Overall, the risks are pretty much the same as regular baseball. Developing skills in (or at least having exposure to) music, art, great books, drama, theology, politics, or science-and-math-related activities makes us better, more empathetic, engaged human beings and citizens, and better leaders. I enjoyed your article and the discussion following it. In the US, the program involves kids ages 4-16 and is organized into the following divisions: For a lot of kids, Little League is the first time they meet with the organized baseball. Christians need to be gathering with the same group of people every week to worship the risen Lord Jesus, to hear his word, and to fellowship with each other. I dont usually read things that are in America. And I want to provide the best competitive opportunities I can for my own kids. Do they enjoy it or is it a drudge? Have your church thru fellowship and reach others who may be lost. I do not feel we will ever look back on our decision to say no to travel ball. I am confident that there are better ways to steward those thousands of dollars. If I was in the big leagues, my summers (and falls, and springs) would be dominated by an unrelenting schedule leaving no opportunity to coach my kids teams. Thank you for this. Too many surgeries, other arm problems, leg issues and other health issues that kids at that age shouldnt have to endure. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Perfect! Its not the uniforms, its not bat flips or the lack thereof, its not the shift, its not the pace of play. And I hope all who read my question realize that there is no 1 correct answer for everyone. Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. We have made this decision for the past three years and been ridiculed for it and told we are not being fair to our son. Jan 25, 9:28am. You can start posting after you click here to register.Click the word the "register" to proceed. As a volunteer basketball coach for 18+ years, Ive seen girls spiritually suffer by the same well-intentioned convictions of their parents. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. They work the young players harder, but the result is better player development. Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty. 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. Website: . With this comes the COOPERSTOWN TICKET. And it certainly does nothing to address the issue of middle and working-class suburban residents and the expense involved in playing the game at a high level. Additionally, as an exercise physiologist, Im very pro movement, health and sports, but believe balance in life is key. 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. I am very thankful we found an amazing travel ball coach at age six. Also, Im more interested and more compelled by Scripture to promote the spiritual health of my own children than of their team mates. Fifth, a child can play travel ball while a family is still committed to church. NOW PLAYING: little-league-player-surprised-after-marine-dad-takes-the-mound Stoneman Douglas vs Doral Baseball 2-28-2023 Scorebook Live I hear this quite a bit. Guess what; we still talk about baseball. For us, the Orioles will always be a family affair. Often this will vary from league to league and from coach to coach. Several thoughts on that: Their chances are greater for continuing their sporting lives, whether at college or recreationally as adults, if they arent burnt out on competition by the time they turn 18or 13, as Ive seen occur far too often. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Al Mohlers Culture Shift Kids may start playing in the Little League from as young as age 4. 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. For a 9 year old team the average tournament entry fee will be $200-$300 EVERY weekend, not to mention the gate fee of at least $10 per person per day. Our league is like the one you described. Thank you for sharing your experiences. NASCAR started as bootleggers in the 1940s and 1950s trying to see who had the fastest car. Do I think you are sinning if your kid plays travel ball? It is no wonder so many of our children leave the church when they go to college. With the emergence of travel baseball and its more developed infrastructure, Little League has lost its appeal as a path to higher levels of competition. She got to have some really good conversations with the moms who really didnt understand the philosophy behind Upward as a result. I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. My daughter loves the game more now than ever before. The sport came natural to him, and he loved it. It was good for us a s a family although the wallet didnt think so. Cookie Notice It can be beneficial for high school aged and sometimes junior high kids, but the little ones, ages six to twelve, it's the worst thing you can do for them. 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. Legalism requires perfection, and Im not perfect, Jesus is. No one should expect to make the show. Our son never felt like he missed out on anything; he was too busy playing other sports and doing other activities. Christian Smiths Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers How does a big leaguer have a family? Again, like you said, church should not be sacrificed by families of 8, 10, and 12-year olds, and oftentimes not even by families of high-schoolers. Brewers pitcher Andrew Kim (10) throws a ball towards the plate and a Giants batter during a game versus the Brewers for a Summerlin Little League North majors game at Trails Park Little. They use evangelism as a spiritual reason for not being in church. When I walked on and made the Razorbacks, the sport I loved to play became a year-round job. Jan 25, 9:37am. The majority of the leagues are run by local volunteers whose programs are annually charted by Little League International. #momof3boys. This post seems a departure from your normal posting and writing. I look at another coach who is seeded number one in the league and am very glad my kid isnt with him as I can only imagine the sort of character theyd be building. The local community often gathers around a Little League team and takes pride in the kids representing them. My son is 11u, and this fall was his first (and possibly final) season of travel ball. T-ball, Biddy, "Little League", and Teener League baseball programs for the Tamaqua Area. As recently as the 1990s, travel baseball was a niche experience limited mostly to elite players in baseball-rich areas like Texas and California. Many of the families on our team actually make it a family affair. In fact, most experts believe that if your goal is for your child to go pro, the worst thing you can do is overplay them. I think the key is finding the right team and families. Think brands like Mercedes-Benz. Thank you for speaking out and I hope people will take these comments seriously. When I was playing at Arkansas, none of my teammates had a full ride from the baseball program. Every year, MCLL designates players in our All-Star Tournament teams to represent MCLL in the Little League Tournaments within various age groups. However, many people believe that the Little League better cultivates the true spirit of baseball as opposed to the sometimes too professional and competitive approach in travel baseball. While it has completely permeated and overtaken little league baseball, it exists in every sport, football included. Theres also the matter of synchronizing tournaments with kids school commitments and parents jobs. Being part of a team, no matter how long its for, isnt permanent, so as nice as it is to identify with activities that we love, we dont want them to define us or our kids. Despite not playing travel ball until high school, he got several offers and ended up playing for a highly regarded D1 program. Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [alap] ()) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. This upcoming spring season will include some division changes we have made to improve the experience for players at all levels. My sons high school teammate played in the minors for several years before being cut and at age 26, he is just now finishing college and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Turn your focus and see a different view. Its important to be committed to making games, meets, tournaments, and practices a priority, but not at the expense of church, or important family gatherings. While I wasnt thrilled hed be hitting off a tee because he could already hit a pitched ball, I figured we had to start somewhere, and Tee Ball was all that was available. Sabathia and the Upton Brothers have become big league players. My thoughts will be mainly applied to baseball, but I think they are valid for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and whatever else. And there are eight Urban Youth Academies. Check out: The Nehemiah Institute (nehemiahinstitute.com) Just last year, I finished your work Gods Glory in Salvation through Judgment. (And I hope thats not the reason you involve your kids in athletics!) 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. I've seen and heard stories about parents who spend thousands of dollars to get their kids on the best travel ball squad in their areas. If his 10-year-old son did not make the team at the $2,500-per-season private baseball club where I coached, the boy would lose friends and the familys routines would be upended, he argued. Once-proud public institutions are being privatized, with many unintended consequences. Once he has gone through everyone, he will tell them to 'release' and they will throw the ball to the teammate across from them. Then again, some games I find my older daughter listening to her ipod while we watch the games. How do you help your childs best come out, leaving the potential open for higher levels of competition, while avoiding the possible detriments of rigorous levels of the sport? 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. I agree 100% with your article. I found a local travel ball organization that was offering tryouts for several 10-U teams. Despite the beautiful fields the travel ball team played on, the grass wasnt greener. "We spent days, months, years . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. "Everyone's selling 'the dream gonna happen,' and people are making a. For those not going into coaching/training or the extremely few that will play professionally the focus needs to not get away from marketable skills once your done with college; which is a challenge in itself as athletes are often steered towards meaningless degrees to accommodate athletics. Educate them. Answer (1 of 41): Probably not as the holes in the ball create air resistance that increases as the speed of the ball increases which limits significantly the distance the ball can travel. Enjoyment: Help your children enjoy a sport for the simple joy of the sport. They sound the same. My daughter is involved in a local homeschool league. What I got was disaster. All 9YO players. The privatization of American youth sports over the past 40 years is one of those revolutions of late-stage capitalism that should shock us more than it does. There have been times when our kids insisted that the entire family wear Orioles stuff.
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