As a volunteer basketball coach for 18+ years, Ive seen girls spiritually suffer by the same well-intentioned convictions of their parents. 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? I wanted to play all the time, until I got to college and had to do so. There doesnt have to be a life lesson constantly pointed out. This is great information, but unfortunately rec ballaka little leagueis a political nightmare where I am from and for many others. The Fall baseball/softball season includes league play at all division levels. Its no coincidence that the top two picks in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Orioles Jackson Holliday and the Diamondbacks Druw Jones, were sons of superstar Major League players. The demographics of NASCAR drivers has changed dramatically. He did see some development as a player, but nothing major. Messages conveyed: We parents need to pray daily about what messages we are sending our children by the sports or other activities we have them in. Wr had to travel 3 ours to find a competitive travel team. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. Since 2015, it has been known as The Emirates FA Cup after its . Falls Church Klwanis Little League. The nature of sport is that participants will learn in the course of their play, practice, games or meets, all about discipline, perseverance, punctuality, teamwork, goal-setting, how to handle disagreements, disappointment and failure, as well as success and recognition. (Answered! Do I think that she will go pro? Non-Christians exist because what they worship is false. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. But if missing church on a Sunday for travel ball is condemning, then missing church for family vacations, work, sickness or any other reason is the same. (Matthew 6:33) I pray that many folks take heed of what you shared. Here in our area not so much. Our eldest, now six, is in her second year of playing though she has moved over to softball. Excellence: Pursuing excellence is important, but be sure you know and your child knows what you mean by that. In fact, Little League International pays all the expenses of the dozens of teams that reach the World Series level in Little League Baseball and Softball, including travel, meals, and lodging. Nope, the good, serious players in most sports do both in high school. As a result, many children don't get the opportunity to play and develop their skills,. Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. And there are eight Urban Youth Academies. That is why I was sympathetic to the angry dads argument and, in the end, took his son for the team. Who are these kids being forced to play? Thanks for posting this. Your email address will not be published. Since tournaments and games are. In the US, the program involves kids ages 4-16 and is organized into the following divisions: For a lot of kids, Little League is the first time they meet with the organized baseball. That was it! Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. Today, participation is seen by many as a near necessity for talented players to develop their skills and hone their game against the best competition they can find. Hey, for years sports programs operated quite successfully without Sunday morning scheduling. Well, there wasnt. Golf has, traditionally, been a sport played by upper-class white guys. Required fields are marked *. It also has a successful 18u rec program. Additionally, as an exercise physiologist, Im very pro movement, health and sports, but believe balance in life is key. Little League now includes a senior division for players age 13 to 15 and a big-league division for age 16 to 18. 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. They work the young players harder, but the result is better player development. Its only my observation of course but many areas in life are dog eat dog competitive, as it were. Ive alluded to this somewhat above. The Little League has dominated youth baseball for years, but today its unable to provide the satisfying level of coaching and skill development. The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. Are those stewardship issues as well? There are no playoffs unless otherwise noted. 12527 posts. You can start posting after you click here to register.Click the word the "register" to proceed. Travel ball is expensive but studying for class is free, and an SAT book is like 20 bucks. Website: . Registration is quick, easy, and FREE. Hello, Im Paul, a 45 year old passionate baseball fan and the owner of this website. (Not that we did everything right by any means!!) Focusing on winning games is short-sighted and ignorant. I hoped that I would get information like yours Jason. home. Is Travel Ball killing little league and organized baseball? Honestly, in the sport of football, it may be most perpetuated by mothers, though from the . 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. Usually, teams play travel ball at least twice a month, on weekends. Every year, MCLL designates players in our All-Star Tournament teams to represent MCLL in the Little League Tournaments within various age groups. Well, at registration, I learned my leagues Board of Directors decided to use a pitching machine for 7-year-olds, and that MAYBE toward the end of the season, there MIGHT be some kid pitch. It was good for us a s a family although the wallet didnt think so. The statistics reported concerning the abandonment of the Christian Faith by christian young people before their sophomore year in college is overwhelming. The closest Little League organization to Pasadena now is in Davidsonville, 23 miles away. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? The coach was great! D.A.s or District staff are encouraged to work with the leagues in their district to provide combined district travel teams, establish player pools, and find ways for all players interested to have an opportunity to . Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. Kids blossom at different ages. A lot of travel baseball programs have their own training facilities where players have excellent conditions to develop their skills. So, teaching them the core baseball concepts is more important than competing. And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. Who knows; organizationally they still seem to be doing pretty well overseas and a U.S. team won three of the last four Little League World Series featuring international teams. The way its going, all pro players are going to be rich, white kids from the suburbs, or [they will be] Dominican or Venezuelan, one major league front office analyst told me. Its not the uniforms, its not bat flips or the lack thereof, its not the shift, its not the pace of play. However, they are much more severe. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Little League baseball is a program organized by a non-profit organization based in Pennsylvania and it features local youth baseball competitions all over the world. I left registration, and pulled him from the Little League program. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. General Pitching Topics. Harford County Travel Baseball League: Sports league web site provided and hosted free of charge by LeagueLineup.com - The Youth and Amateur Sports Portal! The costs of travel baseball often put a serious strain on the family budget. I hope my article could help to answer your questions. Enjoyment: Help your children enjoy a sport for the simple joy of the sport. Learn from others short comings and honor God with your precious time on the field. Having coached both my sons in travel an rec ball, and being on the board of our local rec league, serving as president for several years. Every year, various baseball organizations, including USSA, AAU, or Perfect Game, organize hundreds of these tournaments across the whole country. On the contrary, travel baseball is pure commitment! Baseball should be a fun game for him not a demanding job. Being part of a team, no matter how long its for, isnt permanent, so as nice as it is to identify with activities that we love, we dont want them to define us or our kids. Its not a coincidence that two of the most iconic golfers of the last thirty years, John Daly and Tiger Woods, were nothing like their peers in their own ways. Travel Ball Travel ball softball is the next step up from recreational softball. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); on Dont Play Travel Ball: Stay in the Rec League, Great Books Selections for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016. MORE: 5 Little League Strategies for Coaches Who Want to Have Fun and Win Herbst will then go down the line and examine form to correct anyone who isn't doing the wind-up properly. Some of the thoughts overlap what was already said. Thanks for sharing them. While I cant say my son progressed all that much during the Tee Ball season, other kids definitely did, and he had a ton of fun. For millions of American families, paying private for-profit clubseuphemistically termed "travel teams"thousands of dollars a year to organize athletic games for their children is now an. Have your church thru fellowship and reach others who may be lost. Dont let one child be turned away because they cant afford registration or equipment. I started my son in the Little League Tee Ball program when he was four. From a father of 3 boys I can confirm this to be absolute truth. Almost every parent volunteers. For years, the Little League has been the stepping stone for kids between the fun youth play and the more serious high-school and collegiate baseball leagues. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Travel/Select Ball Montgomery County Little League (MCLL) is a recreational baseball program by definition of being a chartered affiliate of Little League International. It also has a successful 18u rec program. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. A lot of these programs operate on a business-like, almost professional, level and feature teams in all age groups. The local Little League and the teams players, manager, or coaches, do not need to raise any funds to be able to participate in the Little League Baseball World Series. I dont normally respond to blog posts, but I wanted to respond to this one because I respect you. 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