Fall baseball.....

[Goat Holding Inc]

Fair enough.
I played travel ball from 3rd grade thru high school and looking back on it, real development on the team and competition took place around 8th grade regardless of how many games were played.

The best thing that can happen for hopeful athletes(almost regardless of sport) in elementary and middle school years is a development of hand eye coordination and balance. Those two skills will determine one's ceiling level.

Individual and small group skill work greatly improves hand eye coordination and balance compared to playing a **** ton of games and standing around in a field or sitting on a bench for hours on end.

I don't agree with you on much but I value your input here. Seems you grew up in the travel ball era, like some other younger guys I know. They all say it's too much and they have scars to prove it. I also tend to agree with you that practice and skill work is where it's at. Guys who are older seem to not think more baseball is a big deal. Experience is key, and I'm an older millenial who knows a lot of guys just like you. People older than me, while they have life experience, haven't really seen this travel ball stuff up close. They never really did it (at this level) and they are just now going through it with their own kids.

I suppose game reps can help you get used to game situation, but beyond that I just see the fall tournaments as a money pit. At least until you get to kid pitch, but then you have the over-throwing problem.

 

[PartTimeGenius]

Yep and Yep

 

[Shamoan]

my son is 9 and is on a all-star team. he recently got "the baseball bug" despite playing for many seasons already, but badly needs reps especially since kid-pitch is just starting. i didnt want to have to do rec ball for his first exposure to kid-pitch, so i am very thankful for fall baseball at a higher level. bottom line, your child should dictate your willingness to keep them in it whether interest or experience.

 

[johnson86-1]

I don't agree with you on much but I value your input here. Seems you grew up in the travel ball era, like some other younger guys I know. They all say it's too much and they have scars to prove it. I also tend to agree with you that practice and skill work is where it's at. Guys who are older seem to not think more baseball is a big deal. Experience is key, and I'm an older millenial who knows a lot of guys just like you. People older than me, while they have life experience, haven't really seen this travel ball stuff up close. They never really did it (at this level) and they are just now going through it with their own kids.

I suppose game reps can help you get used to game situation, but beyond that I just see the fall tournaments as a money pit. At least until you get to kid pitch, but then you have the over-throwing problem.

One of the most shocking things I've learned on this board. Did you start getting user names banned when you were 13? For some reason I thought you were around from basically the beginning.

ETA: I think this has actually come up before now that I think about it. Or maybe I made the same wrong impression about another poster.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

Fair enough.
I played travel ball from 3rd grade thru high school and looking back on it, real development on the team and competition took place around 8th grade regardless of how many games were played.

The best thing that can happen for hopeful athletes(almost regardless of sport) in elementary and middle school years is a development of hand eye coordination and balance. Those two skills will determine one's ceiling level.

Individual and small group skill work greatly improves hand eye coordination and balance compared to playing a **** ton of games and standing around in a field or sitting on a bench for hours on end.

We 100% agree on this topic and you actually made some points that have helped me put less emphasis on my 9yr old son's development being CRITICAL that he plays FALL BALL.

He's probably going to play fall ball, but I won't be as hard on him thinking he's ruining his career this early if he falls into a slump early in the season***

 

[SHTRSFUL]

Fall ball is a pain, both my kids play competitive baseball and if you want your kids to be competitive at this sport, then Fall ball is necessary, especially the younger ages. My youngest plays soccer as well and that is really hard as soccer is literally year round, so both sports conflict tremendously. USSSA Fall baseball started because of over zealous coaches and Dads kept expanding the baseball season trying to be the more competitive team. The venues realized there was a demand for more baseball tournaments during the year, hence Fall ball began. All boils down to, another way to make more money. In my opinion it is too much baseball, especially for those that pitch, but in this day and age, you have way too many coaches and dads that think their 9 and 10 year olds are going pro next year and that the Yankees are actually in stands scouting, so they have to be the best of the best of the best at that age. This year round sports stuff locks kids into a single sport way too early in life. what happened to Football/Soccer in the Fall, basketball in the Winter and baseball in the Spring?

 

[mstateglfr]

We 100% agree on this topic and you actually made some points that have helped me put less emphasis on my 9yr old son's development being CRITICAL that he plays FALL BALL.

He's probably going to play fall ball, but I won't be as hard on him thinking he's ruining his career this early if he falls into a slump early in the season***

Its tough as a parent to find the balance between providing the opportunity for your kid to get more experience and pushing your kid to get more experience.

After playing year round travel soccer(spring season, fall season, indoor winter season), travel baseball, and basketball- I have asked my parents more than a few times thru the year why they allowed it, both in a respectful and questioning way. I appreciate all the time and sacrifice they gave(my dad coached baseball), but we really sacrificed as a family compared to what we could have been doing as a family. The time commitment placed on families right now due to youth sports is absolutely nuts. The financial commitment to play youth sports at a higher level is absolutely nuts. To each their own and all though.

My two daughters are competitive, but predominantly in an individual sport- equestrian jumping. Its a bit surreal to listen to coworkers list all the games their kid has that weekend(3 on saturday, 2 on sunday, and possibly a 3rd on Sunday if they win), and then they ask me what Im doing. I do what they do- sit on a bench and watch. I just watch kids on horses instead of kids on dirt or grass, but they look at me in a quirky way since it is the same thing they are doing only its in a totally different world than what they relate to. Not good, not bad, just different even though its the same- watching and supporting.


My oldest is 12 and going into 7th grade. She has found a team sport she enjoys and is relatively competent at- volleyball. Holy hell talk about a potential endless pit of time and money- girl's competitive volleyball will bleed you dry of money and weekends. Luckily she hasnt wanted to take the plunge into a longer competitive travel season, but like whats been posted in this thread so far, there comes a point where the kid needs to play in order to be 'seen' and considered for high school. That point is rapidly approaching and its a shame. I half wish we lived in a smaller school district where sports talent can still be strong, but the sheer numbers arent there so teams arent as selective.


Sorry- bit of a ramble there. Anyways, best of luck keeping a healthy perspective as not thinking you are watching your kid's future play out with each swing(or look). It can be tough for sure because you want so much for them.

 

[Goat Holding Inc]

Fall ball is a pain, both my kids play competitive baseball and if you want your kids to be competitive at this sport, then Fall ball is necessary, especially the younger ages. My youngest plays soccer as well and that is really hard as soccer is literally year round, so both sports conflict tremendously. USSSA Fall baseball started because of over zealous coaches and Dads kept expanding the baseball season trying to be the more competitive team. The venues realized there was a demand for more baseball tournaments during the year, hence Fall ball began. All boils down to, another way to make more money. In my opinion it is too much baseball, especially for those that pitch, but in this day and age, you have way too many coaches and dads that think their 9 and 10 year olds are going pro next year and that the Yankees are actually in stands scouting, so they have to be the best of the best of the best at that age. This year round sports stuff locks kids into a single sport way too early in life. what happened to Football/Soccer in the Fall, basketball in the Winter and baseball in the Spring?

You type all that but yet you still say it's necessary? Why?

 

[SHTRSFUL]

necessary because the majority supports it and the demand is there, and if you want your kids to "keep up with the Jones" in baseball these days then it is unfortunately NECESSARY.

 

[Goat Holding Inc]

necessary because the majority supports it and the demand is there, and if you want your kids to "keep up with the Jones" in baseball these days then it is unfortunately NECESSARY.

That doesn't make it necessary to be a great baseball player. That makes it necessary to keep up with the Jones.

 

[SHTRSFUL]

That doesn't make it necessary to be a great baseball player. That makes it necessary to keep up with the Jones.

WOW, not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you, if that is what you get out of my comment, then we can leave it at that....WOW!

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

One bad High School coach can ruin all those years of Travel ball.

 

[beachbumdawg]

Sounds like the coach did a ****** job of designing practices if someone is just sitting in the outfield for 40 min

 

[Philly Dawg]

For soccer, you play from August to November, take a break in December and January, and then start back in February and play until mid-May. Tryouts are in June and some teams then qualify for summer tournaments. You generally play tournaments or league games once or twice a month. A high school team may do something in the summer as well.

 

[mstateglfr]

Sounds like the coach did a ****** job of designing practices if someone is just sitting in the outfield for 40 min

Coaches. All over. Not all of em, but I have seen my fair share in Illinois, iowa, California, and Missippi. It's hardly 1 coach as suggested.