The Pros & Cons Of Travel Teams

Industry Experts Weigh In On The Pros & Cons

By Selena Chavis
Youth sports “travel teams” seemingly has wide definition across the country and some degree of controversy, but most industry professionals agree that at the heart of the travel teams movement is more opportunity for competitive play.

“The lines between [traditional] league and travel are pretty fuzzy at this point,” said Thad Anderson of Colorado-based Triple Crown Sports, which has franchises across the country that sponsor tournaments and championships for premier teams in baseball, softball, soccer and other popular sports. “When you look at who consider themselves a travel team, most are hybrid league and tournament teams.”

Consider Little League International (LLI), which approaches the more elite travel team concept as an outgrowth of its traditional league play each year. “For the 7,500 leagues we have…individual leagues decide how they will pick players for the All-Star teams,” said Lance Van Auken, senior communications executive with LLI. Teams are formed on the local level from the best-of-the-best players of community leagues, who then travel to tournaments in hope of winning a spot in the organization’s World Series, he said, further emphasizing that local leagues cannot pull the best players from across the state for their All-Star teams like some other elite travel groups.

The Orlando Comets, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) girls’ basketball team founded in 1999, has another approach to competitive play. Coach Jack Givens, former broadcaster for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Orlando Magic, said, “It’s our budget that dictates what travel means for us.” Despite budget concerns, the Comets have won every Florida AAU state championship they have played and two Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) National Championships and have placed in the Top 10 of AAU girls’ basketball nationally for six years. The Comets started as one team, but has since expanded to 12 teams in various age groups with a burgeoning national presence, Givens said.

The success of teams like the Comets is indicative of the movement for higher competition levels and more elite athletes in youth sports, often with the hope that players will progress into collegiate sports and earn scholarships. But not everyone agrees that the increase in travel teams is good for youth sports—and therein lies the controversy, as one former industry official explained.

“It’s out of control. Somebody needs to take a look at whether 6-, 8- and 10-year-olds need to be on these elite teams,” said Lenny Silberman, former continental director with the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Maccabi Games, referring to the intensity of some travel team schedules. “This business of taking kids from Point A to Point B every weekend…has anyone considered what percentage of kids end up burned out?”

The Maccabi Games, which touts participation from 6,000 youth nationwide, is the JCC’s own brand of competitive play. The Maccabi Games feature varied levels of competition, from high-level tryouts in a large city to a number of small communities pooling players together just to make a team. “Many kids who come to our events are elite-level athletes, and they have a great time without the pressure,” Silberman said, referring to intense practice schedules and coaches’ and parents’ expectations of winning.

Anderson said the travel team concept becomes problematic when people view it solely as a path to a “better outcome. It can be bad when it becomes a parent trying to turn a 12-year-old into cash,” he said, adding that some parents push their kids into travel programs with high expectations for college scholarships and other opportunities.

Givens agreed. “With the Comets, we’ve tried to be very conscious of the kids to make sure they get the most benefit from the program,” he said. “To run a successful program, I think the first thing you need are people at the top who have a genuine care for the kids involved.”

The high costs associated with participation in some travel clubs has also sparked criticism, as some in the industry suggest that fee structures can become prohibitive for some youth. “We work hard to make the most of the budget.” All coaches for the Comets are volunteers, Givens said, and the organization tries to cover their travel expenses. Players’ families are asked to pay $500 each, and the rest of the money needed throughout the travel season comes from sponsors and fundraising—including a stipend from Nike, he said.

LLI tries to keep participation costs reasonable by paying for the players’ travel; the only cost to players’ families is family travel and a $75 sign-up fee for league play. LLI either pays for the teams’ travel expenses or reimburses each team $1 per mile, whichever is more beneficial to the teams, Van Auken said.

Coaching is another concern. Most travel teams have several people who act as coaches, which industry officials agreed gives players a well-rounded playing approach. But as more adults take on coaching roles for travel teams, fewer volunteer positions are being filled within league play. “People are now willing to pay [coaches rather than volunteer],” Anderson said, adding that a lack of consistency from year to year with volunteers can impact the quality of a traditional league program.

Still, travel teams can provide inherent advantages for youth athletes. “Playing on a tournament or travel team provides a higher level of competition and broader exposure,” Anderson said. Collegiate coaches and recruiters like the travel team system as well, Givens said. “They can come to one event and see the best players.”

For players to get the most out of their travel team experience, industry officials said travel teams should be consistent and fun. Said Van Auken, “Our position is that when you are 11 or 12 years old, you should be focused on having fun and not working toward a professional contract.”