What are your thoughts on young childrens travel leagues, where children have to be driven to other communities for games? Whats the right age for travel teams?
I am adamantly opposed to travel leagues before sixth grade because they put way too much emphasis on competition and winning at too early an age which can not only interfere with healthy child development but with player development as well. Before grade six, then, a child is far better off playing in a low-pressure environment that emphasizes skill development and having fun than in an environment that stresses winning and intense competition such as characterize today’s travel/select programs.One of the worst byproducts of the travel/select team system is that it creates groups of haves and have-nots. Too much of a community- or club-based program’s resources (best practice times, facilities, coaches) end up being devoted to the travel teams, leaving only the crumbs for the kids who supposedly aren’t good enough to be selected and are relegated to the less-prestigious recreational or intramural programs. In addition, less affluent families who cannot afford the cost of expensive tra
