Interesting Article about Travel Ball

[CarMad]

I just came across this and found it to be an interesting opinion about the current state of travel ball. Seems to be from a pretty reputable coach and source. Address and full article below.


http://softball.coachesdirectory.com/article/travel-ball-format-not-good-for-the-sport-article.html



Published: 10/21/2015

by NFCA


Travel Ball Format Not Good For The Sport

By: Anthony LaRezza - Head Coach, Immaculate Heart Academy

Provided by: NFCA


When the high school season changes into the travel ball season in early June, the sport takes a complete 180.

We as coaches constantly preach words such as sacrifice and dedication, and on an everyday basis we talk about teamwork.

I have coached at both the high school and summer ball level for the past 20 seasons and what I preach in high school goes out the window in the summer.

In high school, you are with your team every day, working toward that common goal of winning a state championship. The season consists of peaks and valleys, smooth sailing and speed bumps, but I assure you after every game and practice I am stressing the importance of the team.

Travel ball has taken that equation out of the picture. In today's world, kids are not looking for the best team per se. They are looking for what the team can do for them, as opposed to vice versa.

Parents are so enthralled with scholarships that kids jump from team to team at an alarming rate, with the promise of a summer coach getting them exposure.

Showcases have added to the problem. Kids come out of high school where it seems that every game mattered, to a travel ball season where if you go 5-0 or 0-5 it doesn't matter. There is no championship, just games. Now, teams just showcase players instead of playing team softball.

After speaking to a lot of college coaches, they agree. They want to see a kid get up in the seventh inning with the game on the line. Not in a showcase format, but if you win you move on and if you lose you go home. College coaches want to see how the pitcher, hitter and fielders will react in those situations.

When they get to college there is no showcasing. All showcase format does is protect us from failure. When playing at the highest level, there is going to be failure and lots of it. Coaches want to see how they handle and come back from it.

Fifteen years ago I use to love coaching high school and travel ball. I still love coaching high school, but the travel season has put a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully we'll start to get back to the way it was.

Pennsbury and Team NJ summer events now play to a winner. That is great. I hope more tournament directors follow suit.

But until then, in my eyes high school softball is paramount. Where the lineups are made with the team in mind, not just the individual. Where state championships are crowned, not just bracket winners.

The author has won more than 300 games at Immaculate Heart Academy. He is also a coach and president of the Akadema Elite travel ball organization, as well as a member of the NFCA's High School Top 25 and High School All-American & Coaching Staff of the Year committees.

 

[brownsfan]

I saw that last night. Though he brings up some valid points concerning HS, the author fails to realize some girls use HS softball as a social club only. Not all coaches uses it for that purpose but to put their name on the map for a better HS program that has more girls wanting to try out, thus having a larger talent pool to choose from. But to his credit with his credentials, he must get the most out of his girls.

 

[BulldawgsDirector]

I agree with some and respect them all as his opinions, however, I have heard many coaches at the D-2 and D-3 NCAA and NAIA levels say directly "I don't care about high school softball". 1 coach in particular gave me 3 reasons 1) they don't always play the best players rather they will defer to upper classmen 2) our seasons overlap, I don't have time to watch high school softball and 3) the lack of competitive balance makes it often difficult to tell on the field who can really play at our level.

 

[wow]

Very relevant post, however the type of ball you play is predicated on the coach. The hs vs travel debate is hotly contested battle ground for sure. In the world travel ball competiveness is at the core. Elimination and the win or go home mentality fundamental, so I can see the point of the showcases taking that away. We see it here with the back and forth on the impact it has. Bottom line is you have to find the right fit and understand what the vision is for the team.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Great article but agree with the high school piece as well, the perennial powerhouses of High school teams can play with any of the travel teams in state and be competitive, not all school teams due to sheer numbers of kids, but the ones with the the kids you remember years later. Those teams can compete bottom line with anyone. But even with that said, you take away the workhorse pitcher they ride all year and it's a different team usually. Great coaches pull the best out of even marginal players and there are many, many great HS coaches.....

 

[mogsoftball]

If college coaches don't like the showcase format there is a really easy fix, DON'T GO TO SHOWCASES. Teams don't go to showcases because that's what they like, they go becuase that is where the college coaches are.

If they want to see games where teams are trying to win go to qualifier tournaments where teams are working on their bid, instead of 15 coaches at a showcase if they put out there 15 coaches are going to be at XXX qualifier then that is where the teams will play.

 

[poden-smoden]

This article is crap. It is assuming that all HS teams are competing for a championship. The reality is that this scenario is only a very small percentage. Also, those powerhouse HS teams generally have 3-4 or more girls that are at these showcases and summer ball in general. I feel that there is actually more "TEAM" chemistry in the summer even with showcasing. They are all on the same level with common goals. There is nothing like being a team player when another player takes your spot because a college coach wants to have a look and you being OK with it. HS bottom line has a percentage of girls who only put a glove on from Feb to May period. It doesn't matter if they are on a perennial powerhouse or not, it exists. I am mostly in disagreement with the HS part of the whole article. Also makes the assumption that the HS coach knows what they are doing. Once again, very small percentage. Some programs are really good but only because of tradition created by those before. Simply put, if you are in certain areas and have a little girl that wants to play softball you jump on it immediately and take it seriously. Pitcher gets a coach. Net and tees in the basement, hitting coach, etc. The majority of the girls are already pretty good when they get to HS and guess what? They play in the summer. Only agree with having to play to win, showcase or not. Nothing, to me is more irritating than hearing...."This game does not matter".

 

[Doom Leader]

I love the competition of the showcases but, they are way way overpriced, the stay to play is crap and your lucky to get 5 innings in. If we are paying $800-$1500 at least give us 7 innings. Showcases have turned into money makers. One of the best well ran showcases is right here in Ohio and that is Stingrays, its the best bang for the buck, Always well ran!! I have been around this sport a long time these tournaments need to come back down to reality.

 

[Louuuuu]

... Though he brings up some valid points concerning HS, the author fails to realize some girls use HS softball as a social club only...

...And, that your team is limited to whoever lives in your district. You could have very few players with college potential (or aspirations) and Have to make it very "team" oriented to have a chance at competing.

Also, Poden; nice post!

 

[daboss]

While the NFCA may have given this coach equal time to express their opinion, I have never seen anything saying they endorse it. As a matter of fact, NFCA has expanded into the travel ball world and now offer positions on their board and have hoards of active members being a part of the NFCA. They host their own showcase tourneys and have committees that sole purpose are for education and recruitement. Travel ball coaches are held in an equal regard to high school level coaches and while there's always going to be 2 sides to a fence, opinions are simply that. Is the path less filled with potholes for school coaches compared to travel coaches? My opinion is no. The problems are simply different but still exist.

 

[CarMad]

What I took from it was that it seems the showcase aspect was getting out of hand. As mentioned above prices are skyrocketing and people are making a living off of this! I love travel ball! Things are getting crazy expensive though. Just because coaches attend showcase events doesn't mean they love the format, some may feel obligated just like the teams that enter do. It's a catch 22. Show up or miss out. It's sad because some families just can't afford to keep up.
There is no question there is a large disparity among high school programs and it depends on where you fall as to your general opinion. The author seems to have solid experience on both sides so it's not as if he were some poor school ball coach that was getting shafted.

 

[Louuuuu]

Just because coaches attend showcase events doesn't mean they love the format, some may feel obligated just like the teams that enter do.

True dat!

What we easily forget is that there was no such thing as Showcases 15 years ago, yet colleges somehow managed to fill their rosters with quality players every year.

 

[manitoudan]

One plus for showcases is that , as a small college coach , I can ask Coach A to insert a pitcher into the game for a few innings so I can get to see her throw .. If that team is in bracket play and the pitcher I'd like to see isnt their # 1 or 2 I might get told " no way" but in the showcase format it can be done most of the time .. but more back to the topic , I'd say a lot depends on your HS and your HS coach. Me , and my daughters experience was rather hot cold , we won alot , 2 elite 8's , and final 16 . But she played for 3 different head coaches in 4 years , and the experience was marred by arguments about post season awards and the 1 year we didnt advance in the tourney we actually let a sectional game ( A TOURNEY GAME ) be used as SENIOR DAY , and didnt start our normal starting 9 ... lost 1-0 . So if anyone wants to brag about HS being better than travel to me they better be prepared to hear an earful.

 

[travelball]

I'd like to offer my humble opinion on this. I think to compare high school softball to summer travel ball is not appropriate. They are different entities with completely different purposes. And I would also add that the purpose of travel ball is different for each type of player, depending on her skill level and expectations for collegiate ball.

A- For the mid-level player, travel ball could simply be reps and experience. High school season only lasts so long, some girls just want to play more. For some girls, it's all about high school ball, with travel ball just getting them reps so they can start or make the varsity team next year. Maybe it's just that they want to play all year 'round.

B- For girls with much loftier goals, like a D1 ride, I'm betting travel ball is the bread and butter. Am I wrong to say, at least here in the Midwest US, that college scouts are not filling the stands as high school varsity games? Top-tier teams and showcases are where they will be seen more often. Are the prices lofty? Sure, but as long as someone is buying someone will always be selling.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

The only unique aspect of the article is mixing the HS vs TB argument with the criticism of showcase games being meaningless.

The author's HS program is very strong and won the NJ Non-Public A State Championship last year. I expect it draws a lot of the best players in the area. It is ridiculous for him to extrapolate programs like his across HS in general though because they are more the exception than the rule.

The criticism of showcase games lacking meaning is not new - college coaches broached it a few years ago and the Team NJ summer event changed in response (FTR, the Colorado events and others had elim brackets long before that). However, college coaches want to have their cake and eat it too - they like the fixed schedule of showcase/pool games and many/most don't stick around for the elimination games. So, it really comes down to the colleges wanting their prospects/recruits to play on strong teams where they have to compete for their playing time and compete against other strong players/teams.

Top TB programs provide that and they don't view friendlies/showcases as meaningless games. They use them to develop their team and to evaluate player performances for whom plays in championship events. The coaches manage these "meaningless" games differently, however their players go all out whenever they're on the field.

 

[BA824]

As someone who has also coached both High School and travel going on 18 years I have had these same feelings and experiences. Totally agree with everything.

 

[Louuuuu]

As someone who started their daughter in softball 15 years ago, and has been a coach, parent, administrator, or spectator throughout tee ball, rec ball, travel, high school, and college, I must say the person who wrote the article has a very distorted and biased view of high school ball.

 

[WalkOffHR]

This topic always gives me a headache. Here's my take. DD plays on a very average HS team. She is one of 3 travel ball players on the team. Come tournament time we are a 1 and done team every year, so she is lucky to play 25 games a year. She is closing in on Ohio's all time career home runs record. Guess what critics say? She doesn't play any competition. So even an accomplishment like that gets minimized because of something she can't control. I am sure pitchers get the same treatment over strikeout records.

In HS, their is no control over the competition and the opportunities for good hitters in weak lineups dwindle during the season because teams just walk them. In the last week of the season last year we had 3 games. 2 against a conference team that was battling us for the championship and a tournament game. She had 16 HRs in just 23 games heading in to those games. She got 10 plate appearances. She was walked or hit by a pitch in 6 of those plate appearances. Lost all 3 games, season over after just 26 games. How is THAT good for anyone?

This doesn't happen as much in travel ball because the hitters behind her can and will hurt you. She also faces FAR better pitching (although she claims she prefers better pitchers because when they HAVE to throw a strike they can and it is easier to hit vs a pitcher who has no idea where the next pitch is going). Lastly, every weekend is a new season in TB. So you have a bad weekend as a team, write it off and move one. In HS if you get swept in conference in week 1 because of a bad start and split in week 2 you are pretty much done. Three losses is pretty much the max number of losses most conference champions will get. When that 4th loss comes, that's it, mail in the season for about half the HS lineup in most programs. Then coaches start spreading around playing time just to keep parents happy and players start only worrying about their own stats or awards. Hardly the model of "team" play.

Just my experiences...others may see it differently.

 

[hoanhuyd9]

Very great article. Helpful guides!

 

[coachjwb]

I agree that it's an interesting article ... just pointing out some, but obviously not all of the differences between high school and travel ball. I will say this ... my DD played on a fairly average high school team (which I helped coach) and we never made it to regionals those 4 years, but I know she and I both felt like every game was more "important" than 80-90% of the travel games she played in. There's just something very special I think about playing sports for and representing one's high school. While the overall competition and the rest of her team was no doubt superior in travel ball, the high school experience has more similarities than differences to the experience of playing in college. I could probably argue both sides of the coin whether she learned more to prepare her for college ball by playing high school or travel ball ... but She definitely learned more about being a team leader, and the pressure of every game counting so much from her high school experience.