quote:
When I was growing up, we played baseball in baseball season, basketball in basketball season and the same with football. Today, with school and travel ball teams, kids are working on 1 sport 6-10 months a year which doesn't really allow for much multi-sport participation unfortunately.

Same here. I sucked at little league, enjoyed HS football, and played in some basketball leagues every now and then. But to have a kid start baseball in February, play in a league for a couple of months, then make all-stars in that league, while also playing travel ball, and then fall ball, just seems a bit much. I think he enjoys it, and from what I've seen he is pretty good. I just wouldn't want my entire family to have their weekend sucked up by one activity that my child was participating in.

A good friend of mine helps coach some church league soccer. His boys are close in age and on the same team, and his daughter is a few years younger. Last spring, his boys were on my daughter's team. It was only one game a week, on Saturdays, but he would be up there at 8:30-10:30 to coach his daughter's team, back at 11:30-2:30 for our game. And not get back home until after 4:00 on some days. Basically an entire day. But they were always free on Sundays. Even that sounded like too much for me.

I couldn't imagine legit travel teams and going all over for games or meets. Most of the so-called Travel teams around here have the luxury of a large metro area, and all of them are within 30 minutes of here. Down in South Alabama, you might have to travel a few hours for a tournament, just to get knocked out on day 1. Most are double elim, but it would suck to drive a dozen kids a couple hours away and be stuck in a hotel with nothing else to play for the next day.

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Posted by RT1941

Member since May 2007

30284 posts

Posted on 4/4/16 at 11:39 am to TU Rob

quote:
I couldn't imagine legit travel teams and going all over for games or meets. Most of the so-called Travel teams around here have the luxury of a large metro area, and all of them are within 30 minutes of here. Down in South Alabama, you might have to travel a few hours for a tournament, just to get knocked out on day 1. Most are double elim, but it would suck to drive a dozen kids a couple hours away and be stuck in a hotel with nothing else to play for the next day.

These travel teams in my area only travel at most an hour or two from Montgomery.

But there's a new option here now where HS age kids are going to a private school here where baseball and academics are coordinated so that the kid basically trains for baseball all year long.

The kid gets to school at 7am and does weight training and batting practice and a designed breakfast before classes start 9am. Classes go till 1pm, then they eat lunch designed by a nutritionist and hit the baseball field and batting cages from 2pm till about 4-5pm on week days.

I witnessed one kid (16 yr old) transfer to this private school and he has gained 15-18 pounds of muscle in the last 7 months. His entire physique has changed.

They travel all over the place to play ball. Often times, leaving on Thursdays to travel to South Carl, Georgia or Florida and don't get back home until late Sunday nights. They play year 'round and rarely have a weekend free.

I guess it works for some families but dang what a commitment for the whole family.

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