LLWS

One thing I hope parents teach their kids is commitment. Yes it is a privilege to play LL All Stars after your season but it should also be an obligation. Don't join a league if you are going to use them for the regular season and then play elsewhere. Weren't these kids good enough for the travel team before the season or did the great coaches make a boo boo and forget to pick up these kids when they had the chance. I have been a part of travel ball for 11 years and I'll tell you what, all it is is cut throat baseball. Sure many of these teams have good coaches with a lot of experience.How can you not be good when you have an unlimited area to choose from. I think some of the coaches are overrated. Not all but a good handful because of the talent they have on their teams. The 2 kids leaving the all star team is a perfect example. Why did the travel team coaches ask these kids to play for them when they knew they were going to play all stars? Yes, I know little league promotes that every kid should get their chance, etc. but the coaches and the league may have been counting on these kids to play and make them a competitive team for the all stars. LL All stars is a big step up from league play and sometimes you have to look at both sides, yes it's about getting the kids involved but also about sticking with your team. That's a great thing to teach your kids, yeah you can quit and go play wherever you want after the regular season! I feel their obligation was to their league for that season once they signed up.

As far as the Almonte story, that was unfortunate. If they don't make the LL World Series are we still talking about this story or are we talking about all the cheating that travel baseball has to offer? Winning first at the 12 yr old level is not what a kid should be taught. However that's what it boils down to many times(not all of the time). How about teams carrying kids that are too old to play on travel ball teams. Seen it time and time again. Winning is so important that that one illegal player will make the difference. Yes, the Almonte story was a shame but I've seen it all too much at the travel ball level.

Like I said in the beginning, I've been involved in travel ball for the last 11 years and am sick of the cut throat way these teams run things.If you have the right coaches, it doesn't matter where you play.