Jackson Jambalaya

One of mine was very competitive at JA and was an SEC 'scholarshipped' athlete at Ole Miss. He studied enough to later make a living in his major.

God bless the parents who are wise enough to see through the bull$h!+ and refuse to be taken in by a fantasy.

You only have a few years to make yourself some memories son!!!!!

The whole travel ball thing has ruined children's sports. I know... I am a poor and cant afford it........blah blah.....but you could go to the ballpark by tommys trading post or wherever in 1994 on a Friday or Saturday night and it was hopping!!!!!

Kids living it up playing semi free rec league sports

Now......ballparks are largely dead and the kids who do play rec are few and far between

just doesn't look fun anymore, and no my child is 11 and we don't play travel ball

but again as some of these commenters would say I am one of the poors

Travel ball is some of the best family time you’ll ever get in this day and age. As long as the parents keep it in perspective, it’s great. The assumption that they’re all chasing scholarships is wrong. Most know the odds. They just enjoy it.

Yep..

That is hilarious. Travel ball parents can come up with some doozies in order not to admit to themselves they’re using their kids to live out their own sports fantasies. I’ve seen a lot of kids define themselves as upper crust baseball and soccer players, only to give it up when they realize they aren’t quite as good as mommy and daddy have been telling them.

3:20, I get what you're saying. I've seen 2 different generations in baseball. One---travel ball, regular team ball, school ball. Kid told his Dad--that's it, love baseball but need a break. Thank God they listened, took a year off, did other stuff, he did go back and play, full scholarship to college. Fortunately, he took studies seriously, had a great job now, married with kids.

That same boy has his son in baseball but they don't do travel ball. School ball, different leagues. And they do tons of stuff outside of baseball.

No idea how folks afford travel ball.

Travel baseball in particular may be the single most insane "investment" a parent can make. Baseball at the collegiate level is wildly underfunded, with just 11.7 scholarships for a squad of 35 players at the D1 level.

If you're good enough for D1 in football or basketball, you get your education paid for. Even if you're not a star, you also have a shot at some NIL money because those sports are net revenue generators. Still a longshot bet for most HS kids, but the payoff for the top 3% or so is pretty clear.

Good enough for D1 in baseball, and you're still probably writing a hefty tuition check, with very likely zero NIL outside the SEC, for the privilege of a 98% chance of never getting drafted.

Every "away" (out-of-town) trip adds +$600/800 minimun for rooms, meals, gas, etc per weekend. If with grands/multiple rooms it easily bust $1000.

If you have four kids, and take the money you would spend on Travel Ball on the first kid and fund a 529 plan then you can fund college for all four kids.

Nothing like buying a camper trailer to be a roadie for your 9 year olds baseball team. The light at the end of the tunnel being 1/8 of a scholarship.

Hall of Fame baseball players have said they would never let their kid play travel baseball - they had rather them play all sports and be well rounded individuals. They also have said not to worry about "not being seen" by the baseball scouts. If you are that good, the scouts know where you are. Girls travel softball is worse than travel baseball.

There are. Very few Konner Griffins. D3 Baseball scholarship are now 35

Unless they played at leavell woods in the 80s/90s

We’ve been a part of it for years. There is a clear division between whack job mommas and their former meathead husbands and regular wanting to play at the highest competition and simply get better each year.

Funny how every MAIS enrollment season produces another ‘future Cal Ripken’ who somehow looks like an 18-year-old playing against 6th graders. Meanwhile local kids ride the bench while travel-ball mercenaries and NIL transfers soak up roster spots after their parents blow fortunes chasing fake championships from Dawsonville to Olive Branch.

@4:41pm.....

"Travel ball parents can come up with some doozies in order not to admit to themselves they’re using their kids to live out their own sports fantasies". Almost right.....using their kids to live out how their own parents disciplined the hell out of them and they never had an "fun", thus crippling several generations of kids when they should have bought pets.

followed mine from 6th grade on with softball and golf. Enjoyed every second of it.

Calling people poor who are leery to give in to this cult is wild. No THIS is poor. I want my kids to see the world, mountains, rivers, islands, coral reefs, not the ball park in Picayune. I’m not poor because I’d rather take my family boating and fishing on a $600,000 center console instead of sitting in a lawn chair all summer. Travel ball culture is ruinous to families and kids. Ball should stop the weekend before Memorial Day and not pick up again until after school starts in August

Baseball people are a different breed.

It's like it stunts their growth as human beings.

I played high school and JUCO. I regret not sticking to my music. I am so glad I didn’t have kids and the possibility of having to be around that crowd again makes me cringe. Baseball breeds future Todd Mardis’