Youth/Teenage Sports Travel Teams? Good or Bad?

[College#19]

What are peoples thoughts on travel teams? I think every family needs to decide what is best for their kids, but at the same time are we pricing families/kids out of the opportunity to play competitive sports? It varies by sport and some are more expensive than others. Families are spending anywhere from $2500 to $15,000 a year for their kids to play on a competitive travel team for baseball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, basketball, hockey, etc.

What are the expectations? Are parents spending this in hopes of a scholarship, giving kids an opportunity to just play sports, is it a way of life for your family, or are there other reasons? I don’t think there are any right or wrong answers.

i think kids can learn a lot from playing competitive sports. But what are the expectations? I have a good friend who has a daughter playing on an elite soccer travel team and he told me they spend almost $10k per season. He knows she doesn’t want to play in college but he says her being on that team teaches her so many valuable life skills so he is okay with it.

Maybe this is why football is still the most popular sport in high school? There are no high school travel football teams and the cost to play is minimal compared to other sports. The camps cost money but no where near the amount of playing on a high school level travel team.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

They are without a doubt the worst hotel guests.

 

[College#19]

They are without a doubt the worst hotel guests.

I have seen it first hand too many times and it goes both ways.

I think some of this stems from where families/players have to stay at certain hotels as part of the tournament rules (stay to play). Some parents are walking into the hotel with a chip on their shoulder because they have to stay at a certain hotel. The "Play and Stay" rules work both ways. It can help prevent hotels from jacking up the rates because they know their is a big tournament in town, but at the same time some of the tournament negotiated rates are more expensive than families want to spend. It is a fine line. We always preferred the tournaments that have pre-negotiated rates but allow families/players to stay where they choose.

I think the other rub is when hotels don't allow families/players/teams to bring in outside food for team meals. Hotels right now have a hard enough time trying to manage their rooms and for the most part very few hotels are able to feed a team. The best hotels often open up a conference room and designate it as a meal room for teams that want to bring in their own food.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Oh every hotel I've worked at opens up rooms for teams. We never prevent people from bringing their own food. Just that 99% of the time the parents just sit in the lobby and get trashed and then expect us to babysit their kids. Hockey teams seem to think it's ok to play hockey in the hallways, kids will absolutely trash the pool area, furniture gets flipped over, stuff gets broken. And if you say anything you get a nice "don't tell me how to raise muh kids!"

 

[Mdnerd]

Despise them. Growing up I knew kids that did both, and the ones who didn’t participate in that garbage were generally happier playing their sport. I briefly did the traveling thing for baseball and soccer and quickly stopped. As a parent to a few very good athletes, we are not doing that. Want more time with family than being on the road with other people thinking their kids are professionals.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Maybe this is why football is still the most popular sport in high school? There are no high school travel football teams and the cost to play is minimal compared to other sports. The camps cost money but no where near the amount of playing on a high school level travel team.

Have two sons that play middle and elementary football as their primary sport and then a younger daughter. Have been very grateful to have avoided the “travel” scene so far. Daughter loves field hockey so eek we’ll see. I coach football at our school so doubly grateful for the lack of major travel.

Sons love football and it’s pretty nice to have an “end date”….there are definitely some extras that are creeping in though. Oldest has gotten to be pretty good….loves it and seems pretty intent on playing in college. He got picked up on another team for the big post season tournament in Tennessee last year (our school doesn’t do those)…this season will try out for Team Kentucky/FBU which will be a decent commitment if he makes it. Had spring 7v7 that wrapped up a few weeks ago. So yeah it’s getting to be bigger than just seasonal for him but so far has not stopped him from basketball in the winter, tennis in the spring. Shoot 7v7 is turning into a travel world. But he will be football and tennis in HS.

On that note basketball has turned into a completely different animal it seems the last decade or so. Mercy it’s a lot different than when I grew up….pretty much a specialty sport pretty early on. If you aren’t playing AAU 6 months out of the year you’re kinda out of the loop.

At any rate I’m thankful haven’t had to go the travel route….it seems to be almost social for the kids/parents….I can’t imagine a crazy high number of kids will (or want to) play in college. I’m definitely eager to hear others opinions as my little girl is only a few years away from that mess potentially.

 

[JDHoss]

I have a friend who burned both his son and daughter out on basketball by the time they were sophomores in high school. Both had promise. The girl could have probably played at a mid or low major in D1 and his son could have played at the NAIA or D2 or D3 level. Both quit after their sophomore seasons.

 

[gobigbluebell]

Despise them. Growing up I knew kids that did both, and the ones who didn’t participate in that garbage were generally happier playing their sport. I briefly did the traveling thing for baseball and soccer and quickly stopped. As a parent to a few very good athletes, we are not doing that. Want more time with family than being on the road with other people thinking their kids are professionals.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

I also think a decent % of travel teams are just straight up scams.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

I’m a parent of two kids who play travel/club soccer in Lexington. My perception is that it’s slightly less crazy than travel baseball/basketball, but it’s all relative.

I’ve asked myself some of the same questions raised above, but it’s pretty much at the point that if your kid wants to be good enough to play varsity high school soccer in this town at one of the better programs - and I’m sure the baseball and basketball parents will tell you something similar - they have to play club or be from a cultural background where soccer is THE sport. There are always exceptions, but there is such a gap between club and rec soccer - particularly as kids get older - that they barely resemble the same sport. I’m guessing it’s the same for kids in Louisville and northern Kentucky - and I can’t even imagine how it is in states like Texas or California.

My two cents is that this isn’t ideal. But it is what it is. Outside of rural areas, the day of the “three-sport athlete” is pretty much gone unless you are an absolute unicorn.

 

[kyleb740]

The clubs/teams could create a better ecosystem for kids, parents, and pocketbooks but refuse to do so. It’s an arms race between them about who can play longer (spring, summer, fall, indoors in winter) and who can travel further to play teams from all over the country.

This has been going on since I was a kid (90s) and has only gotten worse. I played club soccer and one team that was slightly better than the next 2-3 teams decided to leave the KY league to go to a regional league that played all over.

My sisters still complain about all the travel we did for my club soccer and it has only gotten worse.

 

[Ron Mehico]

I think it’s completely insane and I dont understand it at all. My kids are 5,3, and 1 and I absolutely will not be doing that garbage, I’m not going to spend my adulthood traveling every weekend and sitting for hours watching 13 year olds play sports. One of my buddies has two boys that are really good and into hockey and it’s literally his entire life. If through some insane miracle my children were actually good enough to play division 1 sports it will be because of incredible athleticism, I do not believe you can just practice your way into being a high major athlete. Like trying to make a kid with a low IQ study to become a neurosurgeon, it’s just not happening and I’m not spending tens of thousands of dollars and giving up my life for 10 years chasing after it.

 

[cole854]

Depends on the age of the kid, their skill level, and the sport. Too many times, parents are paying for their version of Timmy Lupus to play all summer when he would be better off just being a kid and finding out what HE likes to do.

 

[Mdnerd]

I think it’s completely insane and I dont understand it at all. My kids are 5,3, and 1 and I absolutely will not be doing that garbage, I’m not going to spend my adulthood traveling every weekend and sitting for hours watching 13 year olds play sports. One of my buddies has two boys that are really good and into hockey and it’s literally his entire life. If through some insane miracle my children were actually good enough to play division 1 sports it will be because of incredible athleticism, I do not believe you can just practice your way into being a high major athlete. Like trying to make a kid with a low IQ study to become a neurosurgeon, it’s just not happening and I’m not spending tens of thousands of dollars and giving up my life for 10 years chasing after it.

Yup, completely agree. If it happens, it happens, but I’m not robbing my children and myself of their childhood for that nonsense.

They can have memories of boating and going on vacations vs game after game.

 

[College#19]

The one thing I can't believe is parents that pay tons of money for their kid to be on a travel team (13U and older) with a parent head coach. In some cases I realize there might not be another option, but I have always made sure my kids are not on teams with parent head coaches and nor have I ever coached any of my kids teams. I think it is kind of weird for parents that are coaching their own kids at the age of 13 or above unless the parent is like a full time high school coach and they have always coached the team.

 

[College#19]

I am sure other sports are similar but I will say Club Volleyball does a good job of offering different levels from very competitive to rec level. Kids can play at the highest level "Open Division" with paid coaches and travel nationally to playing for a Regional team with very little travel. Club Volleyball tournaments have anywhere from 3 to 6 different levels depending on the size of the tournaments.

 

[bigsmoothie]

Parents are the number 1 problem with youth sports. Unreal expectations their kid is a star.

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

I have a friend who burned both his son and daughter out on basketball by the time they were sophomores in high school. Both had promise. The girl could have probably played at a mid or low major in D1 and his son could have played at the NAIA or D2 or D3 level. Both quit after their sophomore seasons.

I think this happens a lot.

 

[bigsmoothie]

Travel baseball tournament at out local park a few years ago. Parents were in a huge discussion about what jersey/pants combination their kids were wearing the next game. When I played Little league you got 1 uniform that had been in a bag for 9 months and smelled like dog piss. And you were damn happy about it.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

I’m not sure where this idea comes from that families who play club/travel anything don’t get to go on vacation and play games in far off places every weekend, but that hasn’t been our experience.

 

[DraftCat]

I did travel ball in the early 2000's until Highschool. We had a group of guys all local 85% of those guys also played on the same high school team. We really only traveled to NKY and Indiana and once to TN.

I wasn't privy to how much we spent but outside of the uniforms, gas and food I'm not sure we paid that much. Perhaps some tournament entry fees I wasn't aware of but we did go out to the local community and got donations for tournaments and uniforms.

$10K for soccer seems extreme gotta be more going out or it's all out of state travel costs.

Anyways I personally enjoyed it growing up.. kept me out of trouble.. and was something I enjoyed. I do remember getting burnt out on occasion that would be my only complaint. Someone mentioned do all these games make you a high level athlete... yes and no. Yes and in you learn the game and get reps... no as in you have to do the other crap like below.

My biggest issue and regret is I was always a starter.. never had to fight for any role. So I never got in the gym and lifted weights. If I had lifted weights and wasn't swinging at 125 lbs I would of done something I guarantee it. No one told me to get in the weight room.. just got by with natural talent until I couldn't progress.

 

[funKYcat75]

Kid did one summer of travel baseball, but fortunately it was usually no further a drive than Mercer County or Louisville. It was mind-numbingly boring for parents and kids, and the kids were just as happy to win and advance as they were to lose and have Sunday free. The last tournament was mercifully at their home park, but it was the last weekend before school started.

As for the parents, well, the saying that the best place to be a coach is at an orphanage is pretty spot on. Anecdotally, the hotel situation described above was right on. We were up north for a cheer competition (which is a different animal altogether) and the parents of a baseball team were absolutely sloshed at 3:00 in the afternoon on a Friday while their teenage kids ran loose. Can’t blame the kids though.

One good thing about travel teams is that the kids get used to losing once in a while. That does help build character and knocks the ego down a few notches. Gives them something to work for instead of just dominating every team they ever play.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

As for the parents, well, the saying that the best place to be a coach is at an orphanage is pretty spot on. Anecdotally, the hotel situation described above was right on. We were up north for a cheer competition (which is a different animal altogether) and the parents of a baseball team were absolutely sloshed at 3:00 in the afternoon on a Friday while their teenage kids ran loose. Can’t blame the kids though.

 

[shockdaddy19]

Played extensive club soccer as a kid and it made me hate the sport. My son is 6 and I’m encouraging him to dabble in a bit of everything. We go to a catholic school and I already talk to parents that have their 6 year old playing club soccer. I just roll my eyes. The reality is that very few of these kids will play at a P5 school. And I would argue that playing random sport at a random D3 school sucks. Go enjoy your college experience at a real school.

Finally, I am very involved in athletics at my kids school. The reality is that parents ruin everything. I was verbally undressed by a parent last year because their 4th grade son was quarantined and had to miss a basketball game. I was the Covid-19 Safety Manager and this woman lit me up. It culminated with me saying, “if this impacts your son’s collegiate basketball future, then i will contribute to his college fund.” We have not spoken since.

 

[Mdnerd]

Played extensive club soccer as a kid and it made me hate the sport. My son is 6 and I’m encouraging him to dabble in a bit of everything. We go to a catholic school and I already talk to parents that have their 6 year old playing club soccer. I just roll my eyes. The reality is that very few of these kids will play at a P5 school. And I would argue that playing random sport at a random D3 school sucks. Go enjoy your college experience at a real school.

Finally, I am very involved in athletics at my kids school. The reality is that parents ruin everything. I was verbally undressed by a parent last year because their 4th grade son was quarantined and had to miss a basketball game. I was the Covid-19 Safety Manager and this woman lit me up. It culminated with me saying, “if this impacts your son’s collegiate basketball future, then i will contribute to his college fund.” We have not spoken since.

Ha, I’ve witnessed all of that. I’m the coach of 2 teams at my sons school, and I’m extremely lucky that almost none of the parents care. It’s a very challenging school and academics rule the day. Sports are just a side activity to escape, so its a ton of fun. Hope it stays that way…

 

[Mdnerd]

Played extensive club soccer as a kid and it made me hate the sport. My son is 6 and I’m encouraging him to dabble in a bit of everything. We go to a catholic school and I already talk to parents that have their 6 year old playing club soccer. I just roll my eyes. The reality is that very few of these kids will play at a P5 school. And I would argue that playing random sport at a random D3 school sucks. Go enjoy your college experience at a real school.

Finally, I am very involved in athletics at my kids school. The reality is that parents ruin everything. I was verbally undressed by a parent last year because their 4th grade son was quarantined and had to miss a basketball game. I was the Covid-19 Safety Manager and this woman lit me up. It culminated with me saying, “if this impacts your son’s collegiate basketball future, then i will contribute to his college fund.” We have not spoken since.

I will say it may be worth looking at the covid issue from a different perspective. You may not agree, but MANY feel we hurt our children unnecessarily with that whole thing, and they’re understandably emotional about it. We went way too far when it came to hurting the kids and people were and still are very upset.

 

[BlueRaider22]

I played football, basketball, and soccer as a kid. I was a collegiate Athletic Trainer. Now I’m a parent with kids in sports.


Unfortunately the answer is not simple and heavily depends on the sport.


1. Football - The percentage of kids in college who only played high school only or middle/high school is extremely high. As of the 90’s and 00’s the benefit later on from a kid playing PeeWee was minimal at best. And as you age, there are very few rec or travel leagues outside of school sports. By far your best bet is to play school football and do camps during the off-season if you’re thinking about college.

2. Basketball - School sports still reign by a large margin. Church and rec leagues serve to bolster the school sports at this time. The leagues along with camps can absolutely help advance a kid as a player. As well as starting young. Which means a fair increase in likelihood of a college scholarship.

3. Soccer - Soccer is interesting. Out of these 3 sports, soccer is absolutely the most likely to yield a college future without school sports. But, of course, school sports are the leading catalyst. There are leagues of all skill levels and ages.



A few general thoughts:

-females tend to benefit more than males. Though the effect is mild, a female who plays rec and school is more likely to be a standout player than a male who does the same.

-travel teams absolutely have benefit……but perhaps not in the way you think. Usually the talent difference between travel and basic rec leagues is very noticeable. Because of the tryout process, it helps cut down on the lesser talented. So, while a rec team may have a few that are every bit as talented, they are quite a bit less talented across the roster in general. And the teams you play against are more talented and better coaches as a rule

Also, travel teams usually have paid coaches who have at least some sort of background in the sport. It’s very common in rec leagues to just have a parent step up as a coach who may not have any knowledge.

-Rules - Travel leagues usually start more depth sooner. For example, in soccer the little kids in rec leagues. may kick the ball in play rather than throw it in…..or they may not use goalies earlier. The effects of this is minimal most likely.

The biggest rule changes come from practices I would think. Rec leagues may just account for practice 1x/wk for 60-90 minutes. Travel leagues often practice 2-3x/wk for 2-3 hrs each.

-not every travel or rec league player benefits. This goes with rules as well. Rec leagues often demand that every kid must play at least 50% of the game. If you’re a rec superstar, you may have your PT cut short because of this….or you may not. Travel teams don’t have this rule. So, if you ride the bench and rarely play….you’re not getting much benefit.

-not all travel leagues are equal. For example, in the Bluegrass area you typically have at least 3 tiers. Rec is bottom…..then select….then elite. Select teams may play a 30-60’ min drive away as a general rule…..but infrequently travel 1-2 hrs for a tournament. Elects teams can cover a large region. The talent level from rec to select is pretty significant but from select to elite is not.

-not all organizations or talent pools are the same. A large populated county has much more talent to stack the travel teams….which means that the talent separation from travel and rec can be even larger. You won’t notice as much of a difference in smaller populate counties.

Also, some organizations are not good at finding coaches, evaluating talent, etc.

-In general, travel team parents/fans are more serious and raucous. They expect better coaching. They expect better competition. They expect better priority, equipment, and facilities. After all, they are paying for it.

But most are NOT expecting college schollys. Sure, many parents in general are too biased towards their kids…..and yes, travel teams tend to display this more. But most choose travel leagues because they see talent and desire in their kids and want to stoke that and push them to their potential. But there some exceptions who are idiots.

 

[Tskware]

Good friend of mine had a son who played travel soccer all over hell and back. One weekend they were in Memphis, his son who was 14 or 15 at the time, had gotten a yellow card or something that DQ'ed him for the Saturday afternoon game, and so he called a friend he knew in the area and played a round of golf at Southwind, where they have a PGA event, instead of watching the 100th soccer game of the summer where his kid was not even going to play.

When he got back, the other parents gave him the cold shoulder, and were pissy, told him he had not shown adequate support for the other players, etc., etc. He thought their attitude was a total joke, he had spent about 20 of his weekends in the previous two years following the team, and I think that is the last year his son played, never played in college either if I recall.

I never had to make the choice, my two daughters were totally not interested, but I am glad I missed the scene, based on everything I have heard, read and seen.

 

[BlueRaider22]

Good friend of mine had a son who played travel soccer all over hell and back. One weekend they were in Memphis, his son who was 14 or 15 at the time, had gotten a yellow card or something that DQ'ed him for the Saturday afternoon game, and so he called a friend he knew in the area and played a round of golf at Southwind, where they have a PGA event, instead of watching the 100th soccer game of the summer where his kid was not even going to play.

When he got back, the other parents gave him the cold shoulder, and were pissy, told him he had not shown adequate support for the other players, etc., etc. He thought their attitude was a total joke, he had spent about 20 of his weekends in the previous two years following the team, and I think that is the last year his son played, never played in college either if I recall.

I never had to make the choice, my two daughters were totally not interested, but I am glad I missed the scene, based on everything I have heard, read and seen.

So, the kid was DQ’d but didn’t go to the rest of the tourney games? If that’s the case, I dont think that’s right. If you are a member of a team, you should go support your team. Just like if you’re injured, you go and support your team.

Though, it’s also wrong for the others to shun him.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

I have buddies whose kids play for some of the soccer leagues in Lexington. They went to Spain last year for like 8 days of games. Their kids are 12. This is insane.

 

[bigsmoothie]

I have buddies whose kids play for some of the soccer leagues in Lexington. They went to Spain last year for like 8 days of games. Their kids are 12. This is insane.

When I was 12 I played little league and we went to Pizza Hut after the last game.

 

[cole854]

Parents are the number 1 problem with youth sports. Unreal expectations their kid is a star.

Very true....and it starts at younger ages now than it did years back. 8U travel teams, for example, or even summer teams that play regularly after their league play is truly asinine.

 

[JDHoss]

When I was 12 I played little league and we went to Pizza Hut after the last game.

We didn't do that, but everybody got a Coke and hot dog from the concession stand after the game. We also played with wooden bats.

 

[RogCat1119]

Read "Game On" by Tom Farrey. It dives deep into the culture of "Daddy Ball."

 

[wkycatfan7]

Seems like it really gets in the way of church attendance as well. Depends on what your priorities are, what you want to spend you time and effort on, I suppose.

 

[RogCat1119]

The biggest rule changes come from practices I would think. Rec leagues may just account for practice 1x/wk for 60-90 minutes. Travel leagues often practice 2-3x/wk for 2-3 hrs each.



.

This is a good thing?

 

[BlueRaider22]

This is a good thing?

Could be.....depends on how you look at it. Will it improve a player’s skill? Absolutely. Even though the chances of a college scholarship remain tiny, will it increase the chances to get one? Yes. Does it increase the chance burnout? Yes...a little.

This thread should be titled, “What percentage of parents ruin it for their kids?” The reality is that most kids by far have great experiences with travel leagues....but absolutely there are a minority of parents who push their kids too hard or push them into situations the kid doesn’t want to be in. But what is the percentage.......5%...10%......20%...?

 

[cat_chaser]

Oldest is 15 today, he’s been on a baseball travel team since he was 6.

Team started out playing local as a good AA team and stayed together for a long time. Coach finally wanted to relax and watch his kid instead of coach him when they hit 12, so another coach took over.

We moved up in competition that year (major) and we were fairly successful. At 13, we were one of the best teams in the tri-state area. The competition was unreal.

With that level of competition (and the fact my kid has had great coaching from the time he was 5), it helped him do what he did this last year as a high school freshman (6-0 with *5 saves and a 1.60 ERA). We lost in the region finals (he was credited with both the quarterfinal and semifinal wins).

*5 saves ties him for second in the state.

So, yes, travel baseball can be very beneficial when done right. And, yes, it is a way of life in our family. And, yes, it’s also a social thing for parents and players.

It’s also very over-saturated and can be a net negative if not done properly.

 

[BlueBallz_rivals30790]

My son started playing rec soccer when he was 3, at the time it was something fun to do as a new dad. It just stuck and he ended up playing on a club team. When he was 12 he was on a travel team and personally I enjoyed the travel with him, bonding time, etc. He liked to go to the different places. But... at the end of the season, he was just burned out on soccer and needed a break. He was a Keeper, so practiced two days a week with the team and one day keeper training, then games on the weekend. He was probably on track to play at some level in college, but didn't have the fire anymore. So once in middle school, he latched onto football like a fish to water. That's his passion now, but also wants to do wrestling in high school and get back into soccer (not as a keeper). I think club soccer was great for those years with conditioning, structure, teamwork, etc. but if they get burned out and don't have the fire, it's time to move on. I think that's where some parents make the mistake.

I do have to say, I LOVE that he's into football, since that's my passion. It's great seeing him on the field at all different positions.

 

[wildcatsboston1984_rivals]

All goes back to what you want to get out of it. And it doesn't have to be just AAU/travel teams. Summer camps are huge too and are generally more affordable and a much smaller commitment than travel teams. I would say it's essentially a requirement to do some summer camps if you have any desire for your child to play in college at any NCAA/NAIA level. Do the research on what are the best ones that are most doable for your time and budget and get your kid in there. Coaches love recruiting at the big ones those just as much as AAU stuff, so it gives your child chances to improve their game and get that much needed recruiting exposure. But also, most of the time it's a bunch of college coaches (and players) that are working these camps, so that right there is just some guaranteed eyeballs on your child.

But below I will focus on the travel teams since that is what you asked.

Can you afford it without having to take on debt? Then no. Travel ball is very expensive and requires quite a lot of time commitment.

Think your kid is good enough to potentially get a scholarship? Then go for it. Chances of your kid getting a D1 or D2 offer without having done AAU and the like is vanishingly small. It can happen, but these coaches only show up at high school to recruit people they had seen on the AAU circuit or to check out someone that was recommended to them by word of mouth. Remember, the HS playing seasons are at the same time as the colleges, they aren't going to be devoting nearly as much time to in-person recruiting in-season as they will out of season

Do you want to burn your kid out? Then go for it

Want your kid to just have fun? Get them playing multiple sports. Sign up for a local rec league. Playing multiple sports will make them a better overall athlete anyways and help strengthen areas of the body that may not be used as much when specializing in just one sport.

Want your kid to play in college even if they have no hope for a scholarship? I speak from experience here. I worked in the athletic department at two different D3 schools for over a decade.

I would definitely encourage it. D2s and D3s have much more limited resources. They don't have the capacity to be hitting the road to some random HS when they have limited coaching staff, often time with the assistants being part-timers. Summer is by far their biggest recruiting time. They can go to these big summer tournaments and see a whole **** load of kids all at one time and get to see them against much strong competition. A lot of coaches consider it a red flag if your kid isn't doing AAU stuff and won't even recruit them unless someone they trust recommends them.

Of course, if they don't do the AAU stuff, there are going to many coaches who will still recruit them. But you're limiting their visibility and chances of getting recruited. If your kid wants to out of state, then you're REALLY limiting their visibility. Coaches are hesitant to recruit a player on nothing but film and word of mouth, and if you're in like Kentucky and they want to go to school in a state multiple states away, well film and word of mouth is going to be about all they will have to go in if they aren't doing the AAU stuff, and that often doesn't end up in your child get recruited much. These small schools don't have the manpower or financial resources to send out a coach to your kids school hundred of miles away to recruit just one player unless they think your child is going to be a special, "franchise" level player.

Of course D3 is so big with such a broad range of schools that there are some that are so bad or care so little about athletics that you can just show up on campus, try out, and make the team no matter how good or bad you are. But if sports is just looked at as another extracurricular for your child then that would be good, but most schools offer club teams that would be much less of a time commitment than a varsity team would be.

 

[Tskware]

So, the kid was DQ’d but didn’t go to the rest of the tourney games? If that’s the case, I dont think that’s right. If you are a member of a team, you should go support your team. Just like if you’re injured, you go and support your team.

Though, it’s also wrong for the others to shun him.

His son was there at the game with his team mates (1 game), my friend played golf. Does that make more sense?