Just like my folks did. Really great article Dr. Hamilton! My son tried out. 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. Thats why Im writing this post. Honestly, in the sport of football, it may be most perpetuated by mothers, though from the . And that can, partially, explain Major League Baseballs lack of investment in the game in America. Thanks to all who replied. Our daughter played travel softball for 9 years. Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad.). We have commodified the play of millions of children intoa $19.2 billion business, weakening volunteer-based programs that promise affordable sports for all children. 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. Its apparent that wegenerally speakingspend more time encouraging our children to pursue athletic excellence than we do in developing a Biblical Worldview in them. The roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money. It was something that we passed on to them. Little League wants parents to understand the potential dangers of allowing a child to participate in programs in which limited rules and regulations may exist - while recognizing our program's rules that are designed to protect players from injury, such as Pitch Counts and equipment rules. Rec ball in many places is competitive. Christian Smiths Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. For decades, NASCAR was a working class, southern sport. 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. Little League International respects the rights of a parent(s), or legal guardian(s), to allow a child to participate in any Little League activity. It will look different for each family and each child. Sound familiar? Baseball cant raise the dead, but Jesus will do just that when he returns to make this world into the new heavens and new earth. But besides that, if you are a Christian parent, the absolute worst thing you can do is teach your kids that anything is more important than God. Its a Jesuit-based publication with a political slant that does not agree with mine. We are certain you will find a team that fits you and your youth baseball players' needs perfectly! Travel with extended families and make bonds with good people. looking over our back," John DeMasi told ABC News' "20/20." What I got was disaster. (Their varsity team is seeded #1 or #2 nationwide and is competitive, though still strives to put Jesus first.) Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. LSU Fan. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. There is another very sad thing that often happens as a result of a familys involvement in travel ball. I also when I was kid play at lyndon and never traveled and loved it and still played college baseball myself for 4 yrs. As parents, however, we can sometimes unknowingly pressure our kids to continuing pursuing things at a higher level because we want it for them, not because they want it, and we proverbially try to put a square peg into a round hole. This is a straw man argument that has nothing to do with the very valid points the author makes. The league originally included boys age 8 to 12. Hopefully it will make us parents pray, think, and analyze the motives behind our kids activities. If youre exalting baseball over all these other things, areyou serving a false god, an idol, that is going to use you and then throw you away? We parents should observe whats going on, be readily available, but not be constantly interfering, trying to direct, or solve everything that goes on in practice or competition. While many are still from the south, many are from upper-middle to upper-class backgrounds, with their appropriate support systems. I appreciate the article. Build this league and you will have travel on the decline. 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. On the contrary, travel baseball is pure commitment! 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. 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. The physical and mental challenges of pursuing more than one sport is healthy in every respect. And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. Often, teams participate in the tournaments that take place in a city other than their own or even in another state. Guess what; we still talk about baseball. We invite you take just a few moments to browse our ever expanding list of teams below. That would inevitably awaken the competitive impulse, leading to more practices, more effort expended, and the gradual creep to a higher key. . 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. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. , weakening volunteer-based programs that promise affordable sports for all children. I could rest. For us, travel has been amazing. coming down the pike. 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. I had played non-stop from the summer before my freshman year, through fall ball, winter weights, the spring season, then summer ball before it started all over in my sophomore year. As a long-term pastor Ive watched parents who were convinced their sons would benefit by travel ball deeply regret their decisions a decade later. 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. They will actually improve more at each sport because a variety of new skills enhances old ones in ways that cant be quantified. Skip to main content Toggle navigation menu. I played two years of major college baseball at the University of Arkansas, and Ive been coaching my sons in baseball and basketball for the last 7 years or so. Tha KS alot for all your insight!!! Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. Your marriage matters a lot more than some sport your kid plays. Unfortunately with all the sacrifices Ive made that relocation doesnt seem likely but as usual, Ill pray about it. Is it a help or detriment to their character and bodies? General Little League to Travel Ball and Back Again February 7, 2017 I started my son in the Little League Tee Ball program when he was four. Member since Aug 2014. The only time we had awful politics was before our team separated and we joined the head coach. Our youth baseball program is custom-built to meet all the insurance needs of teams and leagues in one easy-to-use, affordable plan. I was glad he played Tee Ball, and I looked forward to the following year when I assumed there would be some kid pitching. | GWG Clips #2 from GWG episode #1| Daniel Otero and Ty Osborne - YouTube Blessed to have Tyrone on with us for this episode! I never felt that way until I got to college, but looking at the demands of travel ball, I totally understand how the kid feels. 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. And we want them to work hard, even when the going gets tough. I agree with some that was said. Icicidirect. My son had the same coach as the year prior. I hear this quite a bit. But it also comes back to another thing: family and community. little league field, killing 1 . LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. 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. Its only about winning and not developing. He didnt make the middle school team as only travel ball kids only made it. The fear that if children dont specialize in one sport by eighth grade they will miss opportunities is unfounded. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. You may be betting on the kid getting a scholarship. Havent seen any. Thats commendable, but I suspect that those tournaments dont always start the Sunday games at times that make finding a worship service possible. I do offer the opportunity to advertise your league and ask that you share it here and anywhere possible. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. What will travel ball mean for your marriage? Josh McDowells The Last Christian Generation Coach B, Come play in SBMSA in Houston. I also need it every day of the week. Let them play the game. So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. And given the number of kids playing and the number of available spots, even a partial baseball scholarship is terribly unlikely. Thanks for the great article I can share with the parents of my students. We will be staying with rec from now on. That was it! But it is, quite literally, passed down from generation to generation. And I want to provide the best competitive opportunities I can for my own kids. We played Upward for quite some time and my wife was amazed at how many parents going to the practices are unchurched. 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. 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.. You can argue all you want and say you go to church when you travel, but the first time you skip church because it interferes with game time, you have taught your child that a game is more important than worshipping God. Were seeing some growth in her skills and she loves the game. I hoped that I would get information like yours Jason. Is travel baseball killing Little League in America? We all need to be careful that identifying with just one sport and spending most of our time with it can deter a child from gaining skills, interests and appreciation for other activities and knowledge. Yes, Major League Baseball has its RBI Program to return baseball to urban fields. Uber competitive athletics is going to end for 99.9 percent of kids/young adults. For one thing, their bodies just arent developed enough to handle the strain. Of course our children have bents that we want to nurture, encourage and help them develop, but lets make sure we arent pursuing our own agenda. Take place in a city other than their own or even in another state the Last Christian coach! To their character and bodies to put Jesus first. ) for each family and each child time and wife. 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