Many families feel anxious about the transition from Little League baseball to Travel sports.
This post will cover everything you need to get started in youth Travel sports baseball. This post will help you answer all the above questions and decide if Travel sports baseball is right for your child.
If your family includes a softball player, we recommend you read our article “What to Look for in a Travel Softball Team.” It covers the same information as a travel softball team and dives into my personal experiences as a college recruiter and elite-level amateur player.
What is Travel Sports Baseball?
It’s crucial to first understand what a team is and how Travel Sports baseball is organized.
There are thousands of Travel sports baseball clubs across the country. Their popularity has increased over the past 20 years. In the 1990s, was still a rare experience that was only available to elite players from baseball-rich regions like Texas and California. Participation is considered a necessity for talented players who want to improve their game and compete against the best.
While Little League is the most popular organization for recreational youth baseball, there are many other organizations that host hundreds upon hundreds of tournaments every year. The most well-known and largest are the USSSA (United States Speciality Sports Association), AAU, Triple Crown Sports and Perfect Game. Many tournaments are organized by multiple organizations.
Anyone can start a team. Many teams are started by parents. However, many are also formed by former college and high school coaches. Some programs only have one team, such as the 10 and under age bracket, while others are run like businesses with teams that compete in all age groups.
Competition
Most Travel sports baseball games are played in tournament format on weekends. Although tournaments are technically possible to be held anywhere in the world, they are often held at easily accessible multi-field facilities. Many Florida tournaments are held at Orlando, Florida, because it is centrally located, has many hotel rooms and is home to great baseball facilities. You should travel more if you live far from such a hub.
Pool play is the most common format for tournaments. This guarantees that each team will have a certain number of games before moving on to single elimination. Depending on their performance, a team could play between three and eight games during a two-day tournament.
A team does not have to participate in a certain number of tournaments. Each team chooses the tournaments they want to participate in on an individual basis. This takes into account factors like age, skill level and cost. Two tournaments per month is considered average. However, higher-level teams might play more often. There are many resources to help you find the right Travel sports team.
