Travel-Baseball.org
Taking your player to the next level

Articles For Those New to Travel Baseball

What is Travel Baseball?
Clarkstown Baseball Association provides a cut and dry overview of what travel or elite baseball is and the differences between it and "Recreational" baseball.

Choosing a Youth Travel Baseball Team
This is a great introductory article for those new to the travel baseball scene that can help you narrow down what you are looking for.

Picking the Right Travel Baseball Team
By John Pinkman
Taking a look at Coaches, Mission, costs, size of team and much more.

Overuse Injuries in Youth Baseball
Pitchers aren't the only ones with overuse injuries in baseball. Check out the latest data and prevention tactics.

Pros and Cons of Parent Coaches and Being One Yourself
Parent coaches in travel baseball, good thing or bad thing? Is it a good fit for you?

Youth Sports: Maintaining Reasonable Expectations
What are the chances your kid will play college baseball or softball? Professional baseball or softball? You should read this article.

Where the Elite Kids Shouldn't Meet
By Tim Keown, ESPN Writer
A raw and honest look into Travel / Elite Baseball


Sites, Organizations and Articles We Like

American Legion Baseball
Teams from 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Regional tournaments, State tournaments and a World Series make this one of the most popular baseball organizations around.

Dixie Youth Baseball
They play great baseball and players have an opportunity to play in tournaments and a league World Series. Find a team or start a franchise.

Babe Ruth League Youth Baseball
Great organization and great baseball. This is another option for youth baseball players to continue developing their skills. Start or find a charter here.

Travel Ball Select
Travel Ball News, Forums, Scores, Travel Ball TV and other cool stuff.

Game Changer
Sign your team up, keep stats during the game, track other teams. It's great!


Little League News

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College Baseball News

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MLB News and Rumors from Yard Barker

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pitcher in travel baseball
baserunner travel baseball

Youth Sports: Maintaining Reasonable Expectations

Youth sports can be a lot of fun, but unrealistic expectations make them less so. One unrealistic expectation is monetary payoff. Sometimes people go into youth sports thinking that because their child has talent, sports training is an investment in their college education or a direct investment in a lucrative career. It rarely is.

A majority of youth sports players drop out by the high school years. And for those who continue on? Only a small percentage make it even to the college level. A boy who is playing baseball has a somewhat better chance of turning pro than his counterparts in football or basketball; still, the odds are against him. The likelihood of a girl who plays softball at the high school level turning pro is lower.

Male Baseball Players

Just 6. 7% of teen boys who are playing high school baseball as seniors will go on to play ball for an NCAA school (http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Probability-of-going-pro-methodology_Update20123.pdf). Playing baseball at an NCAA school doesn't necessarily mean getting a full-ride scholarship. There are far fewer full scholarships than there are spots on the roster. Some baseball players are on partial sports scholarships. Some are without.

For college players, the odds seem to get better. Almost 10% of NCAA seniors will be drafted -- but that doesn't mean they will make it to the majors. Only 10% of those who sign contracts see any time in the majors, according to Chasing the Dream (http://chasingmlbdreams.com/about-chasing-the-dream/). A far smaller percentage of minor leaguers will actually have a big league career.

Lower round draft picks don't get those big signing bonuses, and their monthly wages as minor leaguers can be meager. The minors do offer a chance to play baseball for a living for half a year – and to extend the dream.

There are other options for those who come close and don't make it. A player who isn’t quite at the level required for U.S. pro ball may be desirable to European teams, especially if he also has an aptitude for coaching. Vassar boasts having sent quite a few young men off to post-college employment in European baseball (http://alums.vassar.edu/news/2011-2012/120613-baseball-europe.html). But for a teen player, just making it as far as Vassar is a bit of a stretch.

Female Softball Players

There are far fewer female pro softball players. While one in thirteen high school players may see college playing time, only 1 in 1,484 will play National Pro Fastpitch (http://www.osmguy.com/2014/01/odds-going-pro-sports-visualization/).

Women play a three month season and earn, on average, $5,000 to $6,000. During the playing season, their housing is provided. It’s an opportunity, but it doesn’t pay out in the way that a college education does.

The Rewards of Youth Sports

This isn't to say that youth sports can't be an investment in the future, though not usually in the most direct way. After all, liberal arts majors don't spend their days doing what they did as undergraduates. The skills transfer. So it is with baseball.

Research has shown that the combination of cooperation and competition -- being part of a team – can be effective at skill building. Baseball offers just that.

Kids also learn that there are wins and losses out there on the road, that attitude matters: not just a good work ethic, but the ability to recoup after a tough loss, a bad call, a taunt. Spending time out on the field and away from the TV screen builds a stronger body. There are also experiences in the here and now: the camaraderie between teammates, the chance to go on road trips with family members and buddies.

Competitive baseball can be a rewarding experience… for a kid who loves sports.

Please contact us with your thoughts or stories on this topic.