Is your child really good at baseball in their local recreational league, and you're wondering if they should join a travel league instead? If so, you'll want to know the following things about a travel baseball league.

The Length Of The Seasons

One of the biggest differences between recreational and travel baseball leagues is that travel leagues have longer seasons. It is common for recreational games to only be played for a couple of months, and then the league comes to a sudden end. Some have a small playoff system to determine a winner, but it's over quickly and doesn't extend the league that much.

Travel baseball leagues are much different. It typically starts after the winter holidays with workouts and training with the team leading up to the start of the season. The travel league not only has more games in general, but you may find that the league is involved in different tournaments during the year. When the end of the season comes, the playoff system can be much longer and more involved, stretching out the season even more. 

The Level of Competition

Know that the level of competition is going to be very different between a recreation and travel league. Recreation leagues come from the surrounding neighborhoods, which means that you are generally going to be playing with less skilled players. In addition, there are no cuts with recreational leagues, with the teams being as big as they need to be to accommodate everyone that signs up.

Travel leagues have tryouts where the less skilled players do not make it to a team. Kids are also trying out against kids from a bigger area, which means the skill level is going to be greater. This results in each team being filled with better players at a much higher level of competition. 

If your child is planning on trying out for a high school baseball team, the level of competition that they see is going to greatly improve their chances. They'll have that experience playing against kids with a higher skill level, which will give them the edge when they play against regional teams at the high school level.

The Coaches

The type of coaching that a kid receives in a travel baseball league is going to be much different than in a recreational league. It's common for recreational league coaches to be parent volunteers, while travel baseball coaches have experience and are paid to do their job. Your kid is going to receive better coaching and improve their skills as a result.

For more information on travel baseball, contact a professional near you.

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