I've kept my son in rec ball but he has a personal coach we use regularly on the side. He's gotten more playing time and real game experience. Even though the competition is less he's developing more
All these vids pods and articles about travel ball is ruining baseball… I think it’s a conspiracy to talk people out of playing more baseball. The only thing stopping us from playing more baseball is turkey hunting deer hunting and fishing. I guess football and wrestling too. We need 48 hours per day and 8 days per week.
This is excellent advice for a lot more than just baseball. How many of us sometimes just want a person they love and trust to hear us out and offer help (but not insist on helping).
Bat rolling is cheating because it's against the rules of every popular ruleset I'm aware of. Whether it should be is another argument, but as long as it is, it's gaining an unfair advantage and putting other kids in unnecessary danger if not for the cheating.
Dude, Im a lifelong Phllies fan and to say Mitchiepoo Williams was "one of the best relief pitchers in MLB history" is comical. And 2nd, to put the umpire that called Jackie Robinson safe into the "bad umpire" category is a joke also. I mean, to expect a straight steal of home and to first have to call a 90mph pitch is not exactly routine lol
Great clip. It's not just about travel vs rec but about balance and allowing (not pushing) your kid to develop as an all around athlete, competitor, and person.
My son is 8 and he's been on a rec team for the past year over the summer he really wanted to train since he took a break from rec now it's the fall and he wants to train more was thinking should i put him in travel ball or look for a rec league that is more competitive based
He's 8! Chill out. When he's 10 and you see 8 year old play, you'll think "wow. Those 8 year olds are just little tiny kids. I can't believe I took that so seriously." You'll see
Im lucky to have learned under him, I was in his baseball dudes program here in Vancouver and even though I don’t particularly like baseball anymore I’m happy to have learned some amazing life skills from him and met him. He’s someone most should aspire to be
So I believe this does go on at the youth level. I believe these companies that shave bats started out doing it for slow pitch softball. But there seems to be some misinformation in here. All bats sound different. The older composite ones sounds extremely weird once they are broken in and they are extremely hot as well. Also, you can't go by the weight of a bat. Most bats don't even weigh what they say they do. Also, I don't believe people are shaving alloy bats. Doing so would cause the bat to dent and break. The only way to possibly check for an altered bat would be through compression testing. And even then, a well broken in legal composite bat could have a lower compression than a shaved bat.
Great video, what I see in the small town I have moved too from a big city, is that the travel ball at all ages here is nothing more than money ball with sub par coaches that don't really know the game or how to develop kids. A couple years ago I got approached by some parents of my team that I coached and had no kids of mine on to move to travel ball. They even tried to pay me to do it and I didn't want too because it would put the rest of my kids with parents that didn't want that long of a season without a coach. So I stayed and kept those kids and developed them they made the highschool team and were phenomenal when I had them. However when they went to highschool they rode the pine because there were other kids that played travel ball and they played eventhough they were not as well rounded and it showed with their record of not winning a single game. Then there were 3 kids that just so happened to be kids of the coaches for that travel team and they all played JV and varsity even though they were not at the top of that group of kids in size or talent or ability. Varsity only won 6 games out of 25 or so. Basically what I'm saying is that unfortunately this town is all about who you know and not what you can do. So my predicament is that I have a team of young kids that are incredibly talented and are 10 and 11 now. But if we stay rec my feeling is they will be overlooked because they are not on a travel team. However if I try to make a traveling team I will lose my team. Great video.
I'm a big believer in practice and development and I've heard of similar approaches working for baseball. That being said, if the sisters could play each other there wasn't much need to look for competition. I always thought across all sports, competition is like seasoning, it helps but there's no need to overdo it. Great video.
Absolutely love this show. I have learned so much and have passed the to my 13yr. Old. Thank you for sharing the show on you tube. I don't have the other media platforms
Great information, thanks for posting! I would love to see / hear a comparison between our "broken" American system of developing young baseball players and a "successful" Dominican system of development.
My son has this crazy passion for the game it's great to see he is only 8. I never played baseball beyond little league so it's been a lot of RU-vid and researching . Love resources like this
Mario here… Great video I wish that I had 12 dads just like you. I no longer coach travel ball anymore due to the wrong going on from within travel ball. As an ex college player, ex coach, and ex USSSA site director. Best advice I could give any parent is try not to focus on the now. Focus on the future and ask yourself what’s more important. Winning a meaningless game, playing high school, college,or pro? The answer is neither. Focus on getting your son with a coach who knows baseball preferably a older experienced ex player, but one that has his rules and goals given to you up front and that he use’s the great game of baseball to teach life lessons. His main goal should be to create good young men and good husbands. A good coach can take any situation good or bad and turn it into a positive. I could go on and on but remember communication is key. If the coach isn’t having a thorough meeting 1st day of practice to get everyone on the same page I’d find another coach. If I could fix it I would. I’d love to coach again lol. Good Luck to all!
Great video on minimizing the damage from Travel baseball. To me, playing Travel baseball during the rec season is absurd. It is killing the rec leagues and boxing out many kids who can be great one day. In my town, the travel kids must play rec ball, but the kids are going to destroy their arms. Travel ball should be made of all-stars from rec leagues and play during summer and possibly Fall. Finally, 8U Travel ball is ridiculous as those kids don't have the arm strength to pitch properly.
Most 8U kids playing travel ball aren't pitching. They are playing coach pitch. Only certain teams play 8U Kid Pitch. I agree that Travel Ball has destroyed Rec Leagues. But there is soooo much money in Travel baseball now that there is almost no going back.
They’re taking the restrictor rings out of some of those bats , you can tell if you listen to a -5 bat ,the sound is noticeably loud if you hear a Demarini bat ,when a bat is hit and it sounds a little loud even being an alloy bat you’ll know something is wrong soon as you see the ball come off the bat the trampoline effect is much greater and the ball carries much further basically putting the ball to wall or over the fence with minimal effort. The whole concept is to make a -3 BBCOR Bat swing with the weight of a -5 . Also to cheat bat speed because now a player can get the bat in the zone a lot faster being that the weight used to dampen the bat is no longer there so the player can ultimately catch up to faster pitching .
Most bats don't have restrictor rings in them. And you can't always tell by the sound of a bat. Demarini composite bats don't have a loud sound to them and the more broke in, they start to sound like a wet newspaper hitting a wall. Alloy bats have a louder sound, but I'm pretty sure shaving an alloy bat would lead to denting and cracking of that bat.
I thought this was a very good and informative topic. I will comment on a few things. 1. Umpires are human. We agree. I tell youth coaches that if a Major League Baseball umpire who works / trains year around can make a mistake, then they should temper their expectations at the youth level. If a MLB umpire can make a mistake, don't expect a youth umpire to be perfect. The baseball umpire is the only job that people expect the umpire to be perfect and improve on that. 2. Well said on the culture starting at the top and filtering down on the team level. The umpire is not removed from this equation though. How we approach the game can have an effect on any team. First impressions mean everything. Arrival time. I am usually 30-45 minutes ahead of game time and I do a quick walk of the field if I haven't worked it before or if I have then I make sure the Managers both know I am there. No coach wants to be standing at the plate at game time with the umpire just walking on to the field. Uniform not wrinkled or dirty, don't look like you just crawled out of bed. Shoes shined (works for first game of the day anyways, later on.....well fields aren't quite clean you know). Short and friendly plate meeting "Good morning coaches. My name is {state name and partners name}. We have a 2 hour no new inning time limit but will finish the final inning. 15 in 3, 10 in 4, 8 in 5 run rules. Balls / Strikes, Fair / Foul, Safe / Out are judgment calls. If you have a question about anything else, ask for time and when granted approach the umpire that made the call. If necessary we will confer and make a ruling. Good luck to you. Let's show these boys a good time today. Clock is now running, take the field." I can do this with a smile on my face in about 1 minute. A good first impression makes a difference in how coaches / parents perceive you. Likewise, coaches are making that same first impression at the plate. One thing no umpire wants to hear is "No worries, we aren't that team." or "You won't have any problems with us blue". 9 out of 10 times, that is the team that there will be a problem with at some point that day. 3. Expanding on 2. Early arrival, be seen, uniform sharp, pleasant demeanor. When coaches and parents see this, they are much more at ease when there is a close call. You may still hear the "oooh" but it is short lived. I can't tell you how many teams ask me to come back or hire me on the side for non schedule games as a result. 4. We are not there to throw anyone out of games. If I have a pitcher reacting to my calls (usually a verbal or physical shoulder shrug or arm wave) I am likely sending the catcher out to the mound to give an unofficial warning. That usually does the trick on it's own. But jump on it between innings. A little harder to do with a batter. I agree with your manner in approaching. I don't mind telling where I see the pitch. Catcher already knows. Anything close is a "BALL!!" for all and a lower "Little outside" for the catcher. That's just how I work. Had a coach argue vehemently with a partner once. I had to separate my partner back to the plate and the coach back to his bucket with a warning. Very next pitch I was in C position just to the SS side of the mound. Pitch belt high right down the middle. "BALL!" was the call. I knew my partner was sending a message. Coach asked his catcher then put his head between his legs. Not something I would do, but I knew where my partner was coming from. 5. For me, you can be as nice as you want or as mean as you want. I call the game the same way. How I see it. With that said. If you show respect you are correct. You will get respect. You are likely to get a good explanation on a call and open discussion. I am always willing to hear a respectful coach out and consider the play in regards to rules or confer with my partner on something like a pulled foot, etc. Now coach wants to come out stomping his feet and waving his arms, he isn't likely going to get the same response. I may let him voice his complaint and send him back with no discussion. "I don't need help with that coach, my call stands". 6. I and no umpire no matter how good we may be is perfect. You are correct, there are some that are just not good umpires. Most assignors try to put the best umpires on the older age groups and more important games (or games with a known team / coach issue). The younger kids tend to get the less experienced or less quality umpires. With games going un-covered, sometimes you have to take what you get. And you are right. It won't do any good with that bad umpire to make a scene. Nothing is going to change and it may get worse. 7. Umpires hustle on the field. We have to read plays and take the best possible position to make the call on the play or possibly multiple calls. An umpire not hustling is an issue. I did a 15u travel game 104 degrees off the field. 4 innings into the 4th game of the day of 5 total (first 3 I was on plate, this one in the field with an older partner), my partner suddenly walks to the first base dugout and was clearly done for the day. With no reserve umpires available from other fields (we had multiple heat casualties that day) I suited back up for plate despite still recovering myself from my first 3 on plate and finished the final inning and a half of that game before time limit. Next game I was still solo. I ran out on fly balls and trailed base hits up the line with no runners on. 2 innings into the 5th game I was walking back with arms hung barely holding on to my mask. This is where first impressions and hustle comes into play. Both coaches ran to the plate with water. One to drink, one to pour over head and wrists. These coaches really earned my respect. They both said the same thing "Blue, just call the game from the plate. We won't argue a single call. If you keep running around like this, we will lose you too. Your health and safety is more important now". They were true to their word. 2 close calls and not a peep. But again. This is where coaches and umpires develop the culture.
Every coach in youth sports should be required to umpire in the competitive levels of rec ball before they reach the competitive levels of rec ball and travel ball. My experience is unique. I grew up with a coach / umpire Father. I read the Little League rulebook as a youth ball player and studied it. My first experience as an umpire was as a youth in Tee-Ball and it was the worst experience in baseball for me ever. Called a runner out at second which in my view wasn't even a banger and the coaches / parents went ballistic. That was Tee-Ball. I did 2 more games and didn't umpire again until I was an adult finishing coaching my son and staying in the game in a new way. As an adult umpire I train youth and work with coaches when youth are on the field to help change the culture. A lot of this I have to contribute to watching and learning over many years. So many comments I can make on this video and maybe I will make a few still. But yes, it does start at the top. But it also starts with the umpires as well. The culture has to be developed at all angles. Maybe I will comment on that as well. I have been thinking about doing a similar podcast in regards from an umpires point of view. I may not have your video presence though. LOL
disgusting ......Just took my boy for a 9u travel ball open workout for the 1st time, When did this become such a slimy industry? I wasnt this bad 20 years ago when I was playing local travel ball. Its a shame how adults can mess up a kids game.
The age from 8 to 9 is when a lot of kids transition from coach pitch to kid pitch. Rec teams and coaches don’t exactly get the time or resources to help players handle that transition
Depends on the league. Our evolution was Tee at 5. Coach Pitch at 6/7. Machine pitch / kid pitch at 7/8 (Kids pitched first 2 innings then machine the rest of the game). Kid pitch at 8-10. In Little League kids are seeing kid pitch starting at 7 to a limited degree. 8 year olds that get to play up see all kid pitch. In rec league (in most cases same coaches as travel ball) our LL owned fields so we had plenty of time / resources. Just depends on the league and what resources they have. Travel is heavy in our area so most coaches in LL are also travel coaches or travel parents.
How much time does it take? 🤣 They're 8. I've been coaching baseball for 2 decades and travel ball is the worst thing that's happened to you sports. That's why the high school teams suck. It's all rich kids playing while the talented kids don't get a shot.
The shaving process from what I understand , shaves the inside of the bat barrel which does 2 things. It lightens the bat as you made mention. It also makes the Barrel more springy. This increases the BESR. When the smallest guy on the team is launching lasers at the 3rd baseman and launching the ball over the outfield fence everyone knew something was amiss. I umpired a State Tournament for 12u and the team had 12 identical bats. All -3. Different lengths. However there was only 2 bats being used by the entire team. Unfortunately, as an Umpire, we have no way of checking it.
Wow you are totally uninformed. Just watch a college game and listen to the ping . You can go to local auto parts store. And for 20bucks and a drill. That's why colleges use the Omaha, the cheaper Demaarini, voodoo. The cheap Rawlings. They are sponsored by Big manufacturers, and can pick any bat they make for free. But they use the cheaper one that they buy themselves.
You aren't shaving a bat with anything from an auto parts store. And colleges have to swing the brand that sponsors them so they are limited to what they can swing.
Extremely prevalent at all levels of travel ball and obvious to hear the difference and witness the performance of the bat. Research last years Hawaii team and when their bats arrived at the LLWS. Furthermore, those of us that played and have coached the game for years know exactly when they hear it and see it. Problem is, I have only witnessed one umpire enforce this discrepancy over the years, as it is very difficult to measure the bat and most are unwilling to do so. Lastly, with all of these showcases and internet recruiting that is taking place it is very difficult to decipher a legitimate stud from a video when he is utilizing said bat. Wood bats certainly help the scout and the recruiter make better decisions but, in the end a ball player either has it or he doesn’t. Sadly, the legitimate player can be overlooked due to this fact and that is the true catastrophe.
Hey! I know I am late to the game, and I'm not sure if you'll see this but: I recently started coaching freshmen baseball at a local high school. After playing the game for 17 years, this mindset to interpreting good vs unique mechanics is one I have never considered. I just wanted to say thanks. This makes a lot of sense, and although I wish I had this insight while I was still playing, I am excited to be able to use it while helping develop this next generation of pitchers. Thank you!
thats the problem is all the money involved and parents living through there kids if a kid is caught with a shaved bat the parents should be charged with a crime like putting kids in danger....its the parents
Funny, I pitched (horribly) for 1 year in the Reds organization, and your video implies that because 1,000’s of us didn’t pitch in the Majors, our baseball knowledge, ability to coach our sons, and our own humility, is some kind of joke.... But...still interested in learning better ways to coach and motivate my son...
The problem is now people add epoxy to correct the weight. Now we need to use a compression tester to find an illegal bat. It does happen and is an issue.
You couldn't go by the weight of the bat anyway. Most bat weights are not what they say on the bat. Many of the older bats are much heavier. And a broken in bat could have a low compression rating just like a shaved bat. There is no way to tell unless you open up the bat and look at it.
My son has been playing rec baseball for 4 years now. He loves the game and when there's no more rec baseball to play, he wants to play more. Best thing we did was sign up for travel ball. It improved his skill level when going back to rec baseball and his confidence, in-between times he plays rec basketball and flag football. I think its great that travel ball is there for the months that rec BB isn't there. He is a 10 year old with more passion for the game I ever had, a 50 year old Dad. I grew up on skateboards and surfboards. As long as I can afford his passion I will provide for it. Will he be able to make it to the big leagues ? I don't know but travel ball fills the void of no baseball at all.
This is what travel baseball was originally intended to be. Kids that wanted to keep playing at the end of the Spring season a chance to keep playing and also play as a community team against other community teams. Travel Baseball has evolved into a chest thumping my kid is the best of the best and only the best deserve to play travel baseball. In the old days (I say that as a 50 year old myself) we played Baseball in the Spring, swimming in the Summer (or travel / all-star baseball), football in the Fall, and basketball in the winter. Now you have in rec league alone Spring and Fall baseball. Year around baseball (and other sports). No more time to expand athleticism and just have fun as kids.
@@baseballumpires6901 100% agreed. Kids should try more sports and activities when they are younger. It’s hard to not get caught up in the “rat race” of keeping up with the Jones’s in early specialization. You’re only young once. You can’t try and play these sports when you get older.
