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raiders92
27 Posts |
 Posted - 01/29/2009 : 09:33:41
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| What age is the best to start travel ball. Will it hurt a player if they wait until they are 10 or 11? |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 10:43:06
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My son started at 11 and that seems about right for him. Every All Star and near All Star from his 10YO season went to a travel team as an 11 YO, so that was the top 20 players in that age group all left rec that year. I am glad we didn't start any later. I think earlier depends on the family and the kid. We weren't prepared to commit our summers to baseball until then.
If you're talking about making the HS team or going to the MLB I'm guessing it doesn't really matter if he doesn't start until 12. ;) |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 12:53:55
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My son will play his first real summer of travel ball this year on a 9U team. He did some travel ball as an out growth of his all star team last spring and summer. (Including taking first place at the Lartry Hudson inviational) I had some real concerns about keeping it fun while allowing him to grow. But over the past year, we have found the skill level at the rec league to be so far below his skill that he no longer enjoyed it. Practices were still working on real basic fundimentals.
Will this end up being the best choice? We will find out. - Note: This is a new travel ball team with a group of kids and coaches I respect. At this age, I would not have gone with an unknown coach and team.
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homerunking
110 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 15:16:00
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A lot depends on the talent of the child. If it seems like the other kids on the team are holding him back, he may be better off in Travel.
Most of the kids my son played with in rec all went to one travel team at 9. We took our lumps but one of the coaches was over his head, and headed for better coaching with better talent. My youngest son is six and we are thinking about moving him to travel at 8 because he is ahead of the curve of most of the kids he plays with at 5...He's been at the ball field or the court his whole life...LOL just hope he finds one sport and stays with it..... |
Edited by - homerunking on 01/29/2009 15:30:13 |
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raiders92
27 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 16:59:46
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| Thanks. It is a tough decision for us because his body/skills are ready but his head/emotions/concentration seem to be lagging behind. |
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Hook Em Horns
105 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 19:42:05
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| Mine went at 8YO ,Coach pitch with East Cobb. It was a good experience for him. Played travel ever since with one year break when we moved, played rec and all stars till we found another team. |
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pcc
28 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 23:59:32
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| As soon as possible. Typically you can see the players that play at 8 have an easier time hitting live pitchers at 9. I would recommend getting started as soon as possible if you are serious about baseball. |
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baseball99
89 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 09:21:59
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| As soon as you can no longer tolerate the poor play in rec ball !! |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 10:20:38
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| It also dpends on the kid. We had a very talented 8U kids last summer that just melted down during a tournament. He could keep up pgysicaly, but the pressure was too much mentally. Be sure your son is truely enjoying travel ball. |
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greglomax
1031 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 11:17:29
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I agree with DecaturDad that it depends on the kid.
Answering a couple of questions will help:
1) Does the kid have to play up an age group to get challenged in league ball?
2) Does he get frustrated with the players that are on the team that do not want to practice and work to get better?
3) Is he becoming afraid of throwing the ball to other players, fearing they are going to get hurt?
If so, then it is probably time to move to travel ball. Especially with question #3. |
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goyard
217 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 14:12:25
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Is he always "that kid" they put over at 1st base because he is truly one of the few that can catch and field all that's thrown his way?  |
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3sondad
220 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 19:52:28
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| Even when he is the smallest on the field... |
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CinReds
88 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 23:24:18
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| Why not start travel T-ball teams? I think 4 yrs. old is a great time to start. We should see it in a couple years. |
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raiders92
27 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 23:51:49
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| Any comments on kids getting "burned out" by starting so young? |
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mechanicsplus
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2009 : 11:19:04
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What's a good age?: 12 - 13yrs. from my experiences. There is so much evidence that indicates when athletes are seperated by age groups and cut-off dates, the best players are MOST always the biggest, most coordinated within the age-level, which MOST often are the oldest at youth levels. As athletes progress through puberty, those differences and relative positions within the grouping, change noticably. So, don't sweat it much at the early ages, ensure they play and enjoy (see below).
You can and do see "burnout" throughout the age groups all the way up and into College. I see starting High School seniors drop and Freshmen college players, not too mention the hugh numbers from 10-15yrs. To get good at anything, let's say near world class (.05% of H.S. players get drafted, 5% will play at NCAA level) is directly related to how much the individual practices their skills! The number, 10,000hrs or around ten years to become extremely proficient. To get there, an athlete must be self-motivated. You can't will that level of committment on anyone. But, you can instill the ideal that; results come from and is related to how hard they work AND create an atmosphere where they continue to enjoy and are challenged by whatever skill endeavor they pursue!
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alphadawg12
38 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2009 : 13:03:22
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| If you start early make sure the coach has his priorities in line. Whether Rec or travel it is still youth baseball and it needs to be fun. Parents and coaches can ruin the experience for kids if they are not careful(probably guilty myself a few times with my son) |
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743
215 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2009 : 08:50:13
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| Excellent question. I often go back and forth on this issue. On one hand alot doesn't matter until they are 12 or 13 and you know what type of speed, arm strength and power a person has. On another you are seeing better competiton, learning the play "real" HS/College rules at 9 and up is beneficial, but they all pick it up pretty easily anyway. I see stud rec ball players go into travel and realize they are not the best anymore and they either want to get better or just stay where they are. Maybe playing early gets them ready for what they will be up against in hs and college as far as talent getting better and better and having to put in the hard work to improve and keep moving up. If I had to guess I would say 11 is probably the best age to start if they are pretty good. If they are a "true" pitcher then probably even better the later they wait to save the arm. Like alpha said, alot has to do with the coaching, you need a coach who keeps it fun, is organized and doesn't think he knows it all. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2009 : 11:24:17
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I would say that the earlier you start, be mindful of whether or not your player progresses to keep up with the level they are playing at. A lot of the "burnout" could just be the fact that kids do not progress at the same level as others. My son started playing travel at 11 and by the time he was done with his 14 yr old season, probably 7 or 8 of the original 12 kids on that team were no longer playing travel. When they started with us, they were capable of playing at that level. After a year or two, they were left behind by the kids who continued to progress.
I'll give an example. We had one kid who started to hate the game because he was not getting the play time he once did and when he did get in, he did not perform to the level he was used to. This was partly because we were playing some of the best team around. After his 13 yr old season, he was ready to give up baseball all together. By the time the next spring came around, he missed baseball and decided to play rec. Long story short, he wound up loving the game again. He was one of the better rec players in the league and excelled. He is trying out for the freshman HS team this year. Never would have happened if he stayed on our team playing a major schedule as a 14 yr old.
My point is, the younger you start, the chances increase that your player may start as a stud, but become stagnant in comparison to others who progress at a faster rate. If that happens, you need to be willing to keep your player on a team that matches his skills where he can still have fun. Whether that be on a lower level travel team or even rec if that is what it calls for. Hard thing to do, but it is a reality. I have seen it many times. |
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tater77bug
133 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2009 : 11:22:15
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| I would say 10 to 12 year olds is as good a time as any...depending on the kid....try to keep it fun for them at that early stage in that they may find boys that are a lot more mature physically by nature therefore they are a stud/prodigy at an early age....this more mature kid may make the game seem overwhelming at times...but encourage the development of skills, teamwork, and progress more than the trophies and praises....remember this is developmental and I see a lot of boys that are studs at 10 that are average or less at 12 and many are no longer playing by 14. Travel ball will give them a sense of competition for sure and you will find that most of your better top level teams naturally have very good coaches....therefore your son will get to experience coaching, situations, and environments that he will never get at the rec level....Good luck!!! |
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best age to start travel ball
