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letshavefun
1 Posts |
 Posted - 03/24/2019 : 14:58:35
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| I had a crazy thought today, I wondered if baseball could be fun for the kids again. I would like to start a non profit organization that does travel baseball but is fun! I think too many good kids are missing out or dropping out because it's not fun anymore. This is not the pros. You aren't getting paid, you are paying to play! Let's make it fun and learn along the way. Let me know your thoughts, is there enough interest to make this dream a reality? Thanks! |
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2019 : 08:00:20
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quote:
Originally posted by letshavefun
I had a crazy thought today, I wondered if baseball could be fun for the kids again. I would like to start a non profit organization that does travel baseball but is fun! I think too many good kids are missing out or dropping out because it's not fun anymore. This is not the pros. You aren't getting paid, you are paying to play! Let's make it fun and learn along the way. Let me know your thoughts, is there enough interest to make this dream a reality? Thanks!
the only way I see this working is if you labeled it "Baseball for people who DO NOT want to play in college"....really the parents thinking their kids are behind to get the 0-25% scholarship is what kills the fun. So your league would have to be for kids not intending to play in college. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2019 : 16:10:55
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My son played through college - and it never stopped being fun...
If you really want to play, it will always be fun. For those who it ceases to be fun, their days are numbered.
I know for my son, part of the fun WAS the pressure. Being challenged. He ALWAYS wanted to play with and against the best. It was NOT fun for him to go in and completely dominate a team with inferior talent. If he dominated a team full of great players, that was fun, but he knew what teams/players were good and bad - and he would much rather have played the good players/teams.
I hate to be a bubble buster, but if a player is not having fun, his days on the field are numbered...
Although I agree with CaCO3Girl. I guess a player could have more fun playing in a less competitive environment. But, that is not the path to moving to the next level. If you're not playing with and against the best competition - and having fun doing it - my bet is, the next level is not for you... |
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ChronoB
7 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2019 : 10:44:08
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It's a laudable goal. My son played rec ball for several years, and just made the jump to travel ball. There were definitely a few really talented/skilled kids that were "stuck" in rec ball because their parents didn't have the money or time to do anything else. Some sort of non-profit team that helps them would be a benefit.
As to making baseball fun again, that will probably require a cultural change within travel ball that won't happen. For instance, sportsmanship is clearly lacking. In one game an opposing player purposefully ran into my son and another kid while running the bases, with a clear intent to cause harm. What coach or parent encourages or even condones that type of crap? None of them should be involved in baseball. In another game, after our team won, one of the opposing kids took the time during high fives after the game to hit each of our players in the forearm as hard as he could. Does that sound fun?
I'm having fun because someone finally took a chance on my son (who didn't start the season travel ready, but is rapidly becoming so). And he's happy with the extra pressure/responsibility, getting better coaching, and playing with talented kids. I don't even care if we win, honestly. I'm just having fun watching him get better and enjoy playing at the next level. But the undercurrents of pressure on everyone (parents, kids, coaches), some of which is reasonable and some which is not, are still there. And the cost in time and money is always present. It's very easy to lose the fun with those two things involved. Travel ball COULD be more fun for everyone, but it's not set up like that. Even if you're having fun, too many people out there are taking it way too seriously. bballman has a point. Generally speaking, if you and your kid just want to play ball and have fun, rec ball is what you're looking for. |
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Gatravelbaseball
56 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2019 : 11:12:29
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Great points, bballman and CaCO3Girl.
SOME kids are in travel ball because they really want to be, and because they truly ought to be. They have enough talent to potentially succeed at a reasonably high level, along with the work ethic and attitude to make it possible. They want to be challenged and to work hard at it, because they have a love for the game and they're pretty good at it.
The REST of the kids are in travel ball because they think they want to be -- or, because their parents think they ought to be. They may really like the game, or they may be pretty good at it -- but usually not both.
Baseball can be FUN for any of these kids, but the same set of factors can take the fun out of it for any of them, too:
1. Level of play (A, AA, AAA, Major ... Rec?? -- get in where you fit in)
2. Level of team success (challenging your team is great, but getting blown out every game isn't)
3. Level of individual success (nice to have team success, but not if you're always riding the bench)
4. Teammates/families (one good teammate can make a huge difference ... so can one bad parent!)
5. COACHES (this can easily be the biggest driver of "fun" ... or lack thereof)
So the trick is to find the right fit for your kid. That is definitely easier said than done, partly because you may not be the best judge of that!
With all of that said, I think there should easily be enough kids interested in what the OP proposes to make it successful, but convincing those kids and their parents to go that route would be extremely difficult to do.
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Edited by - Gatravelbaseball on 03/26/2019 12:20:59 |
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hshuler
1074 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2019 : 14:45:36
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Kids would not be aspiring to play at the next level if they weren’t having fun. We can always point to one-offs where adults may ruin the experience but, for the most part, kids don’t let that ruin their experience.
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Edited by - hshuler on 03/26/2019 16:05:20 |
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TRB
42 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2019 : 09:23:48
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I don't think playing at the highest level and having fun are mutually exclusive. There are so many different factors at play. The coach can control a lot of it, but at the end of the day it's about the right fit.
I played baseball through college. I hated every minute of our structured practice. I loved the games and loved the cage work and individual stuff. The fact of the matter is baseball is a job once you get to college. You trade your talent for room, board and an education. The coach owns you and there is nothing fun about what it takes to get to the games. Now that I'm older what I actually miss the most was the locker room and dugout. Team mates are what makes the game the most fun. If a kid is around like minded kids, that are good team mates, they'll have fun. My son was on a team once that was incredibly talented, but he had a couple terrible team mates. He didn't like it at all and I didn't like watching them. He's on an incredibly talented team now, with like minded guys and he's having as much fun this year as I've ever seen him have. Both of the different teams were and are one of the better majors teams in his age group. At the end of the day, it's about the right fit and the right group of kids/parents. |
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bama21
278 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2019 : 12:18:53
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The definition of "Fun" will vary depending on your age and it will change as you get older and progress through the different levels.
For the kids that want to make this a career, then yes, at some point, it becomes a job. Can your job be fun, sure it can, but it is still a job and you have to perform. If you do not perform, then you will be looking for another job and that job may not be "Fun" either. |
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Crazyforbball
391 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2019 : 19:25:47
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| Alot of this depends on the age. What age are you talking about? 15 and up, it's really a job to work for the next level and it is a sacrifice to make that happen. They have to want it and having fun is essential to be willing to do that. Spending money is also essential to get seen. If they are little, it definitely should always be fun. If it's not, either the boy isn't really that into it, or you are at the wrong organization/playing at the wrong level/with the wrong coach. If the competition is what's getting him down, play rec ball or AA. If he's truly talented and not having fun, then you're at the wrong organization. Ask parents...best way to find out before you sign up. Your idea is basically the same as rec ball, or All Stars in rec ball. Even older boys I know that have accepted they won't make it to the next level still play rec ball with their buddies to have fun. Post puberty you pretty much know if you have what it takes. Pre puberty there is no excuse to not have fun. We've had fun, and not had fun. Pretty much always had fun with the kids...it's honestly coaching that can be a real deal breaker, along with difficult parents. |
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Can baseball be fun again?
