Southside. Wrestling/Basketball/Volleyball/Softball/Soccer. 6th grade and up. Though to be honest its more with girls.

_________________

What percentage of high school baseball players play at the D1 or D2 level?

_________________

We're talking travel teams. I don't know the exact percentage but I would say a pretty high percentage play baseball somewhere at the next level and they receive money to do so.

Dam near every high school baseball player is a travel baseball player.

Quick search from multiple sites put the number at 5-6% will play some where between D1- and D3. D3 is completely non scholarship. We could throw NAIA into the mix and less than 5% of high school seniors will receive any money to play in college.

_________________

Interesting. I have coached more girls than boys also (obviously with softball) and not heard that.

I do see parents that say things like "I want my (kid) to focus on one sport year round to be as good as they can", but that doesn't strike me as "we have to get a scholarship". That strikes me as "I want my kid to follow through and put forth 100% effort". Which isn't a bad thing. Parents say the same thing regarding academics as well.

_________________

I agree with this (softball too). But I hear more parents say "I just want my kid to be able to play something at least through high school" than anything about playing in college.

_________________

How many high school baseball teams are there in the state of Illinois? Hundreds? and you're trying to tell me there is an equal amount of travel teams? Come on now.

I assume he means in the suburbs area. Not Metropolis or Jacksonville.

_________________

Yes. If you looked at the roster of every suburban and Catholic baseball program, the kids not playing travel would be the rarity.

_________________

Well yes if you only count the really good kids from the really good programs most play travel baseball but I think you're leaving a large segment of high school baseball out of the equation.

But the thing about that is you don't know how the kid is going to grow or progress. They also may find out they are good at something else. Plus in my experience the vast majority of kids who play a varsity sport for their team would be on the team if they played something else also. Kids shouldn't be forced or encouraged into specializing. If someone only likes wrestling then just wrestle. If someone is a very good pitcher but likes to play basketball too, he should play basketball.

_________________

The vast majority of middle class and above kids who play baseball play travel. Which is a very large percentage of kids who play high school baseball in Illinois.

_________________

Yes. And of course many kids do play multiple sports.
Kids shouldn't be "forced", but kids always need guidance and "encouraging". Many adults (coaches, parents, etc) can tell right away what sport a kid has more ability in. It's ok to encourage a good baseball player to play baseball rather than flounder at tennis because he likes to play it with his buddies. Or risk injury in wrestling even though they are superior at.....golf. Or anything else.

_________________

Thank god for liberal adoption laws and rogue states

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

like I said, a partial scholarship to a state college probably does not come out on the positive side of a cost/benefit analysis

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I really have never, ever heard a travel team parent say that. That is true in a park district setting.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I know there are kids that mature later and kids where things just click, but in general, a kid that plays only house or park district leagues is going to have a hard time even making a high school team. I don't like it, but seems to be true.

right, which makes this system of pay to play detestable to me (among other reasons)

There is just such an ugly underbelly to so much organized sports in this country at every level

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Coudn't agree more.

_________________
Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Kids are just too fat these days.

_________________

Believe me, I agree with you. I had this thought while coaching my son last summer. He loves the house league and is a decent player in it. But he is miles behind the travel kids in our league and even if he wants to try baseball as a freshman in a couple years he'll have a hard time.

I volunteered to coach in a park district league a few years back, and we had one kid on the team who was also part of a travel team. He was not very good (I'd say average at best/5th best on the team maybe), and his parents were the biggest combination of asswipes I have ever seen from youth sports parents.

_________________

Reader is going to fall out of his chair when he reads this.

I think you're confusing summer teams with elite travel teams. Sure high school kids play on summer teams who travel around the area but there are only a few travel teams who play in national tournaments and showcases. Kids have to try out or be invited to play on these teams because the national tournaments are where the pro scouts and college recruiters are. A very high percentage of those Kids are playing at the next level.

Yes, that's how I feel.

There is an asshole factor to some of the parents that think their kids will go on to be professional athletes but mostly everybody rolls their eyes at them and they don't get a lot of what they want because coaches won't deal with them.

I am in full agreement with Spanky in this thread.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I hope my kids are unathletic.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I like their chances.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

At least they should be tall.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

_________________