Travel ball. I have mixed emotions regarding travel teams. On the one hand, they provide extra opportunities for kids, particularly younger athletes, to learn a sport and gain valuable playing experience. Busy kids stay out of trouble and sports is a great way to keep kids occupied and involved in a healthy activity.
At the same time, there is money in travel and club sports. Anytime money creeps into an activity or event, that activity or event gets corrupted. You don’t have to go very far to see how profitable travel ball can be. There is a lot of money tied up in these teams – tournament entry fees, uniforms, equipment, participation fees, and the like all generate thousands and thousands of dollars. Many older kids play travel sports as a way to earn college scholarships. Most young athletes who secure scholarships will go to smaller schools. The scholarships won’t be very much money, a couple of thousand dollars per year on average. By the time a kid finishes travel ball, his or her parent will have spent much, much more than that on equipment, entry fees, uniforms, travel, etc.
Yet for many sports, like soccer, gymnastics, golf, tennis, swimming, and to a degree basketball, travel and club teams are more important than high school teams when it comes to college scholarships. College coaches prowl the soccer pitches, the gyms, the golf courses, tennis courts, and swimming pool decks of club and travel tournaments and meets searching for the athletes who can contribute at the next level.
I get that. I understand it. I know it’s necessary. But it’s no substitute for high school athletics.
High school sports has at least two things going for it that club/travel teams don’t: Opportunity and community. Travel/club teams can be very selective, both in terms of money and talent. Many travel coaches only want the best of the best on their teams. And while there are programs with different levels of teams, which affords even those kids who might not have elite-level talent to play, there are lot of kids who don’t get to play because coaches don’t think they have the talent. At the high school level, there is room for kids of all skill levels. Obviously, not everyone who goes out for a sport makes the team or even gets the chance to play much, but there are more opportunities for kids of average or slightly above average talent to make a team.
And the kids who do make the team get the opportunity to represent their communities. We see this more in our area where many of our communities have just one public high school. When athletes suit up for their high schools, they have the opportunity to represent their peers, their families, and their friends in a unique and challenging setting. Football, basketball, baseball, and other games and contests are for bragging rights and pride. Nothing unifies communities like sports. Kids can make a name for themselves in a positive way for decades to come by how they play. We remember and celebrate our wins and our greatest athletes for a long, long time.
If a team or an athlete is lucky enough to win a state championship, that’s the icing on the cake. There is nothing like being named the best in the state at your given activity. It’s the pinnacle of achievement for a high school athlete. With travel and club teams, there may be a half dozen or more opportunities to win state titles or even world series-type rings and tournaments. While winning any championship is something to be celebrated, nothing compares to winning a title for your school and hanging that banner in the gym. Only a select few win state titles for their schools and it’s something very, very special.
Playing high school sports has a number of benefits. But to me, the real beauty of high school athletics can be found in the sense of community such sports offer. It transcends the field of play and spread throughout cities and counties like nothing else.
Yes, travel and club teams are important. But they will never be more important than the local high school programs.
Column/South Georgia/February 2016
The beauty of high school sports
Robert Preston Jr.
