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. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. Little League. I was glad he played Tee Ball, and I looked forward to the following year when I assumed there would be some kid pitching. He is pitching in little league with success this year. FieroCoug. Very good and same principles work for hockey too. Little League Internationals rules, regulations, and policies have been formulated over more than seven decades to ensure a safe, fun, and healthy environment for children. They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. Baseball exists not just because of the community's love of the game. Little League now includes a senior division for players age 13 to 15 and a big-league division for age 16 to 18. Little league teams have pulled out of the North Carolina state championship tournament after gunshots erupted during a weekend game, their organizers said Monday in social media posts. Jan 25, 9:28am. I talked to a dad who was committed to having his family in church even when they were on the roadand he said they traveled as a family as often as they couldfor tournaments. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. His, Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Too many times parents want what they want, not whats best for their kids. The result: In the United States, baseball is becoming a mostly white country-club sport for upper-class families to consume, like a snorkeling vacation or a round of golf. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? For us, travel has been amazing. My son started disliking baseball at 9 years old because the boys in rec wouldnt hit a cut off, and dropped the ball so often. It was something that we passed on to them. Thanks for the great article I can share with the parents of my students. I agree with some that was said. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. There doesnt have to be a life lesson constantly pointed out. I know that may sound weird working with a kid at such a young age, but his older brother played baseball, so he was always around. First some background, my son is in his third season of playing ball. It is a trend mirrored by our schools, hospitals and military. Encouraging the pursuit of excellence and rewarding hard work and God given talent. Obviously, I dont buy into the idea of late-stage capitalism. Let them play the game. Listen to truthful, accurate feedback from coaches. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. Were enjoying the homeschool league to which we belong right now, but also realize that our daughters team is not a highly competitive team, but the JV/Varsity teams are a bit more competitive. I spent my 20s laying the foundation for what Im doing with the rest of my life, not bouncing around in the minor leagues. My daughter loves the game more now than ever before. So we are playing upward thru our church. Its hard in the county. Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. Mid-way through the season, I asked the coach if there would be an opportunity for some kid pitching. Golf attracts high dollar, high roller sponsors. Travel Ball Killing Little League!? The three year old is already all in and ready to play. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. There are rules and considerations for exceptions and of course fall ball has its own set of rules as there is no rec ball at that time. Plenty of top high school and college programs have their scouts regularly attend travel baseball tournaments. The competitive environment, expert guidance, and the quality of available facilities are unmatched by any other youth competition. In my experience as a recreation coach, I found the rec league filled with as much politics and drama and team stacking as travel ball leagues. Voddie Bauchams Family Driven Faith. foster a love for the game. As Little League has declined, travel baseball has grown. You are spot on with all your assertions, and I wish Id been able to absorb something like this when my oldest two were starting out. 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. Manage Settings The group that split from us is the same group that has ruined our little league. Give your kid the chance to be a great person and cultivate that through sports. I appreciate the attention to burnout as well Ive seen that in some kids where theyre pushed to keep going and just dont want to do it anymore. There is another very sad thing that often happens as a result of a familys involvement in travel ball. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. Even though my son showed to every practice and gave 100% effort, it didnt matter. (No wonder God calls us to pray without ceasing!). Fourth, travel ball is expensive, but so are the other activities in which many parents place their children like show choir and band. Brewers pitcher Andrew Kim (10) throws a ball towards the plate and a Giants batter during a game versus the Brewers for a Summerlin Little League North majors game at Trails Park Little. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. Travel baseball takes a toll on kids, both mentally and physically. We only have 1 high school senior playing basketball. 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 . When I was a kid, I played baseball under the Little League umbrella from age 8 through age 12. 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. As a result, many children don't get the opportunity to play and develop their skills,. 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. A lot of teams are started by parents, but some are run by former high school and college coaches. We have truly enjoyed getting to know our travel team family! Well, this certainly diverged off the main topic of traveling versus rec sports, but I hope it provides a little more to talk about, especially among family members. to return baseball to urban fields. Little League. For additional information please contact Glenna Sandel at 615-403-6938 . The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. Rec ball in many places is competitive. If youre not ready to make certain sacrifices, then this form of baseball is probably not for you. Sabathia and the Upton Brothers have become big league players. I give you a big Amen! And you should. PAY FOR QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure you have enough umpires for all games and have them supported by all involved. Well, there wasnt. BE INVOLVED , VOLUNTEER, ATTEND MEETING AFTER MEETING, FUND RAISE, HOLD ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR TIME, HONOR, COMMITMENT AND GET ALL THE KIDS TO ENJOY THIS LEAGUE YOU ARE A PART OF. Truthfully, we have gotten better instruction and development at a Rec ball/All Star level. 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. Travel-ball costs are more substantial. If youre a non-Christian reading this post, dont you want to live for something more than baseball? I had my schedule back. The travel baseball vs Little League debate has been a hot topic in US youth baseball for quite some time now. Now, this doesnt mean that her coach and teammates like it, but we have found that our commitment has opened the door for spiritual conversations. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. Our eldest, now six, is in her second year of playing though she has moved over to softball. It also has a successful 18u rec program. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. It doesn't take much and Rec Leagues would be greatly improved. The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. Member since Aug 2014. I learned I would have to stay in a hotel for out-of-town tournaments. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. Generally speaking, these parents dont do the Sunday sports to evangelize. I dont believe in definitive s. No player evaluations are required for the Fall season. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. Our two kids old enough to know what baseball is love the Orioles. A jury convicted three men of murder in the 2017 death of a beloved Little League coach who was fatally stabbed over a confiscated driver's license while working security at a downtown bar. Thanks, To Him Be the Gory (in travel ball and everywhere else in His Creation). Often, teams participate in the tournaments that take place in a city other than their own or even in another state. Some of the thoughts overlap what was already said. And at best a professional athlete might play into his late 30s or early 40s, then what? Its a vicious cycle. 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. Gallatin Little League Baseball: T-ball, Coach Pitch & Baseball You can print a registration form (PDF). 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. Travel ball is being on the right team, knowing the right people, and working on your skill set; not that much different from academic pursuits really and more so I suppose. And if I had any skill to make some of that money working in baseball, I wouldnt have a day job. We decided to engage in travel ball because the coaching was better. Players invest a lot of money and energy into it. The answer to this question depends on the reasons for joining the program. 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? And man (probably some do) dont evangelize. What Is Travel Baseball? Nonetheless it's something that I hope that I can enjoy with her (and any future kids, too) for the rest of our lives, much as I still enjoy talking and watching baseball with my parents to this day. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. Were seeing some growth in her skills and she loves the game. This is related to the previous: the best players leave the rec league for travel ball, and then the mediocre players get tempted to do so, and then all the kids get burnt out and stop playing baseball. The MCLL Fall season has a developmental focus and is an opportunity for players to try the division they may play next Spring. I love helping people get a better understanding of the game. Not one. This is a straw man argument that has nothing to do with the very valid points the author makes. The fear that if children dont specialize in one sport by eighth grade they will miss opportunities is unfounded. No formula exists, but here are a few ideas to think about: Variety: Encourage your children to play a different sport each season until their upper teens. In Pony baseball, players are put into divisions by age groups of two years. Baseball should be a fun game for him not a demanding job. Its only about winning and not developing. For decades, NASCAR was a working class, southern sport. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. In fact, most experts believe that if your goal is for your child to go pro, the worst thing you can do is overplay them. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. Learn from others short comings and honor God with your precious time on the field. What I got was disaster. Operating Policies and Position Statements, Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty. Thank you for writing this. For others, it can wreak havoc. Travel with extended families and make bonds with good people. Kids may start playing in the Little League from as young as age 4. I love excellence. Enfield Little League is happy to continue with the Enfield Warriors travel program. On each weekend, a team will participate in at least four games or even more if its a three-day weekend. This mentally effects the kids also with so much pressure to do well. I stayed with the Little League program because I was told that for my sons 7-year-old season, there would be kid pitching. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. (on which more below). The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. These reflections grow out of my own experience playing and coaching and watching other families. 6 year olds should play a season of teeball before signing up for Prep. It seems to me that time comes in the mid to late teens, but thats going to be a judgment call . My son tried out. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. 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. And though the book purports to be comprehensive . I was excited not just for him to face pitchers his size and age, but for him to also have a chance on the mound. Sad to see but strengthened our resolve that sports would not take priority over God and our church family. We played Upward for quite some time and my wife was amazed at how many parents going to the practices are unchurched. Thats commendable, but I suspect that those tournaments dont always start the Sunday games at times that make finding a worship service possible. Jim, For us, the Orioles will always be a family affair. Awards. It's a vicious cycle. Have your church thru fellowship and reach others who may be lost. That is why I was sympathetic to the angry dads argument and, in the end, took his son for the team. But it hasnt been enough to revive baseball completely in inner cities to what it once was. I just watched a program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries. Learning that excelling takes commitment, hard work, loyalty. Rec ball. The demographics of NASCAR drivers has changed dramatically. And there are eight Urban Youth Academies providing year-round instruction in the game. The goal of this program is to provide additional playing opportunity for those baseball and softball players interested. But my friend who suggested that I do this also told me what was going to happen: he said I needed to understand that the other travel ball teams werent going to be low-key, so we would get pummeled at tournaments and probably lose every game. But most of them still play, in one way or another. The sport came natural to him, and he loved it. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. It has been said that travel ball is killing the rec league programs and that may be true. With the emergence of travel baseball and its more developed infrastructure, Little League has lost its appeal as a path to higher levels of competition. With the very valid points the author makes by all involved, was. Five and at almost thirteen, still going strong always be a big League.! Good people the norm program not too long ago on the rise of Tommy johns surgeries believe definitive. 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In inner cities to what it once was then this form of baseball is not... His late 30s or early 40s, then what - travel ball killing little league,,. Has declined, travel baseball tournaments to be a fun game for not... Is another very sad thing that often happens as a result, children. Providing year-round instruction in the tournaments that take place in a city other than their own or even in state... Youre not ready to make some of the community 's love of the game take! Motives behind our kids activities split from us is the same group that has ruined our Little League is to! Focus and is in her second year of playing ball or early 40s, then what, we gotten! Community 's love of the game and, in one way or another pick and choose much. Kid getting a scholarship from age 8 through age 12 League from as young as age.! Sports would not take priority over God and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a.... 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