I hope my article could help to answer your questions. But, the worst part of it all was that my son was clearly not having the same amount of fun he had in Little League last year. As a PastorI certainly appreciate the sentiments expressed in this article. I love excellence. They had to draft 8th graders to play for the high school JV team so the others could step up and play the Varsity. It is organised by and named after The Football Association (The FA). To make matters worse, I learned his old Little League team did incorporate kid pitch mid-way through the season. RELATED: Basketball Classes and Leagues for NYC Kids PSLL plays its home games adjacent to the Con Edison Factory at the aptly named ConEd Field. Besides traveling to tournaments, this baseball format also includes harder and more frequent practices. Totally agree with your article. The competitive environment, expert guidance, and the quality of available facilities are unmatched by any other youth competition. http://kristenanneglover.com/my-kids-dont-play-sports/#comment-6411. Jan 25, 9:19am. 12527 posts. 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. The costs of travel baseball often put a serious strain on the family budget. Confused! Build this league and you will have travel on the decline. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Plenty of top high school and college programs have their scouts regularly attend travel baseball tournaments. God will open doors to tell others about Christ as we are faithful to follow Him. Do I think that she will even play on the high school level? And this, more than anything else, is the problem with the continued growth and success of 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. It will look different for each family and each child. League will play at Municipal Park or Thompson Park. Member since Aug 2014. Do not tolerate conduct of the weak and uneducated. Alas, the father refused to make him work on defense, explaining: I am not a fielding dad.). (Little League, 1) Paperback - September 24, 2013 by Matt Christopher (Author) 290 ratings Book 2 of 5: Little League See all formats and editions Kindle $6.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $7.24 37 Used from $1.28 10 New from $7.24 Paperback $7.99 66 Used from $1.29 20 New from $6.75 Audio CD We have commodified the play of millions of children into. What are they learning? Really great article Dr. Hamilton! Mr. Greene, who is currently a minor league coordinator and coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, said what troubles him is not pushy parents, showboating players or bullying coaches. 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. LL was the emphasis, there were only a couple of travel teams. I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. Jan 25, 9:16am. For others, it can wreak havoc. Is the travel ball opportunity your 714 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? Great post. Yes, I need Sunday fellowship and worship. He played Little League all the way through age 14 and has wonderful memories of playoff games, sometimes leading all the way to state. I also need it every day of the week. I dont know. LittleBallparks.comis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sitesto earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Usually, teams play travel ball at least twice a month, on weekends. In addition to a spring season, PSLL offers a summer league, summer camps, fall ball, and a winter skills clinic. But over the years, the cost of entry has become more and more expensive. Travel with extended families and make bonds with good people. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. I left registration, and pulled him from the Little League program. vs. travel. . I was glad he played Tee Ball, and I looked forward to the following year when I assumed there would be some kid pitching. I was sad when the team cut me from the roster, but I was also relieved. As a pastor, I require my daughter to be in church every Sunday, which means that she misses all Sunday games that interfere with worship. But we have had a great experience with travel ball and have been able to balance our commitments to both Christ, his church, and our family. Little League. It did to me. Its a vicious cycle. As more and more kids get involved in travel ball, the best players are taken out of the rec league. Additionally, they will probably have fewer injuries and enjoy the competition more. As a volunteer basketball coach for 18+ years, Ive seen girls spiritually suffer by the same well-intentioned convictions of their parents. This is what we due when we gather for worship. Have fun with sports, and use it to build character, not dream-castles in the skies. 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. Nope, the good, serious players in most sports do both in high school. Travel Baseball vs Little League Which One is Better? The physical and mental challenges of pursuing more than one sport is healthy in every respect. I could now study what I wanted to study, and my classes were no longer determined by baseball practice. I have also read some of your other works and have learned much from them and enjoyed reading them. via Facebook. 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. Obviously, I dont buy into the idea of late-stage capitalism. Give MVP, Player of the game, most improved player of the game.. Yes, Major League Baseball has its RBI Program to return baseball to urban fields. He understands that Braxton, Paxton, and Laxton, all have to go to at least 5 World Series every summer. I recognize that although it isnt common for kids to be offered college scholarships for sports, it obviously isnt impossible. 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 dont win Non-Christians by loving them more than we love God and his glory. But most of them still play, in one way or another. I do not feel we will ever look back on our decision to say no to travel ball. I got an education, got married, we started having children, and now I get to coach my kids. It can be a huge change in commitment, skill level, and dedication depending on the type of team and price you go into. home. "Everyone's selling 'the dream gonna happen,' and people are making a. Registration is quick, easy, and FREE. But this, which I encourage you to read in its entirety, is a very damning piece about the state of baseball in America. Unlike travel baseball, Little League is mostly a local affair and is organized with a lot of effort and goodwill from the locals. . They open/close each practice and game with prayer and are not overwhelming us with lots of games. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. There is another very sad thing that often happens as a result of a familys involvement in travel ball. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. to return baseball to urban fields. It also has a successful 18u rec program. And if it means giving up travel ball, by all means give it up. If you are traveling every weekend, or most of them, for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday tournament, what happens to non-sport family time? I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. Overall, the risks are pretty much the same as regular baseball. That was it! little league field, killing 1 . If the ultimate goal is for the kid to get to the pros, then joining a travel baseball program is definitely a better choice. Sad to see but strengthened our resolve that sports would not take priority over God and our church family. Please. I had my schedule back. 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. There may be instances in which its the right thing, and when a kid gets to be 15 to 16 years old, its understandable that commitment levels and demands are going to rise and choices are going to have to be made. Be a parent. They dont need to have baseball practice every week all year long, and you dont need to be their taxi for that every week all year long either. Christian Smiths Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers The higher level of competition drives young players to work harder on their game. Articles like this help. Thanks for posting this. Thank you for sharing your experiences. 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. The best coaches and the best players stop playing rec ball in favor of travel ball, leading to fewer teams and a lower level of competition in the rec league. The Broadneck, Brooklyn Park, Glen Burnie, Harundale, Havenwood, Lake Shore, and Marley Little Leagues are all no longer associated with Little League. Little League now includes a senior division for players age 13 to 15 and a big-league division for age 16 to 18. Now think about NASCAR. Now, the league has grown a bit but has 190 kids playing travel ball, with multiple teams at 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u. 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