And i felt bad about helping my kids..

RH Tig

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Was just talking to a guy I used to coach baseball with back when Joonyer played

Jan 24, 2024, 2:10 PM

We both have been out of it for years, but he's got grandkids that are starting to play and he said that he was considering going back to coach (and I hope he does, because he was always one of the good ones who was the there to teach the game and not do everything in his power to elevate his own kid). He was telling me that Rock Hill had dropped everything from 13-year-olds and up because all those kids were now playing travel ball. He further said that to schedule enough teams, Rock Hill now had to play regular season games with Tega Cay and Fort Mill teams to build a worthwhile schedule. Back when I coached, Rock Hill, Tega Cay, and Fort Mill ALL had thriving baseball programs from t-ball to high school Dxixie Majors, and the only time you played cross-league games was either pre-season exhibitions or fall league games. Travel ball back then was starting to explode, and more times than not it was because dads whose kids weren't getting all the playing time or weren't on teams good enough to win city championships were starting their own teams. They would tell you that it was to play against better competition so their kids could get college scholarships and such, but I can count on one hand the kids from Rock Hill that got that far, and only ONE that played at the D1 level. Mostly they were doing it so their kids with two left feet and tyrannosaurus rex arms could pitch or play shortstop for 9 innings.

Obed® and the D1 kid I mentioned above might be the only people I know who saw any kind of return on investment by playing travel ball. Most of the kids I knew who broke away from the city leagues early on burned out before they graduated high school. For that matter, I question the coaching a lot of those kids got back then. I think the high school coaches around Rock Hill now sponsor some travel ball teams that serve as feeders into the high school program, so at least those kids ARE getting some professional coaching. All in all, I'm not a huge fan of the travel thing.

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it was a home tournament so no big deal for us, but wow some of those parents take this stuff really seriously.

My son has been blessed to have a really good coach take interest in developing him as a kid and a player. He organizes a travel team, but he does a good job of trying to keep it affordable. My kid is not going to go pro in baseball, he's just a 9 year old boy who likes playing baseball with his buddies. I'm a firm believer that kids need something, whether it be a sport or a hobby that they are interested in.

First of all, the opposing teams were all dressed like they were in the pros and not little league. They all had bags full of $300-400 bats, and these are 8-10 year olds. They all had $90 sliding gloves (they look like oven mitts?)

I know on our team there are a lot of hard working blue collar families. I'm not sure how they afford this stuff for junior. It like like they put everything they've got into baseball.

Yo Lakebum, saw this profile on travel ball parents

I can definitely see where that would happen

Explain to me this travel ball.

We were traveling over an hour to go to 4 year old tball games so I'm

Lol, what? All our games for 4 year old's t-ball were at the same YMCA right

BFE is my best guess.***

lol, yeah I guess it is considered BFE for a Greenville person

Anderson, we signed him up in Pendleton. Going to try Clemson this spring

We are moving from the Civic Center to Ducworth (hwy 81) this year

Who y'all signed up with? We're open to going to Anderson too

The Y.....duh

There are, for sure. Trubble is when lil Johnny gets to

I am really glad my kid seems to be on the band trajectory.***

Simplest possible terms.

That is also in a sport with a lack of recreation leagues. That aint baseball,

You know any kids getting D1 offers without

I don't know anyone getting D1 offers, full stop. We aint, for sure. I was

I wish there was a better way.

Adults monetizing youth sports is totally disgusting. I'm trying to find

The best way out of going down that road of paying for travel leagues is to

#Subscribe

Very smart move!

Re: You know any kids getting D1 offers without

Re: Simplest possible terms.

Travel ball has killed the rec leagues.

Was just talking to a guy I used to coach baseball with back when Joonyer played

Kids wanna play soccer in Middle School here? Gotta be playing club ball

I went to my first travel ball tournament this weekend

Any parents setup cameras to record the entire game? I've seen that at

Ive been that guy, simply because you have to make clips

THis kind stuff seems like someone living vicariously through their kids

If a kid has ANY shot of playing in college, they have to have film.

Well, these were 10 year old soccer players and 12 year old volleyball

Wanna know what a real shidshow looks like?

Who TF is watching that?***

My only guess would be family not able to attend

Kinda like

Hey that's cool and all, but, uhhhhhhh

Re: I went to my first travel ball tournament this weekend

My cousing played travel b-ball

Re: Yo Lakebum, saw this profile on travel ball parents

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