Travel teams

I am wondering how important you think travel teams are for sports. A lot of the kids in our neighborhood play a type of travel sport. I haven't put ds in because of a bunch of reasons. Just curious on everyone's thoughts.

Travel teams

I think if it is a sport that they really like to play and they are good at it - travel teams are important. It is the next level for the sport and they learn so much more.

Re: Travel teams

Its expensive and TIME consuming for the entire family. My son is away in Maryland this weekend for a baseball tournament. Last year was Cooperstown.

However, if your kid is good and enjoys is and is with a nice group of kids and coaches, the experience is AMAZING. We are lucky that all the kids get along like brothers and the families are all friendly with each other.

Re: Travel teams

My struggle with it is that it is so time consuming, especially if you have other children involved in activities. We chose not to do travel soccer this year because my daughter is doing competition dance and we can't manage to fit in both. I agree that it is playing on a different level than recreational activities.

Re: Travel teams

It seems like the travel teams start a lot younger than when we were kids. It's hard to say no when all the other kids are doing it, but it does take up a lot of time.

Re: Travel teams

How old is your child? I think at a certain point if your child is playing a sport - there is a time period where the travel program is really the only productive option. At least in our area. I think between 3rd grade and middle school (when they can do school teams) is pretty much the time when travel sports are important if you are playing sports at all. In fact, in our town there is only travel soccer and lax after a certain age (2nd grade) and if you want to play there is no other option.

Re: Travel teams

Re: Travel teams

I don't think there's one answer to this. I think there are many "right" answers depending on the kid and the sport.

At 11 years old, my son knows he wants to play college hockey. Travel hockey is a necessity if he wants this dream to become a reality. If he didn't have this goal I don't know if the expense and commitment would be worth it.

As far as age being a factor in travel, in hockey out of state travel begins at the mite level, which is around 6-7 years old.

Message edited 7/16/2016 12:13:49 AM.

Re: Travel teams

All of my DC have been playing soccer since 4/5 years old in CYO. Now, DD1 is turning 11 soon and all of her close friends play travel. She does not. Why? Because, quite simply, she is not an athlete--her friends truly are. She has asked, but the answer is no. She can play CYO until she ages out (they won the championship this spring!), but I'm not going to put her in travel "just because." I've got two other kids and as it is, she does about 4 other things.

DD2 (9) IS a true athlete. She absolutely loves sports of all kinds. She plays on a boys CYO soccer team with one other girl because there are not enough interested girls. As such, 99% of the teams they play are ALL boys. It's getting to the point where the differences between boys and girls are widening and I think she deserves to develop on her level, despite the fact she really holds her own! So, she's just starting travel now (while remaining on CYO). Thankfully, the "travel" doesn't look to be anything crazy--various locations in LI would be the furthest, I think (we're in Queens).

There is a time and schedule commitment, plus it is NOT cheap! So for me, the answer is--above all--you have to know your kid.

Re: Travel teams

my DD who is 12 now swim for LIAC (mainly out of the aquatic center in Eisenhower Park). At the level she is at most of the meets are not too bad, Mt Kisco, Rutgers University, Lehman College, a few out east, etc. There were 2 far away this year, Florida and Baltimore. We did Baltimore but not Florida. Next year will be Florida and North Carolina - we will do both. It doesn't seem as bad as some of the other sports as we don't have to travel every weekend. It is a big commitment and time consuming and a bit pricey but she loves it and we have made some great friends as well with the other parents.

Re: Travel teams

Thanks all. Honestly my main reason for not doing one is how expensive they are. There are a lot of things I would like to spend a couple thousand dollars on and a sport for my almost 8 year old is not one of them! In addition, I hate pigeonholing my son into one sport at such a young age. I know in some of the sports in our town, they specifically say if you play another sport, you can't do their travel team.

Re: Travel teams

I do understand the concern over pigeon holing to one sport. And I think coaches who require young kids to only play one sport are jerks. No really, I do. They're kids. They should be able to play multiple sports if they chose.
With that said, my DS plays travel soccer. He played recreation soccer from pre-k through fall of 3rd grade. But I really felt he had learned all he was going to learn from the program. Spring of 3rd grade he began travel. He really has learned so much and improved a lot. The games are no further then a half hour. I probably spend $1000 a year for both spring and fall.
He also plays Rec basketball in the winter. He had the option to play indoor soccer, but he loves basketball so we went with that. He also plays Rec basketball in the summer. He has expressed interest in joining little league next spring. We are going to let him play. I already explained though that soccer comes first and is the priority commitment. He can miss soccer practice for a baseball game if he has to. But he is not allowed to miss a soccer game for anything baseball related.

Re: Travel teams

Re: Travel teams

My son's play travel soccer. For us, they were doing intramurals and they basically outgrew our town league. They were better than the average kid and to keep games fair my husband who was the coach wouldn't have them play at their full potential, pulling them early, trading them ot the other team, etc. Also, we see it is harder to get on some travel teams if you wait too long to play travel because kids are gaining the experience and training your kid hasn't been getting (not talking leagues where anyone who pays makes a travel team).

As for pigeon holing, my kids do play other sports but yes we are running around like crazy. My older son does his travel team, an extra soccer training program and bb (at one point two leagues). My younger son does flag football, basketball and baseball. However soccer is the priority for them - because we are paying for this training honestly because they do love soccer most.

Coaches requiring this be the priority - I also get....while it stinks - if you chose to play travel, you are chosing the commitment to a team. If kids aren't working hard and training together, the team won't get better and grow. When the team doesn't get better and grow, you lose kids and often your better players to better teams. So from a league/coaches point of view - I get it. My kids picked which sport is their favorite and that's the sport they chose to play travel for and the other sports and activities are for fun. My kids aren't going to be soccer professionals or mostly likely won't play hs or college level but right now they are loving and we are going with that. I ask them often if they love it or is there something else they rather play and they always say they love soccer.

Re: Travel teams

I think it depends on a lot -
The kid, the age, your time, and the sport itself.

My older son (7) plays ice hockey. This was 150% his idea since he was 3 years old. We put him on skates at 4, and he's been playing house league since then. This past year he wanted to be part of a 'real team' with a 'real coach' .......House leagues are very 'pond hockey' free for all, which is fine, an dfun but he wanted the structure.

Unfortunately, hockey isn't like baseball or soccer where there are town leagues and opportunities for team play and truly learning the skills and games at that young age - our only option was for him to try out for a travel team ........
He made it - it's awesome, and miserable at the same time.

My younger son is a baseball fanatic 9right now, he's only 5). If he's still in love with it, and he's good, when the time and age comes for travel, I'll probably do it for him - Or another sport - but NOW, or even through elementary school, it's not a "necessity" for lack of a better word, like it is for ice hockey

ETA - I also do it, for as much as it is a PITA, because NOW, they are little and while it's a drain our my time, or our family time ........once they are older, it monopolizes THEIR time ........so there's NO time to get into trouble b/c they're either at school. at practice, at a game, at a team related event etc. - IMO it's actually better when they are older to be so busy .......but unfortunately in order for them to be competitive at that age, they have to start young.

Message edited 7/19/2016 9:00:40 AM.

Re: Travel teams

Re: Travel teams

My stepson will be a senior in HS this fall. He started travel basketball last year through AAU. He's played basketball since 5th grade, but didn't get serious about it until 9th grade. If they're interested in college scholarships, travel and camps are the way to go. He's been to numerous invite only basketball camps and is currently being scouted by 9+ colleges and actively recruited by 4 colleges, so far. We're hoping he'll get a full ride to a DI or DII school.

I don't think the cost is worth it for travel teams unless the children are in high school and getting scouted for college scholarships. We've spent a few thousand in this last year and a half, but he's gotten the exposure necessary to show college coaches what he has.

Travel teams

My 6 year old does competitive all star cheer, we travel about 4 times a year.

This year it is Rhode Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore....the older she gets in the sport the more travel and competitions she will attend. I also have 3 other children and we either go as a family for the weekend or my husband stays behind and I room with another mom/child.
I make the commitment for her because at 6 I have never seen more dedication and love for a sport than I do with her.
It all depends on the child and the kind of commitment they themselves are willing to make and effort they put into the sport. If she was just in it for fun than I would choose to do recreational.