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Originally posted by in_the_know

The first thing I'd recommend you do is ask your son what it is that he wants out of his baseball experience. If he wants to compete at higher levels, against tougher competition, grow his skills and improve on his baseball, then that's a start. You should share with him that there are a lot of sacrifices that he'll need to make. Not sure how your all-star experience has been, but there are a lot of birthday parties, swim days, sleep overs, etc., that will be lost because of practice and tournaments. You need to be upfront with him and make sure that he has an appreciation and is willing to make that trade. What does come from the experience for him is making a lot of new friends, traveling to many different parks, experiencing much more competitive ball, etc. It takes a lot of dedication to play travel ball.

Also, be realistic with your kid's opportunity to succeed. Is he doing well to above average at the all-star level? Consider that he'll be playing against players that are mostly better than the all-star player, so be sure that your son will be able to adapt to "possibly" less success than he has to this point. Likewise, he may succeed tremendously well and rise to the advanced level of competition to surprise even you. There are times that my sons cause me to shake my head in disbelief at what they are able to do at times.

After you've sorted out the goals and expectations for you and your son, figure out what they are for your family. You'll need to make serious sacrifices with your finances and time. If you have other children (and they have activities), you'll be splitting your weekends heading in different directions, or carting the siblings to spend 6-12 hour days at ballparks. Can you afford the cost beyond the typical $1,000-$2,000 in dues and team expenses? Gas, Food, Gate Fees can run well over $100 per weekend. For out of town tournaments, tack on hotels.

In regard to your thoughts of whether he is good enough to attend tryouts, there's only one way to find out. Jump into some and see how he looks. Also, I would recommend that you and your son attend to watch some tournaments in the age group that he currently plays to see some of the talent level that he'll be jumping in with. See what you think and be realistic with your expectations of your son and his talent level. Most people that get disillusioned with the experience are those who think the sun rises and sets with their son's talent and aren't honest with themselves. When you attend some tourneys, try and watch some major, AAA, AA teams and get a feel for the skill difference at each.

It can be a great experience. There is every level of team out there. Some teams that border at the rec all-star level, so there's always a team that will fit the talent level of your son. If there is an opportunity to be a fill-in player on a team, give it a shot for the weekend. See how he does against the pitching. There isn't a team out there who can't use an extra catcher on a long weekend. It would be a chance to dip your toe and test the water before making a commitment.

Also, continue to ask any specific questions you think of on this forum. There is no shortage of experienced parents happy to share their history to better help folks like yourself new to the scene.

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