By Jack Perconte
Whether a child should play travel baseball and at what age they should begin playing travel is often a tough call for parents. Deciding to go the travel baseball route too early in a player's career can be detrimental to their desire to continue playing baseball in subsequent years. When anyone of the key factors listed below are missing, it may lead to unhappy ball players. Whereas, not playing travel soon enough can feel like a year wasted, it is usually not so serious because a player can try out the following year for travel ball. I believe a player's talent will come through in the end whether they play travel baseball or not. But when a child seems to be bored or not challenged at the in-house recreational league, it is time to consider playing travel baseball. Every travel team and community is different, but generally, travel baseball provides a higher level and more interested player. Also, baseball players who are around good players and are challenged correctly have the opportunity to improve their skills at a quicker rate.
There are four key things that can help determine when and whether a kid should play travel baseball. The key things are listed in my order of prominence but the importance of each factor is a little different for each family, based on their particular situation.
1. Interest level - parents should talk to their child about travel ball and observe their actions when playing baseball to judge weather a child appears to have the added interest that travel ball requires. The decision to play should not be because the parent wants them to play.
2. Skill level - putting a player in a level they are not ready for is the quickest way to have them want to discontinue playing. Parents should check out travel ball player's skill level before tryouts, when possible. Asking for an outside opinion about their child's skill level from their previous season's coach may be helpful. Even having a player try out for a team - when they are obviously not ready for that level of play - can hurt a child's self-esteem and desire.
3. The coach - in my opinion, having a child play for a knowledgeable, well-respected coach is priceless. When parents hear of such a coach they should look into the possibility of their son playing for his team. Good coaches help players even beyond the playing field and serve as positive role models for kids.
4. Time commitment - meeting the demands of much more playing can be tough to balance while having kids stay involved in other activities, including non-sport related ones. It is never a good idea to have every hour of a kid's day and week scheduled, providing no free time for kids to just "hang out" with friends and family. Playing travel ball with more than one sport, when their seasons overlap, can cause this type of over-scheduling.
Of course, there are many other factors that may go into the decision to play travel baseball. Among those, a family's financial situation as well as the effect on other family members must be considered.
Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball
Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte
Showing posts with label travel baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel baseball. Show all posts
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Travel Sports - Boomers Gone Bad
By William Hazelgrove
Used to be you just played baseball or soccer of football. There was Little League and Pony League and the Majors but after that you played for a school. If you are a parent then you know what has come to fill in the gap for the passionate sport parent who doesn't get enough time with their child. The Travel Sports. Question. What cost about two thousand dollars, sucks up half the year, and puts you in the same league with every man who did not get his fill of high school or college sports or worse yet believed he was overlooked as a possible major league contender?These overgrown athletes can find succor in the twisted halls of Travel Sports.
I love spending time with my kids and I coached for seven years, but the fun, the joy of a child playing sports was sucked right out when we entered the realm of Travel Baseball. Suddenly there was no joy in Mudville. Win or lose the games had become deadly serious. Parents agonized over defeats and critiqued the wins. Coaches screamed and hollered over calls and boys of twelve were reduced to tears after coaches benched them for an error or a loss where the boys shamed themselves. Its all so overblown and out of line that we have to wonder who started this madness of sham professional athletics for boys and girls.
The boomers. Only the boomers could generate the kind of entitlement that would translate to grown men wearing custom made uniforms and traveling thousands of miles to have twelve years old play a game I used to play in the streets. Oh I know...times change. Yes Yes Yes...everyone plays travel now. So what. It still is absurd. And here is the worst thing--that kind of major league competition does not produce games where kids can learn. It produces neurotic parents juiced on winning at any cost and children who learn less about the game and more about parents funneling every bit of sublimated stress into a game that should be on par with playing catch in the backyard.
But we live in a time when everything is overblown. So it is not surprising that kids sports are the latest casualty of the generation that produced helicopter parents and the self satisfying mantra of hope I die before I get old and then became the most over the top obnoxious old people on the planet. So to everyone who is fuming I know nothing of the joys of organized travel sports and the excellence that can come from intense competition and the bonding that occurs when groups of parents and their children travel thousands of miles together to arrive at some field in some distant city--I say,as my father told me long ago when I lost in Little League--it is only a game. Lighten up guys.
William Hazelgrove's highly praised first three novels Ripples,(Pantonne) LJ highly recommended, ALA Editors Choice, Tobacco Sticks, (Bantam, Best Novels of the Nineties Doris Lesher, Starred Review PW, LJ highly recommended) and Mica Highways, (Bantam,) covered the scope of a coming of age, a courtroom drama set in Virginia in the forties, and a mystery set in the South. William Hazelgrove is the Hemingway writer in residence for the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. He has written reviews and features for USA TODAY and been the subject of stories in the NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and NPR'S All Things Considered..
More information can be gathered at http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Hazelgrove
Used to be you just played baseball or soccer of football. There was Little League and Pony League and the Majors but after that you played for a school. If you are a parent then you know what has come to fill in the gap for the passionate sport parent who doesn't get enough time with their child. The Travel Sports. Question. What cost about two thousand dollars, sucks up half the year, and puts you in the same league with every man who did not get his fill of high school or college sports or worse yet believed he was overlooked as a possible major league contender?These overgrown athletes can find succor in the twisted halls of Travel Sports.
I love spending time with my kids and I coached for seven years, but the fun, the joy of a child playing sports was sucked right out when we entered the realm of Travel Baseball. Suddenly there was no joy in Mudville. Win or lose the games had become deadly serious. Parents agonized over defeats and critiqued the wins. Coaches screamed and hollered over calls and boys of twelve were reduced to tears after coaches benched them for an error or a loss where the boys shamed themselves. Its all so overblown and out of line that we have to wonder who started this madness of sham professional athletics for boys and girls.
The boomers. Only the boomers could generate the kind of entitlement that would translate to grown men wearing custom made uniforms and traveling thousands of miles to have twelve years old play a game I used to play in the streets. Oh I know...times change. Yes Yes Yes...everyone plays travel now. So what. It still is absurd. And here is the worst thing--that kind of major league competition does not produce games where kids can learn. It produces neurotic parents juiced on winning at any cost and children who learn less about the game and more about parents funneling every bit of sublimated stress into a game that should be on par with playing catch in the backyard.
But we live in a time when everything is overblown. So it is not surprising that kids sports are the latest casualty of the generation that produced helicopter parents and the self satisfying mantra of hope I die before I get old and then became the most over the top obnoxious old people on the planet. So to everyone who is fuming I know nothing of the joys of organized travel sports and the excellence that can come from intense competition and the bonding that occurs when groups of parents and their children travel thousands of miles together to arrive at some field in some distant city--I say,as my father told me long ago when I lost in Little League--it is only a game. Lighten up guys.
William Hazelgrove's highly praised first three novels Ripples,(Pantonne) LJ highly recommended, ALA Editors Choice, Tobacco Sticks, (Bantam, Best Novels of the Nineties Doris Lesher, Starred Review PW, LJ highly recommended) and Mica Highways, (Bantam,) covered the scope of a coming of age, a courtroom drama set in Virginia in the forties, and a mystery set in the South. William Hazelgrove is the Hemingway writer in residence for the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. He has written reviews and features for USA TODAY and been the subject of stories in the NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and NPR'S All Things Considered..
More information can be gathered at http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Hazelgrove
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Repetition: The Key To Baseball Development
PREFACE: Let me start by saying this post is intended for parents of players who are interested in learning more about travel or club baseball teams. Not all children are interested in playing on these types of teams and there's nothing wrong with that. Baseball is a game for anyone who wants to play it. Rec or town baseball is a great way for kids to enjoy the game.
The landscape of youth baseball leagues has changed considerably over the last decade. It use to be that kids only played in their town's recreation league and the all stars went on to play in the regional Little League tournament. There were also a few AAU teams where players had to try out and win a position. These were made up of highly skilled players in each age group who had to prove they belonged on these teams.
Then the invention of "travel baseball" came onto the scene (a trend created by youth soccer I believe) where "all star" players from the town's recreation league would be placed onto age appropriate teams and travel to neighboring towns to play in competitive tournaments. The higher ranked of teams also competed in Cal Ripken and Little League district, state and regional play. Normally there is a try out process that kids must go through to make a town travel team.
About 10 years ago a new baseball team was invented... the club team. These private teams, funded by parents where usually coached by parents or by hiring a "professional" coach. These teams are also sometimes referred to as AAU teams although many of them have no affiliation with AAU. Some founders of club teams feel they need to give their teams validity by using the term "AAU". Some of these teams have a formal tryout process and others recruit kids based on other criteria, some objective, some subjective. Key here is that generally club teams operate by rules which have been definded by the founders.
There are a number of differences between town travel and club teams. One key difference is town travel teams usually have guidelines for minimum playing time, especially at the younger ages. This provides some protection for players and ensures they will get time on the field. While some club teams may have playing time guidelines, many are managed by a parent coach who instills his or her own ideas of who should be playing where and how often. If your child is interested in playing on a club team 13U and under you should find out up front how much playing time he/she will get. Question to ask... Does your team have guidelines for minimum playing time? Good answer: Yes, we make sure that all kids play at least 50% of the innings by the end of the season. Bad Answer: Well that's going to depend on how well he plays, our objective is to win games.
Not that all town travel teams are perfect either. You may have some programs or coaches who believe more in winning then they do in development. Some coaches may "pigeon hole" a kid in to playing a position they really don't like or aren't suited for. Some may not give kids ample playing time because of a desire to win. If your child is playing on a travel or club team have a discussion with the coach before he signs up. You want to be sure that your placing your child in an environment that's appropriate.
So why is it important to know all this? Like most sports, baseball skill development comes through repetition. Adults often place too high of an importance on what team their child is playing on... or what level the team is playing at. Honestly, I use to think the same way, but I've seen the light. Yes good competition is part of baseball growth but the most important thing is for a player to get lots and lots of time at the position they like to play. It doesn't matter if it's rec ball, travel ball or sand lot ball... the more innings they have playing a position the more comfortable and confident they will be playing it.
Yes, the custom team apparel, bat bags, matching cleats of a club team are cool and they give your child (and some parents) the feeling they play for a profesional team... but you need to ask yourself if it's the right environment for your child, what is she really gaining? Is my child getting enough experience or is she limited because she's not getting a fair amount of time on the field. Would my child be better off on a team where I know she will get alot of playing time even though that team plays in a "less competitive" league? I would answer a big YES to that question.
Now I will argue that it's important for more serious players to face more difficult pitching. At any level, hitting confidence comes from knowing you have he ability to hit anyone in your league. This is developed in both game play and practice. If you feel your child needs to work on hitting more difficult pitching I suggest going to the cage on a regular basis and cranking up the pitching machine.
I have a friend who's son is 14. This kid started playing baseball at age 6. At age 9 he expressed interest primarily in catching and pitcher. Over the next few years he learned and practiced the skills for both positions, along with hitting of course. He was lucky to have good coaches, mentors and instructors along the way. He played rec ball, fall ball, travel ball to the tune of about 50 games a year, or 250 games over 5 years. He caught in nearly all of those games and pitched his share as well. This gave him the playing time he needed to develop important skills and confidence in his ability to perform them. He's now a solid player in both positions. You could apply this story to many successful ball players. The lesson is a simple one...
Repetition in a position builds baseball skills and the confidence to perform them. When your 11 year old is playing 3rd base it doesn't matter if the grounder is hit to him by a kid playing in an elite club team league or a kid playing in a town rec league. It's his confidence in fielding the ball, making the play and the fun he has doing it that matters. That all comes through repetition in the right environment.
Coach Bob
- - -
The landscape of youth baseball leagues has changed considerably over the last decade. It use to be that kids only played in their town's recreation league and the all stars went on to play in the regional Little League tournament. There were also a few AAU teams where players had to try out and win a position. These were made up of highly skilled players in each age group who had to prove they belonged on these teams.
Then the invention of "travel baseball" came onto the scene (a trend created by youth soccer I believe) where "all star" players from the town's recreation league would be placed onto age appropriate teams and travel to neighboring towns to play in competitive tournaments. The higher ranked of teams also competed in Cal Ripken and Little League district, state and regional play. Normally there is a try out process that kids must go through to make a town travel team.
About 10 years ago a new baseball team was invented... the club team. These private teams, funded by parents where usually coached by parents or by hiring a "professional" coach. These teams are also sometimes referred to as AAU teams although many of them have no affiliation with AAU. Some founders of club teams feel they need to give their teams validity by using the term "AAU". Some of these teams have a formal tryout process and others recruit kids based on other criteria, some objective, some subjective. Key here is that generally club teams operate by rules which have been definded by the founders.
There are a number of differences between town travel and club teams. One key difference is town travel teams usually have guidelines for minimum playing time, especially at the younger ages. This provides some protection for players and ensures they will get time on the field. While some club teams may have playing time guidelines, many are managed by a parent coach who instills his or her own ideas of who should be playing where and how often. If your child is interested in playing on a club team 13U and under you should find out up front how much playing time he/she will get. Question to ask... Does your team have guidelines for minimum playing time? Good answer: Yes, we make sure that all kids play at least 50% of the innings by the end of the season. Bad Answer: Well that's going to depend on how well he plays, our objective is to win games.
Not that all town travel teams are perfect either. You may have some programs or coaches who believe more in winning then they do in development. Some coaches may "pigeon hole" a kid in to playing a position they really don't like or aren't suited for. Some may not give kids ample playing time because of a desire to win. If your child is playing on a travel or club team have a discussion with the coach before he signs up. You want to be sure that your placing your child in an environment that's appropriate.
So why is it important to know all this? Like most sports, baseball skill development comes through repetition. Adults often place too high of an importance on what team their child is playing on... or what level the team is playing at. Honestly, I use to think the same way, but I've seen the light. Yes good competition is part of baseball growth but the most important thing is for a player to get lots and lots of time at the position they like to play. It doesn't matter if it's rec ball, travel ball or sand lot ball... the more innings they have playing a position the more comfortable and confident they will be playing it.
Yes, the custom team apparel, bat bags, matching cleats of a club team are cool and they give your child (and some parents) the feeling they play for a profesional team... but you need to ask yourself if it's the right environment for your child, what is she really gaining? Is my child getting enough experience or is she limited because she's not getting a fair amount of time on the field. Would my child be better off on a team where I know she will get alot of playing time even though that team plays in a "less competitive" league? I would answer a big YES to that question.
Now I will argue that it's important for more serious players to face more difficult pitching. At any level, hitting confidence comes from knowing you have he ability to hit anyone in your league. This is developed in both game play and practice. If you feel your child needs to work on hitting more difficult pitching I suggest going to the cage on a regular basis and cranking up the pitching machine.
I have a friend who's son is 14. This kid started playing baseball at age 6. At age 9 he expressed interest primarily in catching and pitcher. Over the next few years he learned and practiced the skills for both positions, along with hitting of course. He was lucky to have good coaches, mentors and instructors along the way. He played rec ball, fall ball, travel ball to the tune of about 50 games a year, or 250 games over 5 years. He caught in nearly all of those games and pitched his share as well. This gave him the playing time he needed to develop important skills and confidence in his ability to perform them. He's now a solid player in both positions. You could apply this story to many successful ball players. The lesson is a simple one...
Repetition in a position builds baseball skills and the confidence to perform them. When your 11 year old is playing 3rd base it doesn't matter if the grounder is hit to him by a kid playing in an elite club team league or a kid playing in a town rec league. It's his confidence in fielding the ball, making the play and the fun he has doing it that matters. That all comes through repetition in the right environment.
Coach Bob
Friday, April 18, 2008
Regional Tournaments for 8 Year Olds? Come On!
For those of you involved with youth baseball administration you will no doubt soon be attending the first of many "district" meetings. These generally take place in the early spring. Our league holds charters with Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken which follows a district, state and regional tournament format. The core discussions at these meetings are the locations and dates of tournaments which lead to the Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken World Series. Well a few days ago our locations and dates were announced and I was surprised to see a new addition to the summer tournament schedule.
Prior to last year these baseball tournaments were limited to 9 year old teams and up in Cal Ripken. However, in 2007 it was decided to hold a district level tournament for 8 year old teams. At first this sounded a bit over the top to me. After all these are 8 year old kids who are still learning how to field a ground ball and reach first base. Now they want them playing in a district level competitive tournament?
Our league had been accustomed to forming two equally balanced teams at the 8 year old level and we were not about to depart from this philosophy. After polling the manager's of our 8 year old teams our league decided to participate with two balanced teams. The location was only 15-20 minutes away for parents and coaches to drive so the logistics didn't seem too daunting. The kids played 3 games against other teams from our area and reported a great experience for all involved. The pageantry of standing on the foul lines with hat over heart singing the National Anthem made for many great photo opportunities of our young ball players. Overall the event turned out to be a positive one for our kids which is the main purpose we do this thing called Youth Baseball.
Now fast forward to 2008… Rather than just let the 8 year old district tournament experiment continue, the wisdom of Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken has decided to hold district, state and regional level tournaments for 8 year old teams. Yes, let me repeat that…. 8 year old kids playing in a regional tournament for Cal Ripken. This is one of the most absurd ideas I have ever heard of since getting involved with youth baseball.
At the 8 year old age level winning any game is pot luck … now they want these teams to spend the better part of the summer traveling all over who knows where to play in these games. Do they really think parents of 8 year olds want to drive 200+ miles, stay with host families and spend the cash required for a regional tournament?
The most important question though is… What does an 8 year old gain out of being propelled into a competitive tournament at such a young age? IMHO this does not foster what is important at this age.. helping them fall in love with baseball. Aren’t we tasked with this and focusing on teaching the core fundamentals of the game at this age? Where are the Ripken brothers with their great message of growth through youth baseball? Mr. Ripken please help us understand what 8 year old Jimmy will get out of playing in a regional tournament game 215 miles from his home?
As youth baseball administrators we need to come to our senses and get back to what’s important…. Helping kids learn and love the game while learning about life through youth baseball. Kids at such a young age really gain nothing by playing in these competitive environments. They would be just as happy if we gave them some old equipment, drove them to a field and let them play ball on their own. And after the game… some ice cream! Now that’s youth baseball!
Coach Bob
http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com/
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