My weekend routine typically looked something like this for travel ball: In other words, its a lot of time on the road. Is playing time important, or would she prefer to surround herself with the best possible teammates (even if that means less time on the field)? Looks like a good pastor (Caldwell) commented above if thats who I think it is. Team fees may cover tournament entry costs, batting cage rental, practice field rental, uniforms, equipment and organizational costs. Tendonitis. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. Other parents might be emboldened to speak up. He was selected and after spending money on uniforms, dues, tournaments, he was cut from the team because he had a slump in his batting. They also need to learn more about taking care of their body to keep it strong and healthy through conditioning, nutrition, and good sleep habits. What if you can't afford travel ball? - FloSoftball 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. Always keep in mind why you have this child involved in sport. See caveats in opening and closing paragraphs. You, as the parent, are going to be doing the driving. Glad to see you are faithful (and a baptist!). So many kids grow up dreaming, so few put on a big league uniform. Of course, we dont love spending a lot of money every weekend. Ryan E. I think this is a good post and is great advice. I know you were saying that theres no one answer for everyone. Teach her other ways to stay involved throughout the game if she is not playing. Toughness is OK (even necessary for some kids and teams), but hostility isnt. Uber competitive athletics is going to end for 99.9 percent of kids/young adults. Third, most days my family enjoys family travel ball, together. Exactly how much depends on the level of competition your daughter is looking for. Lets pretend your daughter wants to be a catcher. Alexa Petersons College Softball Recruiting Journey. Was it really worth it? While thats not very common, driving three hours one way for a practice is totally commonplace. 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. If I show my kids church is optional but reach the other parents, Ive failed. Maybe you and your spouse may do some shopping and go get a nice meal. When my life ends, I will have to give an account to my Lord as to whether I obeyed the command in Matt28:19 that says Go. We dont win Non-Christians by showing them how little we care about worship and the assembly of believers, we win them through honoring God as better than all other appetites. 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. In general, there is no regular season with travel softball it runs all year long, with club practices once or twice per week during the spring and fall season, and a full slate of weekend tournaments during the later spring and summer season. Coaches are typically parents or grandparents, and the umpires are often volunteers. Accepting players from all over central Florida and have had players from all over Polk County, Hillsborough County, and Hardee County. I, personally, never even knew travel softball existed until high school. Its also likely that kids will need to miss school for team commitments. Stealing home: How travel teams are eroding community baseball And if it means giving up travel ball, by all means give it up. So we are playing upward thru our church. You also accept the fact that this may be a long day and that the next time you touch that warm bed could be 3 am the next morning if you make it to the championship. The regular season typically runs from March to May, with single games twice per week, and one or two practices per week. It is no wonder so many of our children leave the church when they go to college. Travel ball, by contrast, is not cheap participation fees average about $2,000 per player per year. I personally know people that I can guarantee will not be living the travel softball lifestyle for more than a season or two and Im pretty sure if someone would have stopped them before they started, they would have saved a lot of headache, money, and time. We pick and choose how much we want to play, spend, etc and have been very successful in several states. No doubt there are exceptions, but I havent personally witnessed one. The pitchers pitched far more balls than strikes. Unfortunately, we dont all have that money tree growing in our backyard. A travel team is a youth sports team that plays at an elite level. More general instruction. 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. He pulls down honor roll at school and is in band. Ive also heard more than one parent tell me that after a few years of travel ball, in some cases only one year of it, their son decided he didnt want to play baseball anymore. coming down the pike. Car pool or fund transportation for those who cant get their children on time. you dont say what age your DD is, but see if there are opportunities for guest playing. Learning that excelling takes commitment, hard work, loyalty. Data Shows Travel Teams Killing Youth Sports - Samford University Its hard in the county. Ask former or current players and parents to describe the coaching staff, and see if they would be a good fit for your daughter. The true reality of life is that we arent going to be successful at everything. It's almost the only way your player can get exposure to college scouts for scholarship opportunities. Softball teaches you how to communicate with those who are in authoritative positions about something you really want. Are those stewardship issues as well? Im not willing to give up the Lords day for sports as much as I want him to play in a better league. Your subtotal today is $-.--. If your kid is good and loves to play, you wont be able to keep them from it. Also, since most teams only have one practice per week, theres an expectation that additional work is being done outside of practice. PAY FOR QUALITY UMPIRES, make sure you have enough umpires for all games and have them supported by all involved. Well, what a great life skills and bonding opportunity. They learn to be a part of a team effort and that there are sacrifices that need to be made for the team (for instance being pulled during a game). The cost for a year of travel softball can range from $500 to $5,000 and up, which includes a full uniform, and sometimes includes equipment.
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