I agreed to allow my 16 year-old daughter to play travel soccer, but I had no part in my 8 year-old son playing travel baseball. It’s not that I don’t want to encourage him to play, but I didn’t want to have to choose whose games to go to.
My husband is coaching the Mud Dogs which is my son’s travel baseball team. Although I am unable to go to all of my son’s games I am there to support him on at the games I can. When my children are involved in extracurricular activities I try to be there to support them, but when you have three children you have to divide and conquer.
Due to injuries my son has not been able to play every season at our rec and my husband decided in order to catch up with the boys playing travel baseball we needed to find him a team to join. The Mud Dogs was created for those boys that have not reached the skill level that the boys that have been travel baseball for a few years. As an athlete myself I am opposed to playing travel ball of any sort this young, but if you want your child to have a chance at college ball they start them off this young.
As I mentioned my son is only eight, but when you go to these tournaments the skill level of the other teams is unreal at times. Which tells you that they have been playing travel ball for years. Last weekend was the first time my son’s team had won a game and I was there to see it. He has another tournament this weekend wish us luck!
Do your children play travel ball? If so what sport do they play and what are your thoughts on them playing travel ball?