Opinions has travel baseball made college baseball better?

[HooverOutlaw]

I have watched several 2 year jr college baseball games this year. 

Pitching and hitting was pretty good. But the fielding from the 6 different teams was an error fest  and sloppy.  I have watched 13-14 league ball that could field better than these jr college teams.  Others at the game said all these jr college, NAIA, and smaller colleges are all like that.   You had outfielders dropping and misplaying routine flyball that your would expect good 11-12 year old to catch.  

Has travel ball made kids better or is it a money maker for tournament organizers?  I do know this if you ref full time in Gulf Shores you can pocket $1500-$1800 cash a week during summer.

Softball is the way to go. I was told they play $45 per game behind plate $35 in the field. Coach pitch games with 1 ref pays $45.00.

In the summer 1 field in Gulf Shores host 35 games per week. Softball games last 1 hour and 10 minutes  and they do 8 a day. If you average 8 games a day $40 per game that's $320 a day for 5 days is $1600 6 days is $1920 all cash.  A lot of kids on college summer break do it and live the dream. 

[Severino]

If you read Cal Ripken's book Coaching Youth Basball the Ripken Way and compare that to how most youth teams are doing it, you'll see the problem.  In short, not enough practice and what practice there is is inefficient and unproductive.  He recommends a practice-to-game ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 for 10-12 and 13-14 age groups.  In my experience most teams don't even come close to this, and when they do practice it's often just an intra-squad scrimmage which is a waste of time.  Pitchers seem to get enough work and kids will seek out time in a cage for BP, but there's often not an equivalent amount of skills training for fielding.  Even coaches that do small groups and stations sometimes don't realize they're not really giving each kid sufficient reps at any given skill.  High schools at least have practice on off days, not sure what 15-18 travel teams are doing.

[Sweetlarry]

Baby Sweets last year of “travel ball” the only time those kids took infield was before a game. He was eight years old. He has played a grand total of ONE game since then 
 

The 12 month period from him being 3yrs 9months to 4yrs 9months he played over 70 games. 
 

Burnout is real!

[HooverOutlaw]

49 minutes ago, Severino said:

If you read Cal Ripken's book Coaching Youth Basball the Ripken Way and compare that to how most youth teams are doing it, you'll see the problem.  In short, not enough practice and what practice there is is inefficient and unproductive.  He recommends a practice-to-game ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 for 10-12 and 13-14 age groups.  In my experience most teams don't even come close to this, and when they do practice it's often just an intra-squad scrimmage which is a waste of time.  Pitchers seem to get enough work and kids will seek out time in a cage for BP, but there's often not an equivalent amount of skills training for fielding.  Even coaches that do small groups and stations sometimes don't realize they're not really giving each kid sufficient reps at any given skill.  High schools at least have practice on off days, not sure what 15-18 travel teams are doing.

Even at the local we used to practice nearly every day I'm talking Sunday and Saturday. 

[HooverOutlaw]

30 minutes ago, Sweetlarry said:

Baby Sweets last year of “travel ball” the only time those kids took infield was before a game. He was eight years old. He has played a grand total of ONE game since then 
 

The 12 month period from him being 3yrs 9months to 4yrs 9months he played over 70 games. 
 

Burnout is real!

Does Dixie youth or little still exist in metro Atlanta? Dixie used to be hugh in Alabama and died out about 10-12 years ago. Dixie youth in Hoover probably had 50 league teams at 1 time and does not exist anymore unless something changed in the last few years. 

[Sweetlarry]

7 minutes ago, HooverOutlaw said:

Does Dixie youth or little still exist in metro Atlanta? Dixie used to be hugh in Alabama and died out about 10-12 years ago. Dixie youth in Hoover probably had 50 league teams at 1 time and does not exist anymore unless something changed in the last few years. 

Honestly never heard of them. Baby Sweets was at Sandy Plains until he turned six. Then he played at Mt Paran one year then East Cobb. He would beat her watch paint dry than play baseball. 
 

He and The Princess both can play ball. She could pitch D1 softball no doubt in my mind. They just hate the game. Makes me sad. 

[Atticus Finch]

This is anecdotal.

Fielding percentage in college baseball is higher today than it was 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago.

It's a fact.

[Fred]

On 3/16/2021 at 1:33 PM, HooverOutlaw said:

I have watched several 2 year jr college baseball games this year. 

Pitching and hitting was pretty good. But the fielding from the 6 different teams was an error fest  and sloppy.  I have watched 13-14 league ball that could field better than these jr college teams.  Others at the game said all these jr college, NAIA, and smaller colleges are all like that.   You had outfielders dropping and misplaying routine flyball that your would expect good 11-12 year old to catch.  

Has travel ball made kids better or is it a money maker for tournament organizers?  I do know this if you ref full time in Gulf Shores you can pocket $1500-$1800 cash a week during summer.

Softball is the way to go. I was told they play $45 per game behind plate $35 in the field. Coach pitch games with 1 ref pays $45.00.

In the summer 1 field in Gulf Shores host 35 games per week. Softball games last 1 hour and 10 minutes  and they do 8 a day. If you average 8 games a day $40 per game that's $320 a day for 5 days is $1600 6 days is $1920 all cash.  A lot of kids on college summer break do it and live the dream. 

There's travel ball and then there's travel ball.  The kids that are on the good travel ball teams aren't playing at 2 year schools that's for sure.  They are either D1 or drafted to the pros.  I don't know if Dixie ball is still around here.  Rec ball is strong until the early to mid teens when travel takes over big time.  I would almost say that at least around here, if you are still playing traditional rec ball (given the travel ball is rec ball) as a mid to late teen you are headed for the jr college route.  As with everything, there are exceptions to this and your mileage will vary.

[HooverOutlaw]

2 hours ago, Fred said:

There's travel ball and then there's travel ball.  The kids that are on the good travel ball teams aren't playing at 2 year schools that's for sure.  They are either D1 or drafted to the pros.  I don't know if Dixie ball is still around here.  Rec ball is strong until the early to mid teens when travel takes over big time.  I would almost say that at least around here, if you are still playing traditional rec ball (given the travel ball is rec ball) as a mid to late teen you are headed for the jr college route.  As with everything, there are exceptions to this and your mileage will vary.

I don't like the fact travel ball has taken local rivalries and killed it. I like the older days when your local high school in the youth leagues would still play other youth leagues. For example Hoover's 11-12 all star team vs Vestavia or Pelham or Homewood or many other Birmingham communities. Now these travel teams may be based in Hoover but kids from all over the south may play on it.  Playing with the guys you went to elementary/middle school and grew up with are lifetime friends.  Now you might have a 12 and under team with the option of 30 state tournament to play in.  Back in the day dixie had 1 state tournament you had to win sub district then win district then go to state and most times these teams might lose 1 game at most. I talked to a guy and his son's 10 and under team were playing in the "state tournament for usssa" had a losing record and never won a tournament, never was a runner up but went to gulf shores for the state tournament.  Something is not right with making a state tournament with a losing record.  This is the new rule of everybody gets a trophy.  Even at the high level travel ball most of those kids who make jr college will never play much. Some of these jr colleges will carry 30+ kids.  These kids who are a dime a dozen right handers who throw say low 80s and do not have several pitches are just batting practice at the college level.   I know of a kid who played at North Alabama and New England summer ball league his ERA in summer league was over 30 quit after 1 year.