Trials & Tribulations of Travel Baseball

There is a nasty rumor going around the travel baseball community. I know it's always best to ignore rumors and go straight to the source for the truth, but why give up all that delicious drama, right? The latest rumor is...Baseball Moms are Crazy. Personally, I find that incredibly hard to believe! Moms...Crazy? Whatever. But in the interest of good journalism, I thought I might dig a little deeper and see if I could uncover the reason for such a false accusation. I have a unique perspective on... Sign in to see full entry.

I stumbled upon the article, Stealing Home: How Travel Teams Are Eroding Community Baseball, by former Chicago Tribune reporter, David Mendell. Having grown up in Chicago and, because of my obsession with travel baseball, I thought I'd give it a glance. Mendell tells a quick story of how, while coaching his son's baseball team, he hears a booming voice from behind speak the words every parent longs to hear, "You got a nice little ball player there." Flattery Will Get You Everywhere At one time... Sign in to see full entry.

It's amazing how good players make everything look easy. On their best days, they make it look effortless. And, on their worst days, they're still the best on the field. It always catches me off guard when parents and players make comments like, 'I wish my son could hit like that.' 'I'd give anything to be able to hit home runs like him." "He has a lot of natural ability and God given talent." God given talent and natural ability are certainly a big part of any athletes success, but wanting to... Sign in to see full entry.

Even if you've never seen the motion picture classic, Gone With The Wind, you're likely aware of the final scene of the movie. Scarlett pleads," Rhett, Rhett... Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do? " The same conversation takes place between players, coaches and parents every season in Travel Baseball. I've watched friends leave teams, left teams myself and been criticized for my involvement in both. The fallout varies based on what method of separation is used. The Shakespeare... Sign in to see full entry.

Perception: The way one looks at or understands something. Size: How big or small something is. Since the times of David & Goliath, people have believed Size Matters...but does it? The answer to that question depends on who you ask. In 14U Travel Baseball, the perception is, size does matter. Through the years, I've seen players judged by their size, not their abilities. The most popular theory being, the bigger the player, the better the player. Let's look at a few baseball facts. In the 19th... Sign in to see full entry.

I'm g etting ready for baseball season and I am feeling a little... Batty 1. crazy; insane. Those who know me personally will be asking themselves, "So, what's different?" I will simple chuckle and remind myself to 'un-friend' them on Facebook. Why am I feeling 'battier' than usual? I have been over run with Bats. No, that's not what I mean. I'm being over run with Baseball Bats! Bat 1. an implement with a handle and a solid surface, usually of wood, used for hitting the ball in games such as... Sign in to see full entry.