The Background of Travel Baseball

Whether it is a local team, in your backyard, or on a travel team, there are always opportunities to play baseball. Costs for a team can range from $50 to $3000. Occasionally,  it can be free because of sponsors. Playing select and travel sports baseball can be the most fun and more competitive.

Lots of athletes play for a select league. For example, a select league in Ohio is the Southwest Ohio League (SWOL). SWOL has been around for 31 years, and keeps getting bigger. They currently have over 650 teams. SWOL president, Larry Redwine, said “I have just gone with the flow as to the vision for the league.” Redwine said they started as just a 16u league, but soon after different age groups  kept joining. You can play select baseball from  the age of eight and up to 18.

Travel sports tend to get pricey. Some teams can cost $5000, but that includes all uniforms, league fees, tournament fees and player insurance. Lots of teams look to get sponsored so they can help players afford the cost. Big tournaments such as Perfect Game can cost $2000 for a team. As for insurance, most leagues require $1000 depending on how many players are on the team.

In select baseball, there are two things that make it extremely fun. One thing is the day you sign a contract. A current Talawanda student, Austin Hibbard, says “When I sign the contract, I feel like I play professionally.” Hibbard said once you give it to the coach, you feel committed. The second thing would make it so much fun is the out-of-town tournaments. They hold tournaments everywhere, and usually you can always get in.
The most important thing in select baseball is that it offers you high quality games with players who have a lot of experience. You will most likely never play in a game that turns out to be a blow-out. All teams are put into the league that they feel they can compete in and play other teams within the league. Overall, it is a fun and competitive environment.