run home and cry about playing time....and the players knew it WASN'T LITTLE LEAGUE ANYMORE
Well I am running my team this way(internal competition) and I am having a lot of trouble with a couple of parents disagreeing with me. I spoke to the players on this subject at the start of the season during practice and again mentioned it during our first and second tournament. I said that kids will sit and some of them will sit the bench a lot. But I did make a promise that during practice I would help them develop and give them opportunities to get better in the areas that they are struggling. My wife has urged me to have a mid-season parent meeting so I have decided to do that. Probably end up with a lot of 🎆!
Here’s the problem. If you are a coach and pick a kid to make your roster, there’s no excuse for you to NOT have a plan for him on your team. The problem is coaches have no damn idea how to run a team.
Your competing for a spot is a good life lesson not just baseball , it teaches work ethic , if you want something you have to work for it but to often dads and friends of the daddy team up and give there kids the position they want and don’t have to earn it and there is no lesson in that while the talented kids get the positions that are left and that hurts the game
I don’t have a problem with the coach having a kid on the team , but he should compete for a spot as well and not just be given a spot that will hurt his own son down the road you can’t avoid working hard it will catch up with you in the long run , everyone should compete for a spot even the most talented kid on the team can benefit from that , he will learn to work hard to keep his spot and that also helps the team to have fight in them
There is a value in allowing young kids to play the game of baseball without having to worry about sitting the bench.
Kurt Rennels sure, and they should stick to rec ball.
Coaches like you should stick to the bench yourself aka the bleachers. You will like it about as much as the 8 and 9-year-olds you want to bench.
Kurt Rennels nonsense. Do you also agree with the NJ cheerleading team allowing every one that tries out to make the team? There are different levels of skill. Some kids are rec, some are select, some are club standouts. Hurting the team and the player development by sticking a kid that can't keep a glove on his hand in so "he doesn't feel left out" is bad coaching.
You are changing the subject. OP is arguing more kids (15-16) should be allowed on club teams so they can compete for a position. He says too many kids get handed playing time on club teams. I disagree. Taking on more kids for the purpose of sitting kids to teach them a lesson about competition is absurd. Let the kids learn how to compete on the field. Let the kids just play. It is a game; they are kids.
Really? Fast forward to when they get their pink slip from their employer...should they run to daddy?
I agree with this. I also agree with travel baseball being watered down. I think most players that are playing travel ball are probably good baseball players but not great, and I mean by that going to the collegiate or pro level. but I feel like there should be a tryout before the tryout. There needs to be some kind of national standards to make sure kids should even be playing travel baseball and keep them at certain levels to keep the competition where it should be to help them all get better. I feel like if you got the money you can go play travel baseball and is that really good for the player that’s trying to get better?
In my area the best players are playing travel ball and don’t even bother with little league anymore. I feel most parents can not only not afford to
Put their kid into travel ball but to make it work in terms of getting their kids to practice and weekend tournaments that are out of state
The real issue is the money parents have to pay. Its ridiculous. I played rec all the way up and never had a problem making any team. Travel is a money grab out of parents pockets. And, for some parents they can boost their kids in saying "my kid plays travel". Its the cost.
Travel ball is all about status and it’s definitely an expensive hobby .. many kids are probably”priced out” of being able to play travel ball and that’s unfortunate
Parents aren't going to pay upwards of $300/mo for their kids to "learn how to compete" and sit the bench, especially when the coaches aren't actually developing the kids in practice. The only teams that should consider carrying15 players are AA teams that are more developmental. AAA and Majors teams that are competitive are sticking to 11/12.
This is really a commentary on life in America in 2024. Trophies for everyone!
If you’re going to take money from parents, you better make sure their kids get into the game.
Hence the problem
The kids should deserve the spot. As they grow up, it is not everybody who plays.
U just said the problem. You think you pay you play. No. Pay gets you the chance. It’s on you and your child to put in the work. We do travel ball but you can just feel something isn’t right. We need competition and yes there will be some let down and feelings hurt but show me just 1 adult who doesn’t go through the same trials. I totally agree with the guy. It’s the lessons learned that’s the most important. Got news for ya , child probably isn’t gonna be in the majors. But what they can get is lesson to help them cope and succeed AND fail and learn how to overcome.
I agree with this and that's as a parent of a kid that sat on the bench a lot last year.
Sure it was painful to see my son going through the stess of not playing but now that the season is over he is working like a machine to get better for next baseball season 100 percent motivated by the desire to get in the game. It's up to parents to speak with their kids about it and turn it into motion not dispare.
How'd this work out the last couple of years?
If the only place your kid is "developing" is during games (or even organized practice) your kid is not that serious about getting better. It's the practice that they do on their own, with friends, or with family members and how often they do it that cements the motor memory and "baseball moves" into their body. The stuff they do on their own is probably the most important.
If the kid can't play sports, he can read a book instead
Good video. My neighbors(husband and wife) took over the reigns of coaching our towns little league team. They had 16 players and had decent talent but insisted from day one that all kids would get a certain amount of playing time. That doesn’t create good results on a competitive league and they ended up winning 3-4 games . I struggle so much vs the “everyone will play an equal amount!” Type mindset in sports
This is a ridiculous blanket statement on the sport. The value of competition both internally and externally are important life skills but only at a particular point. Younger than 10 in a rec league should be focused on developing all players and teaching them fundamentals. Not everyone has the luxury of time and or money to work the travel ball route. Having the coaches kids being the only ones playing positions of impact does nothing but destroy opportunities for players to find a skill set they may otherwise never obtain.
really good points, unfortunately the alternative is rec ball which is the same minus any real instruction or competition. I'm thinking the extra reps, practice and access to kids who take it serious is a huge benefit when they do have to compete. Im still weighing if the cost is worth it though.. $1500 seems a bit much for a 10 year old, compared to $35 rec ball. On the plus side in 1 practice he got more instruction than 2 seasons of rec..( batting cages, bat Velocity, pitching , kinetic foot work drills, etc etc.)
At your age was travel ball upwards of 2K to be on the team?
This take is ridiculous. Everyone pays the same money. Every kid goes to practice and gets worked the same. Every kid should play.. there will be plenty of time to compete for playing time in highschool and college and even pro ball. But as a child, every child deserves the right to play if they want to play
Absolutely correct !!
Need help guys. Is it better to join a very competitive team but your son's role would be Pitcher Only (14U) or join a C team where your son gets to bat, field, and pitch on a less competitive team?
Totally agree, Steve. We are losing, or possibly have already lost, the character-building block of competing with others for a "spot". Most, 99% or more, of the players we coach in high school or middle school will not go on to play at the next level and even less than that going further. But ALL of them will be going I to this thing we call life and I do believe part of our responsibility as coaches is to get them ready for life
Agreeing with the coach here. The kids are handed their spot and never have to compete for playing time, so they never improve to the height of their potential. I see so many 10 and 11 kid rosters at the select level where there are 4 kids with good talent and the rest are just roster fillers that would be better served playing rec ball. The coaching isn't bad, it just focuses on the top players and the rest are left to scuffle along and rarely improve. Until the coaches encourage competition on larger squads along with better teaching there will be more parents complaining about their dissatisfaction with travel teams.
Most of the travel teams, players have tryouts and ya have to earn your spot on the roster. But yeah, once the season starts the players dont have much competitipn at all to keep their spot for that season. But if they dont perform that season, they could definitely lose their roster spot the next season.
Well, the problem is i think the pool of people wanting to play baseball is shrinking. So of course the overall talent level will go down. Lots of people with talent, dont wanna committ to it, cuz of work or they rather play baseball through a video game.
So let me get this straight: Take on more kids at a club (and thus more $) for the sole purpose of having some kids sit the bench. 😂 Let me guess, they can get off the bench if the parents hire a professional coach for the extra money…I mean extra practice…which won’t matter b/c everyone on the team does it. There is something called TRYOUTS that you can hold annually to select your players to work with and develop. Not everyone makes the team and the kids learn rejection/failure. Sports specialization is becoming such a money grab.
If a dad will get out on the field and work with their kid day in and day out for a considerable amount of time their kid will drastically improve even in the absence of professional coaching.
As a parent travel ball is practice! There not getting signed or recruited at 12 year old. I wouldn't pay a ton to join and then travel to have my kid/ kids sit them bench. Let high school, college and rec- ball be the place for 15-16 kids or more for a team
They completely changed the game I had to learn a new set of rules because I’m coaching my son I don’t like the continuous batting order people who never show up to practice or off the bat taking someone else’s spot who’s been working hard showing up every day on time and even practicing at home compared to the kid that doesn’t wanna play at all
Perhaps if more emphasis was put on the TEAM getting better and winning together then each player would hold each other accountable for always striving to be their best so when they are playing and called upon there is more readiness and overall support and a positive vibe for the team, which in turn improves the overall effectiveness of the team. No one seems to be mentioning what I feel is the major missing piece here. The mind. The mind and vibes and flow of the players and team and even fans and coaches. Mindest is everything and when you got chaos in many minds you got chaos on the team. Less talent but on the same frequency will almost always have the edge over more talent that is scattered frequencies. Facts!
I made it clear to my nephew when he played that travel ball that travel ball are just glorified scrimmage games where you are playing for a t-shirt and plastic toy shop rings. I saw alot of coaches and parents yelling at games the from the 8U to 13U level because they all thought their kids were showcasing for D1 offers. Meanwhile, there are no high school or college coaches in the stands at these youth tournaments. In Calif there would be around 700 kids at any particular weekend tournament and the chances of even just 5 kids going D1 from this 700 is so slim.
Travel ball is for privileged kids only . It’s a very dedicated lot of parents that put their kids into travel ball - the practice and travel is pretty extreme. The better players don’t even play little league anymore
@@brianmeen2158 we actually doubled-up on travel ball and little league. So on any particular week, we would play 3 little league games and 4-5 travel games. I always felt nothing can simulate game situations like playing games. I even felt our little league coach was better than our travel coach in teaching the game. Most travel coaches just send out group texts to players of what time and where the game is on the weekend - thats it. We pretty much did the 'free-agent' travel thing. Play a tournament on the weekend - catch the eye of another coach/team - they ask you to play for them next week, we say yes, and off we go.
sitting that bench as a kid will not get you better...find a team where you get reps and teams have quality practices, start based on your skill level and work to move up. a lot of dads start teams so their kid will play...i have seen this for years with my kids... if kid cannot make a team, dad starts a team. not always but it is very common. so there are some flaws in your logic here although you are not wrong overall. the landscape is a little more nuanced than you are leading on.
I know I'm a little late on this as my son is 8 and starting travel team at the 9U level....I kind of disagree with competing for a spot because you have to try out for the team and there were 30 plus kids trying to make the team and there was 2 days of try outs he had to go to and compete to make the team. Yes, the roster is only 12 kids but only 9 can be on the field so there is still kids sitting the bench.
Think about it if they never learn to compete for there position they will never go anywhere in mlb they have 30 guys a team only 9 people play so if they want to play they get better
What my travel team used to do, is when we would play our non tournament games everyone would get to play, once tournaments came, the best played
But is the kid really good and deserves play or most kids start cuz there daddy or mom is board or there part of clique that is question
Why would you pay all the money for travel club team and your kid not play? The issue is we have way more people living in the US than ever before. Texas had a population of 11 million in 1990 now in 2023 the population is 30 million. Only 9 kids play on the high school team. A lot of somebody’s aren’t making that team. So travel teams are born. The percentages are still the same as far as how many kids go D1 and how many go to the Majors. There is just way more competition now than ever before. So you need to get your kid playing and practicing.
Makes sense except when the 5 coaches on the team have their kids on the team.
I think the issue is you make the team automatically and it’s so expensive and they make it out like you have to play to make it to the next level but I don’t play travel I wish I could but maybe it’s better I just play local and tryout for my school team
Parents aren't going out of pocket for thousands of dollars to watch their kid set the bench for a season on a travel team. If your parents can afford to pay for it you will play, period. What I love is when they have tournaments through USSSA, perfect game, Triple Crown Sports with 6 tiers and then all the parents post their kid's "state championship" baseball team. Talk about creating entitled little brats. They always forget to mention their kid won the "state championship" in the B bracket in the 3rd tier.
Too many games, too little practice, cuts of some kids turn themselves off to baseball. Just get them on a kid, get them reps, get them instruction, and get them having fun.
The more leagues you playing the better you need a bat's many pitches thrown any time in the field to be great you know that coach
If you can’t figure out how to rotate players that make your team, especially travel ball, that don’t improve during your practice, maybe you need to consider a different hobby or occupation or......re-evaluate your own instruction, if any.
You have it backwards.
One word comes to mind when I watch this. That word is "coachable"
Travel baseball and being coached by dads during a crucial time in develepment as a player but more importantly mentally creates the opposite which is "uncoachable" later on.
The problem is in Fact Travel Baseball and Dads because there is a notion that Travel Baseball is the only road to later success, Egos explode and later on they are told no and they cant handle it.
What we need more of is kids whether they play all the time or not is to understand hard work and being rewarded with success and a lot of time thats the complete opposite that being coached by dad or being on a Travel team gives these kids.
Youth players need to simply play and practice as much as possible but understand that no spot on a roster is free.
There are a few dads that do a great job, but I see far more that are actually hurting kids develepment and they don't even know it.
Unfortunately, meddling parents and weak coaches don't always have the best players playing. Sometimes kids play because the coach is afraid to tell the parents that their kid is not good enough to play while the better player sits because his parents aren't in the coach's ear.
Politics. It ruins everything in the end.
Amen!
The real problem is you sign your team up for a 12u tournament and the other team your playing are 14u team that claim to be 12u
That isn’t the problem. The problem is you make the team or you don’t. Then everyone plays
Not everything is for everyone
If the kid wants to play ...get better. If they are not getting enough reps in practice to get better......practice at home. Get better and you will be on the field.....guaranteed. We practice at home more than with the team.
I agree. It's all about reps. Every kid will improve with more reps. You don't have to drop a ton of money on professional coaching. All you have to do is get off the couch and go outside and practice baseball with your kids daily and be consistent. You will be amazed how well they will do in a year
My son had Era o.oo cuz only got to pitch 1 Inning and did his job and still nvee got see mound again cuz politics....half the time kids are cliques that can't play baseball
Really? I could name way more problems in travel baseball. If your talking about age 13 and up yes I agree with you. But 12 and under their kids give me a break. Maybe on Sunday you start your best 9 either way there’s a much bigger problem with TB like the company’s that put on these events every weekend year around, and there pitching rules are 3 innings on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. That’s a flipping joke. I could go on and on, but let’s also distinguish the difference between travel baseball which to me is 12 and under. Then you have Showcase baseball which should be 14 or 15 and up. 13 should be a year to get used to such a huge jump in field size which is ridiculous btw. Remember there’s 10 times the amount of travel ball kids then there are high school baseball players in this country. I did some math only 7% of high school players go on to play college. That’s on a 25 to 35 man roster and that’s not counting red shirts. You have to win a job or you don’t play. That number decreases. Only .7 percent go on to have professional careers. Did I mention each MLB team has Rookie ball, Instructional league, Low A ball, High A ball, AA ball etc. So only about .005% of travel ball kids will play on a big league roster. There’s only approximately 750 players each year. So what’s really important about travel baseball. Let’s teach them life lessons through baseball that will make them good young men. Btw I’m not Virginia I’m an x college player, x travel ball coach, x private lesson coach, and x site director for USSSA in Florida. Smh
With the prerequisites that coach promises no bias, no favoritism, equal opportunity for each player to compete and race, indeed most coach even can say they do this way
This person is ignorant
I hate to say it, but travel baseball, even high school, its a political thing. ...you really have to stand out.
Wimpy parents and wimpy kids nowadays in America.
First: there are tons of travel teams. You can't find enough players to have 15. Many tournaments require rocket hitting so 15 would not be fun. If you sit 12U and under, kids will switch to a team that will play then. It's assinine to play travel teams that are under high school the way you say. And travel ball IS rec. ball. They're kids! Sure, you have to make a team and not every kid can like in rec ball, but once on a team it's basically the same. There may be certain "select teams" but that's for only Rich kids, not good kids.
I don't think many coaches have your wisdom at all
@@Elovebaseball Travel ball is often all that is available. It's replaced rec baseball in many places. We had a lot of fun with 11 players through 13U. We were a mid level team that won 50% or so of the time. Maybe won one tournament a year. Spent lots of time developing players, helping them get better. The select teams we're usually not fun for the kids. Sure they won a lot, but they weren't having fun. Parents were asses for some of the teams like that. 14-16U we joined a larger team with P.O. players and then won 80%. To each his own.... But no reason ten year olds need to play like the varsity high school team!
true sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo rue
Let’s beat this horse some more. Parents won’t tolerate their kid sitting the bench all the time when they are paying thousands and giving up their weekends and I don’t blame them. There are so many travel teams out there now that they are completely watered down. All so mom and dad can brag on social media about their kid’s gold medal win from the bronze bracket. Sorry but your kid finished in 12th. Travel has its place for those that are truly dedicated, have talent and need the challenge but with all the teams out there now, it’s become a money grab. If most would just return to rec ball it would become competitive enough for most again but that horse is out of the barn.
Look man they are playing a kids game. They are in fact kids playing a game. None are going pro. Chill tf out this ain’t about your ego.
Oof. Read a book about child psychology.
Only the best kids are playing cuz they're paying you're not going to spend all that money and get the hotel rooms in the gas if your kids sucks everybody on our team is good there's only 12 kids
No one here gets what he's saying. He's saying that travel ball is "pay to play." Every parent who says "back in my day you had to..." has a kid who has a paid-for position. And they call their kid "elite."
Rec ball is where it's at. That's real baseball.
I politely disagree because I've been doing it since 8u now I'm 13u my parents pay 9k a year for it and we travel across the west coast and I am on one of the best teams in Washington state, I've been to North Carolina, California, Oregon, Idaho, and about to go to Nevada and Arizona this year I actually do have pro, ex pro, and collegiate coaches, plus it's so much more competitive you can lead off at 9u your can headfirst slide at 12u I already have a spot in my highschool team because they've all seen me play and enjoy watching me so I mean it can only go for certain people my parents 50k have done me good so far I am a natural baseball player I was born on opening day 2008 and enjoy baseball.
What team in Washington state
You are just another privileged kid. You got youngsters in the DR and other Latin countries that don’t have anything your parents have provided and they’ll be just as good if not better.
@@LuckyC555 actually we tend to struggle but my parents just want to make my childhood something to remember
@@mr_man_123 new level xtreme 13u