Whether you call them travel teams, competitive squads, premier
teams or club teams, they’ve become quite an evident staple in
youth sports, going well beyond the recreational level most parents
and players are accustomed to.
Whether you call them travel teams, competitive squads, premier teams or club teams, they’ve become quite an evident staple in youth sports, going well beyond the recreational level most parents and players are accustomed to.
A mere ten years ago these teams were practically non-existent but now they’ve become a year-round attraction with more tournaments and thousands of more participants on a nationwide basis.
However, as this industry grows seemingly out of control, there are a number of pros and cons that emerge from this sector.
If you’re a new parent thrust onto the scene because your son or daughter has been selected or chosen to play on one of these teams, there are a number of factors to look at.
When choosing or looking into playing on a team, one of the first places to look is at the coaching staff
You need to find out if background checks have been done on the adults coaching the team.
While most leagues in recreation ball have been mandated by their national organizations to conduct background checks, travel teams are not under the same jurisdiction.
A travel team in Northern California surprisingly found out that one of its coaches was taking anger management classes and had been arrested for domestic violence.
This is not someone you want coaching your child, so you need to find out exactly who’s coaching.
Another thing to look at in evaluating coaches is do they have CPR training.
Once again ,youth organizations require this but travel teams do not.
As a parent you want to make sure your child is in safe hands in case a life threatening situation occurs, especially if it’s at a practice away from home.
Teams should also have a first aid kit handy and ice available.
In looking more at the coaching staff you should find out how much experience they have coaching kids, what their coaching background is and how high a level did they play or coach at in the past.
In short ask: are they knowledgeable enough to run a team?
Talking to the coaches, you should find out if the team is a developmental team or a team that just wants to win, how much training the team will get in specific areas of the game and how your child’s skills will be developed.
Knowing the coaches objectives makes it easier to make a choice and eliminates any problems in the future.
Players need playing time to develop self confidence so parents need to find out if each player will be given equal playing time or will if only the best players perform in games.
Kids don’t improve skills sitting on the bench so if that’s the case you need to look at putting your son or daughter back in recreational ball, or find another select team that lets everyone play and try different positions.
As you look at a travel team proposal one major thing you must address is time management
How often and how long will this team play during the year? Will it involve a lot of travel or just be localized?
Some teams go overboard and spend a better part of the whole year playing games and tournaments.
Are you ready for this time commitment?
I really believe that this form of competition needs to have a certain amount of moderation throughout the year.
Kids need to be kids and enjoy their family time and free time.
Too much leads to burnout, possible injury and a lack of interest in that sport years down the road.
Constantly playing one sport year round doesn’t guarantee you’ll make the high school team or eventually get a college scholarship.
High school coaches are only concerned about your skill set level and what you can do for them at that very moment.
There are a lot of good things that come out of these premier teams, though, because players get to compete with players of their own skill and competitive level, spend a good portion of their time with one of their parents and can look forward to the excitement of competing in a national tournament with other equal level teams.
If you think your son or daughter is ready to compete at a higher level, can handle the time commitment and competitive nature of the selected sport and is physically competent, then let them have a shot.
For some kids it’s the answer while others may not enjoy it or be ready for that level.
Whatever choice you make be sure you remove your own ego from the equation, and while there’s no perfect solution in choosing a team, just make sure you keep your child’s health and development as the top priorities.
Rich Taylor is the CEO and head instructor of California Pitching Academy and a scout for the New York Mets. Reach him at rj********@***oo.com.
