It’s become too specialized. It is a very difficult and skilled game. To stay competitive kids have to play travel baseball.. The kids who are casual players really can’t keep up. It has become a HUGE business Every minor league drop out has become a “hitting coach or a pitching coach” and drags these teams around the country for thousands of dollars. I know a family of a 9th grader who spent 10K one season.. Ridiculous. The quality of high school baseball has improved dramatically in the last 4-5 yrs just because of repitition but the average kid just can’t participate anymore
Agreed.
If 45 kids show up to try our for an “elite” travel team @ $4,000+ a pop, the sponsoring group isn't going to send 30 kids ($120,000) home, there are going to 3 teams. Parents buy the whole argument that the only chance for the kids to been seen by college coaches is to play in these leagues. BS, a college coach's job depends on finding players, not many are missed.
My son played 4 years of college but he made a lot more scholarship money retaking the ACT test than anyone on his team did playing ball. A parent should take the $4,500 and hire an ACT/SAT tutor, they'll get a bigger return on the money.
I agree.