There are other times even on Sundays to play just as there are many different times that people worship. Think brands like Mercedes-Benz. Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. vs. travel. (And I hope thats not the reason you involve your kids in athletics!) As of now, we do believe that we are pursing the wisest course. Its not for every child or family, but we have enjoyed allowing our child to play travel ball, at least today. Fun for all, talent levels not seen before. Just like you, he burned out after two years and transferred so he could pursue his other passions and, more importantly, gain much-needed work experience which benefited him tremendously when he graduated from college and was looking for a job. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Now think about NASCAR. (on which more below). However, many people believe that the Little League better cultivates the true spirit of baseball as opposed to the sometimes too professional and competitive approach in travel baseball. Our daughter played travel softball for 9 years. A lot of these programs operate on a business-like, almost professional, level and feature teams in all age groups. Privacy Policy. Covering Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, the valley . Our two kids old enough to know what baseball is love the Orioles. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. Is there saving Little League? Jan 25, 9:16am. They dropped out of church and I think it really showed their kids that priorities of baseball come before any commitment to church attendance or service. God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. I agree 100% with your article. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I dont believe in definitive s. The guy running the program told me he was going to have a 7/8-year-old team. Every year, various baseball organizations, including USSA, AAU, or Perfect Game, organize hundreds of these tournaments across the whole country. -ta. He wasnt laughing with his buddies, and the kids on the team who were already part of the travel ball program viewed him as a kind of an outsider. Very good and same principles work for hockey too. But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. A travel team can be started by anyone. Educate them. little league field, killing 1 . Every expert agreed that kids are being played too hard and too long. They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. Steven_Ellis February 21, 2015, 12:46pm #1. I had to pay a sign-up fee of $750. Required fields are marked *. Posted on May 21, 2022 by . I stayed with the Little League program because I was told that for my sons 7-year-old season, there would be kid pitching. It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. Hey, for years sports programs operated quite successfully without Sunday morning scheduling. I have seen it just recently in the church Im attending now. Just last year, I finished your work Gods Glory in Salvation through Judgment. Let kids be kids. It should be noted that the local Little League programs pay a one-time entry fee for each team to enter Tournament Play ($200), which goes into a restricted fund used exclusively for offsetting local Little League programs expenses accrued during International Tournament play, including the World Series in each division of play. So, teaching them the core baseball concepts is more important than competing. Not posting some long winded bs. My sons high school teammate played in the minors for several years before being cut and at age 26, he is just now finishing college and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. He didnt make the middle school team as only travel ball kids only made it. As Ive talked to people about this dilemma, one friend proposed this to me: he said that I should start my own travel ball team, and I should commit myself to being low-key about it. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. It is simply not necessary for the younger kids. It will look different for each family and each child. I submit that even with all the excitement of the game, and the money and fame that come with it, the life of a professional athlete is not one to be envied. And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. While it has completely permeated and overtaken little league baseball, it exists in every sport, football included. And if I had any skill to make some of that money working in baseball, I wouldnt have a day job. And yes, they will see how I live and whats important to me the other 6 days a week; for better or worse. Its apparent that wegenerally speakingspend more time encouraging our children to pursue athletic excellence than we do in developing a Biblical Worldview in them. On the contrary, travel baseball is pure commitment! Car pool or fund transportation for those who cant get their children on time. Jan 25, 9:19am. For more information, please see our The Reno Mustangs Travel Ball organization provides an opportunity to our Northern Nevada/Truckee/Tahoe youth athletes to play . They had to draft 8th graders to play for the high school JV team so the others could step up and play the Varsity. Little League. I am confident that there are better ways to steward those thousands of dollars. The Charter Committee also reserves the right to suspend or revoke the local Little Leagues charter for such violations. Operating Policies and Position Statements, Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty. I would urge you to consider how trustworthy Jesus is, how he can reconcile you to God, how he has paid for your sin, and how his Spirit can enable you to love others and enjoy life with them in a gathering of people joined together at a local church. FieroCoug. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. Prep is for 6 and 7 year olds. The coach was great! Turn your focus and see a different view. | GWG Clips #2 from GWG episode #1| Daniel Otero and Ty Osborne - YouTube Blessed to have Tyrone on with us for this episode! Growing up I loved baseball. Whos forcing their kid to play??!! And something that we will continue to do playing baseball, watching baseball, playing catch, playing wiffle ball, etc. . His, I think God led me to this article to reassure me that we are doing right. When comparing travel baseball vs Little League, each of the two has its own advantages and drawbacks. I hope my article could help to answer your questions. The statistics reported concerning the abandonment of the Christian Faith by christian young people before their sophomore year in college is overwhelming. And given the number of kids playing and the number of available spots, even a partial baseball scholarship is terribly unlikely. This is what we due when we gather for worship. Thank you for speaking out and I hope people will take these comments seriously. Its only about winning and not developing. It has been somewhat successful in some respects in that some of its alumni like Carl Crawford, C.C. We only have 1 high school senior playing basketball. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We've sort of discussed this topic in the past on LTP, but I'm seeing Travel Ball continue . He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. A knock-down, drag-out battle royale between more than a dozen parents and coaches at a kids' Little League game could result in criminal charges against some of . http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. 2 were here. Its a Jesuit-based publication with a political slant that does not agree with mine. My son tried out. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. Odysseus. It was time for him to play real baseball! In 2002, Havenwood Little League merged with Riviera Beach Little League and two other local baseball programs in Pasadena and became the Pasadena Baseball Club. Thanks for the great article I can share with the parents of my students. But a story did cross my timeline about something near and dear to my heart: baseball. OP's son sounds like a hard worker, just have to work in the right place 35 Reply [deleted] 5 yr. ago And to get your kid into a school with AP courses. After my first year of it in college, I found that what had been so fun because I had the opportunity to look forward to it in the off season, or even on days between practice or games, began to feel like a dreaded obligation that consumed a significant portion of every day. If non-Christians are playing travel ball on Sundays and all the Christians are in church with other Christians, how will the Christians win the non-Christians to Christ? Looking for a deeper, more forceful argument, the dad added: This team is our community.. Yes, I need Sunday fellowship and worship. It is other worldly, it is unlike anything the Non Christian can imagine, to deny ourselves something the world says is a must and do something the world sees as foolish. I look at another coach who is seeded number one in the league and am very glad my kid isnt with him as I can only imagine the sort of character theyd be building. A lot of teams are started by parents, but some are run by former high school and college coaches. If dads still took their kids to baseball games, played catch with their boys, played wiffleball and played baseball video games most boys would be competitive at baseball. For those not going into coaching/training or the extremely few that will play professionally the focus needs to not get away from marketable skills once your done with college; which is a challenge in itself as athletes are often steered towards meaningless degrees to accommodate athletics. Well-roundedness: Despite the cultural drive for pursuing one sport, well-roundedness as a child makes for happy, well-adjusted adults. My son (now aged 26) was approached from age 10 on to play travel ball, but we declined year after year because it would pull us away from church plus cost us a small fortune. Dont sacrifice your sons childhood on the altar of the hope that hes the next Derek Jeter. Tha KS alot for all your insight!!! You explain it t the tee for me and cant thank you enough . In the end, it should all come to what the kid wants. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Once-proud public institutions are being privatized, with many unintended consequences. Listen to article. I have also read some of your other works and have learned much from them and enjoyed reading them. However, they are much more severe. With this comes the COOPERSTOWN TICKET. 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. Rec ball in many places is competitive. Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? Often this will vary from league to league and from coach to coach. Ive heard of travel ball teams that play 60 games in a summerfor kids under 10!and then they practice at least once a week through the winter. Our son never felt like he missed out on anything; he was too busy playing other sports and doing other activities. I am coaching a 5-6 yr old team and can already feel the pull of private instructors, out of season ball, travel squads, etc. The team brings the kids together and provides a common ground upon which they can build lasting friendships. . A lot of these coaches have other full-time jobs and simply dont have enough time to focus on their team. I think it does need to be approached carefully and prayerfully, especially with the demands on the family and commitments that call us away from the church. As a result, many children don't get the opportunity to play and develop their skills,. And we want them to work hard, even when the going gets tough. Added together, the average cost per player for a season must be well over $1,000. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. . I wanted to play all the time, until I got to college and had to do so. Usually, coaches in travel baseball are more experienced and competent than their counterparts in the recreational leagues. Its better to honor God than to win, and its better for your kid to enjoy the game than for him to play at the highest possible level. Waiting lists for leagues. If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. They chronicled 850 baseball deaths in Death at the Ballpark, spanning professional, amateur, Little League, and even backyard pickup games. Baseball exists not just because of the community's love of the game. The roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money. I could rest. The MCLL Fall season has a developmental focus and is an opportunity for players to try the division they may play next Spring. He did see some development as a player, but nothing major. What I got was disaster. I think this is an important topic that needs to be discussed. Additionally, every local Little League program in the United States with a team that travels 150 miles or more per one round trip to a section, state, and region level tournament receives a reimbursement from Little League Baseball of $1 per mile for one round trip to each tournament site, to help offset travel expenses. That means that even if your kid is the best thing since Babe Ruth, if he goes off to play major college baseball, the baseball team isnt paying all the expenses. Your email address will not be published. They sound the same. Consider D1 baseball: each team is allowed a maximum of 11.7 scholarships, and those scholarships can be divided up between players. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. Build this league and you will have travel on the decline. Harford County Travel Baseball League: Sports league web site provided and hosted free of charge by LeagueLineup.com - The Youth and Amateur Sports Portal! This mentally effects the kids also with so much pressure to do well. Learning that excelling takes commitment, hard work, loyalty. Not one. In volleyball and soccer, maybe cheer, but most other sports they don't. FieroCoug. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. She excelled once she wasnt under my leadership and under the leadership of a professional. Was it really worth it? You can start posting after you click here to register.Click the word the "register" to proceed. coming down the pike. Rookie is for 7 and 8 year olds. Welcome to Libertyville Little League's Home Plate Registration for the 2023 Spring Season Opens December 1st We are excited to be kicking off 2023 Libertyville Little League registration. featured all American teams. When we read books about how it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert on anything, it may wrongly motivate us to try to create little experts out of our kids by the time they graduate from high school. I dont usually read things that are in America. Is it any wonder that race sponsors like Goodys and Virginia National Bank have been replaced by Bluegreen Vacations, Ally, or Bank of America? For millions of American families, paying private for-profit clubseuphemistically termed travel teamsthousands of dollars a year to organize athletic games for their children is now an unquestioned way of life that shapes family routines, work schedules and commutes. If youre not ready to make certain sacrifices, then this form of baseball is probably not for you. Editor's note: This is the first story in a four-part series examining the pros and cons of youths playing extensive travel baseball versus Little League, or a combination of the two. But most of them still play, in one way or another. Every year, MCLL designates players in our All-Star Tournament teams to represent MCLL in the Little League Tournaments within various age groups. Too many surgeries, other arm problems, leg issues and other health issues that kids at that age shouldnt have to endure. Second, recreation leagues can be just as competitive and demanding as travel ball, but doesnt have the same season length. They learn more socially because they have different teammates for each sport and different roles. Continue with Recommended Cookies.