Youth sports has jumped the shark.

[OG Goat Holder]

The kids aren’t the problem. The parents are. Yes I’m talking to you who let your kids get rings for beating the same kids they got beat against the last 10 weekends in a row

I know parents that are switching schools in the 5th/6th grade because they want their kids to be close to the high school program. Bunch of da*n loons. You’ve also got parents managing and running their kids Instagram accounts and creating content (lessons, training, games). Bizarro world

This is all unfortunately very true. These people are my age too, and make me feel terrible for the future of the country.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I know a high school baseball coach that has won a state title. He told me you would be better off letting your child play multiple sports when they are young and instead of dropping money on weekend tournaments go to the coach and just feild ground balls in the yard. He says he spends more time reteaching fundamentals now than he did 10 years ago.

That's real easy for him to say but I guarantee you he recruits the travel ball circuit. And all these kids are playing multiple sports anyway as kids, you think parents stop at travel ball? It's constant.

 

[FormerBully]

That's real easy for him to say but I guarantee you he recruits the travel ball circuit. And all these kids are playing multiple sports anyway as kids, you think parents stop at travel ball? It's constant.

He has kids make the team every year who only played rec league. I also know another successful coach whose best player did not even pick up a baseball until seventh grade.

The problem is that we have created a monster where parents feel like their child has no chance unless they spend every weekend traveling and thousands of dollars a year. I have heard from two different park directors who had record registration numbers this past season compared to the previous five years. Both believe families are returning because they are burned out on travel ball.

Travel ball has its place, but it is not the only path. Playing multiple sports, learning the fundamentals, and simply fielding ground balls in the yard can still develop a very good baseball player.

 

[FormerBully]

That's real easy for him to say but I guarantee you he recruits the travel ball circuit. And all these kids are playing multiple sports anyway as kids, you think parents stop at travel ball? It's constant.

He also does things differently from most coaches. He holds a week-long camp before tryouts and spends a lot of time talking with junior high coaches to learn which players are coming up. He is not out scouting travel-ball teams.

 

[skip dog]

good for mommy and daddy

 

[The Peeper]

When I was kid we played.

AND WE PLAYED HARD!

 

[L4Dawg]

View attachment 1382504

An under six world series? That's insanity.

 

[patdog]

Went to a few 6U games this year to watch a family member. Whatever teams coach presses the base running rules more wins. That’s the number 1 factor. It is stupid that they play all stars

If that family member isn't your son (or daughter), you went well above the call of duty.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I've seen no less than a dozen AI-generated "commitment" graphics on social media lately for kids who are joining/made some travel org team.

That’s awful

 

[Maroon13]

 

[Darryl Steight]

Oh my lord the roster is hilarious... he literally nailed about half my son's team. No wonder my kid has never gotten an AI commitment announcement with his stupid boring name from the Bible.

 

[patdog]

Take out a loan, Alan!

 

[ReverseCowbell]

I feel like there was going to be more to this response. Did you fall asleep typing?

No. Our parents were busy doing grown up things so we just played. It was cool. I was six.

 

[ReverseCowbell]

I coached a kid a few years ago who is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. Genuine five tool player. Threw mid-to-low 90’s, slider, changeup, hit from both sides. Spent hours and hours and days and weeks and months on the road playing year round. Family skipped a ton of “life” things in pursuit of the baseball thing. He is a banker.

Pro tip: let them be kids.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

I coached a kid a few years ago who is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. Genuine five tool player. Threw mid-to-low 90’s, slider, changeup, hit from both sides. Spent hours and hours and days and weeks and months on the road playing year round. Family skipped a ton of “life” things in pursuit of the baseball thing. He is a banker.

Pro tip: let them be kids.

Well then, it's obvious that you failed him as a coach. Expect law suites from him and his parents. *******

 

[turkish]

My favorite is when the parents brag about being “invited” to a tournament. Pure gold!

 

[The Peeper]

Take out a loan, Alan!

At the rate we're going now there will be Travel Ball NIL before long and they will get paid for playing

 

[patdog]

At the rate we're going now there will be Travel Ball NIL before long and they will get paid for playing

I think there already is to some degree. I can't remember which former NBA player said this about AAU basketball. He said, if you're paying for your kid to play youth sports hoping for that college scholarship or that they'll go pro you're throwing your money away. If your kid is good enough, they'll recruit him to play for free.

 

[615dawg]

Not to butt in on baseball but similar ...

Volleyball now, is year around. No break. Roughly, school ball starts practice in June and last until October. Club last November to June.

We had a very good hs/club player, that started as a freshman in HS, quit HS to focus on club and have a few rest months.

She is extremely driven and went to a number of college camps this summer. She will play college ball at D2 at least.

It will be interesting to see how that decision goes for her. Because the college coaches recruit the club circuit and are far more likely to see her there over a hs game. But do they care you didn't play HS? I don't know.

Here's a volleyball experience we had where I looked at my girls and said "no more."

We had a pretty good team for Mississippi a few years ago. Star players from JA, Brandon, MRA, Madison Central, Germantown and Hartfield. In the Mississippi/Louisiana/Alabama circuit, this was a top five team every tournament. Someone not in the right mind decided they were going to send this team to an Open Division major tournament in Kansas City.

If you don't know, Midwestern corn fed girls are born with volleyballs in their hand. Teams from Nebraska, Wisconsin, the Chicago area - are at a different level. A USA Volleyball tournament works like this - teams are seeded and placed in pools. Based on the pool play performance, they are sent to a second round of pool play, then to a bracket. Gold bracket is your best teams, Silver, Bronze, Red, White, Blue, etc.

We get to this tournament at Kansas City and our first match is against some girls from Milwaukee. They beat our ***. Then we play a tea from Iowa, who beats us 25-2 in one set. Then we play a team from Chicago that started laughing at us mid-match. 0-3 first day, something like 35 points total scored in 6 sets. That's good enough to be the last seed on Day 2.

So Day 2, we get to play teams that aren't as good, maybe we have a chance. Nope. More of the same. Three beatdowns. Parents laughing.

Day 3, we are in a bracket with the 8 worst teams in the tournament. Our first game is against the team from Milwaukee that beat us on Day 1. They proceed to stomp a bigger mudhole in us than they did on Day 1.

0-7, last place. Somehow we get a bid to a national qualifier in Atlanta where we go 1-7 (we beat a team from Alabama). Its a money grab.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Parents are already pooling money to get the baseball of version of little Jimmy Chipwood on their kids travel ball team. They'll pay for a ringer/hitter/pitcher if it helps.

Look what private schools have been doing for the last 10 years.

It's all about the Ws!

 

[Seinfeld]

At the rate we're going now there will be Travel Ball NIL before long and they will get paid for playing

Count your blessings that you haven’t seen these already, but I’ve probably seen 6 local social media posts in the last week that are asking for donations to get little Billy’s all star team to the Bahamas.

 

[dawgstudent]

At the rate we're going now there will be Travel Ball NIL before long and they will get paid for playing

Essentially there is where fees will be waived for a specific player. That $3K/player is being footed by the other parents.

 

[Seinfeld]

I think there already is to some degree. I can't remember which former NBA player said this about AAU basketball. He said, if you're paying for your kid to play youth sports hoping for that college scholarship or that they'll go pro you're throwing your money away. If your kid is good enough, they'll recruit him to play for free.

Yeah, the elite will never pay a dime. The only question is whether a shoe company or other parents are footing the bill. We’ve got friends in Memphis that get emails every couple of weeks from their coach about pooling money to pay for a kid’s shoes, uniform, or travel expenses. Sheer coincidence that it’s their top player whose uncle comes to games in a bright orange corvette.

 

[The Peeper]

Essentially there is where fees will be waived for a specific player. That $3K/player is being footed by the other parents.

 

[Bulldog45]

Essentially there is where fees will be waived for a specific player. That $3K/player is being footed by the other parents.

That or they’ll cut a deal to #9 to fill a roster so they can keep the first 8 under contract.

 

[dorndawg]

uncle comes to games in a bright orange corvette.

Pretty cool he's on Dirk Digler's nephew's team tho

 

[ReverseCowbell]

Well then, it's obvious that you failed him as a coach. Expect law suites from him and his parents. *******

Ha, true. Or maybe because I only had him one year. Yeah, that’s prolly it.

 

[ReverseCowbell]

How has there never been a Netflix series about travel ball?

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

Parents are already pooling money to get the baseball of version of little Jimmy Chipwood on their kids travel ball team. They'll pay for a ringer/hitter/pitcher if it helps.

Look what private schools have been doing for the last 10 years.

It's all about the Ws!

at least 45 years for Jackson Prep.

 

[dorndawg]

How has there never been a Netflix series about travel ball?

Squid Game szn 4

 

[The Cooterpoot]

I know a high school baseball coach that has won a state title. He told me you would be better off letting your child play multiple sports when they are young and instead of dropping money on weekend tournaments go to the coach and just feild ground balls in the yard. He says he spends more time reteaching fundamentals now than he did 10 years ago.

You can do both

 

[The Cooterpoot]

It's wild yall got worked up about travel ball and this is just Dixie Youth baseball. It's rec ball that has some travel players mixed in. Dixie Youth is what 90% of kids played growing up back in the day and they just have to do all these age groups and WS because travel has killed them.

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

I heard two dads tell someone at church yesterday they couldn’t make it to an event yesterday because their 5 year olds had fall ball practice. One of the kids can barely walk a straight line.

I could be the league MVP. I identify as a 5 year old.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Parents are already pooling money to get the baseball of version of little Jimmy Chipwood on their kids travel ball team. They'll pay for a ringer/hitter/pitcher if it helps.

Look what private schools have been doing for the last 10 years.

It's all about the Ws!

Go to the ATL airport on Thursday night, Friday morning and watch the 14 year old mercenaries roll through. Its common for kids to fly to play with a team they only see for certain tournaments.