It's really helpful to talk with other parents a few years ahead of you on the paththose who have experience with the same club or league you're looking at. (This, too, however, isnt a litmus test. Do you want to miss the younger kids games and practices? Lesson learned. If youre a parent who never played a sport competitively, you might not understand her desire to spend every waking hour at the ballpark. Nor am I categorically condemning their decisions and choices. The days and times of practice as well as tournaments and leagues are chosen by each individual team manager. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. 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)? The roster includes 35 players, 27 of whom can receive scholarship money. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Although the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pushed back the starts for some travel seasons, Northwest Whitfield High School head softball coach Todd Middleton said most of his team is playing a travel softball schedule currently. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | FUTURESLASH CORP. Get two articles delivered to your inbox each week. After establishing a manageable budget for your softball team, you need to start promoting your program and recruiting players. Overall, you want your daughter to have a good experience on the field and off with her teammates and coaches. But come bracket play on Championship Sunday, the goal is to win and the best players will be on the field with the expectation of dominating the competition. The travel teams are turning into a true business. And does she understand that playing this sport at this level most likely requires trade-offs when it comes to things like friends, clothes, phones, and many of the other things that teens often spend time and money on in high school? Nevertheless, Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6:1-4 still stand in Scripture as commands, not suggestions. Maybe you and your spouse may do some shopping and go get a nice meal. I do offer the opportunity to advertise your league and ask that you share it here and anywhere possible. By living our life for Christ the other 6 days. Travel with extended families and make bonds with good people. Fridays and Saturdays are pool play games, meaning you play a small number of the teams in the tournament, and then get seeded. On Sunday, you participate in double-elimination bracket play, with winners always taking home something cool like a trophy, medal, plaque or ring. I have been wanting to put my son on a travel team. Excellence: Pursuing excellence is important, but be sure you know and your child knows what you mean by that. It all depends on what attitude you approach it with. Its a vicious cycle. 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. You accept the fact that today you will be cold, wet, sleepy, and possibly moody. SoftballGalaxy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you forego travel for these right reasons then you should challenge yourself and those in the league to make it the utopia described here (I believe it should be). It also gave her a place to play when a local rec option was not available and softball was her #1 choice. 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. Even a child with exceptional innate talent still needs to be a good team player. How dedicated is your child? It seems to me that time comes in the mid to late teens, but thats going to be a judgment call . Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Youre going to be purchasing a uniform (most likely more than one). Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. This mentally effects the kids also with so much pressure to do well. Depending on where you live, you could be spending a ton of time in the car, or even on a plane. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Loneliness. Kids blossom at different ages. They have grown together, developed rapport and strong friendships. Be a parent. Non-Christians exist because what they worship is false. (Sometimes you'll find an assistant coach who is a parent, but rarely a head coach.) Does she want to be challenged? Of course, we dont love giving up almost every Saturday to softball. Some of you may have fainted after mentally calculating the cost of everything in that last section. Breakers Labs, located in North San Diego County, is an elite, competitive Fastpitch Softball Organization dedicated to developing the student athlete. We dont recommend this for everybody, but for the right people travel softball can literally be life-changing in a great way. Lack of specified instruction. The regular season typically runs from March to May, with single games twice per week, and one or two practices per week. BE INVOLVED , VOLUNTEER, ATTEND MEETING AFTER MEETING, FUND RAISE, HOLD ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR TIME, HONOR, COMMITMENT AND GET ALL THE KIDS TO ENJOY THIS LEAGUE YOU ARE A PART OF. Other parents might be emboldened to speak up. What is the financial commitment? Motivations: Just because you liked something as a kid, or were good at it, it doesnt mean your child will or should be. Also, parents may not have a realistic view of how talented their son or daughter is in sports, often over or underestimating their abilities. Have fun with sports, and use it to build character, not dream-castles in the skies. Thank you! This is a great place to learn the rules of the game, to see if your daughter enjoys softball, and to just have fun while learning sportsmanship and the very basics of fundamentals. If youre in Louisville, come check us out at www.KenwoodBaptistChurch.com. Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. Travel softball teams will also sometimes have two different dates options for tryouts, so that athletes can attend the one that best fits their schedule. Little League, which is the most common rec ball organization, is open to girls ages four through sixteen, and everybody makes a team regardless of their skill level. Let kids be kids. Well-said. Read our, Tetra Images - Erik Isakson / Getty Images, Sports Specialization and the Risk for Injury and Burnout, Dealing With Bullying on Youth Sports Teams, Budget Friendly Extracurricular Activities for Tweens, 2019 State of play: Trends and developments in youth sports, Burnout and perceived performance among junior athletes-associations with affective and cognitive components of stress, Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. Go to practice twice a week, throw on her hundreds of dollars worth of catchers gear, catch for a few hours, then go home and not touch the gear until the next team practice day? It always seemed the season ended right about the time we got to know everyone. So we are playing upward thru our church. My son loves basketball but I have noticed the small number of high school players that are playing in high school now especially in our town. My kid started lessons at five and at almost thirteen, still going strong. I imagine that we could have lived a little more comfortably had I not been playing softball. We played Upward for quite some time and my wife was amazed at how many parents going to the practices are unchurched. This includes the travel teams, specialized . Dads get into it for a little better competition not meaning for it to take over their lives, and the next thing they know their schedule and wallet are dominated by travel ball. The majority of those programs cover their coaches travel expenses as an incentive. Its wonderful that your child wants to play at a higher level, but you need to be sure they understand what all youre signing up for if they make the team. Which we gladly did because we got to see our daughter develop into a top notch softball player, which would not have happened here. We come together as believers to worship and encourage one another then we go out into the world to reach people in the name of Christ Hebrews 10:25 is just one example of the Bible reminding believers that its important that we not throw church out the window to do other things. With your TeammatesCommunication on the actual playing field is critical. I understand that now I may be bringing up an exception to the norm. 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. 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. The Holy Spirit leads us all differently. Likewise, I appreciate the voices of parents who have been there on both sides. I was sent the letter about "What if you can't . Im not saying that travel ball is a sin, but it seems to be something that Satan can use to tempt people away (especially dads). . Again, its an interesting post but when it comes down to it is the field that you or other high achieving people are in really all that much different? Travel Softball Rankings. That the glory of the Lord might cover the dry land as the waters cover the sea. Its not easy to admit that you or someone you love is not good enough for something. At 12, our son tells us he thinks we have made the right decision. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ive seen a couple of families fall into the travel ball trap. This is going to be a big temptation for me because I love sports and am competitive by nature. 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. The daily grind not only sapped the joy of the game, it was physically punishing. 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. Thankfully, we have a great group of players, coaches, and families. And keep in mind, the level of competitiveness usually coincides with how much work is expected outside of practice. Voddie Bauchams Family Driven Faith. I have also read some of your other works and have learned much from them and enjoyed reading them. Along with a recreational league, they have Travel Ball Teams that play competitive softball. It is a great starter for players to figure out if they really like the sport and would like to continue with softball at a higher level. God makes it pretty clear when Paul says, Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus We represent Him, so we will want to do our best and want our kids to understand why. This post may step on some toes, but thats ok. Looking back, Im so thankful they gave all they did so that I could be successful its something I can never repay them for. There are TONs of small but critically important things young players learn over the course of YEARS playing travel softball that you'll have to catch up on, especially if you want to play catcher, the toughest of all positions. Some teams charge a small fee for this tryout. I hoped that I would get information like yours Jason. However, the main reason weve stuck with travel is the consistency that it offers. Your daughter, as the player, is going to be pooped. Your marriage matters a lot more than some sport your kid plays. There is almost always a try-out or audition process to join the team. Let kids be kids, they and their bodies will decide what they can and cant do. Thats fine for an 18 year old on the cusp of adulthood, but theres no reason to put a 714 year old through that kind of rigor.