TRAVEL BASEBALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In addition to our Recreational Baseball program, The Peters Township Baseball Association offers players the opportunity to participate in Travel or Tournament Baseball, at nearly every age group. Travel baseball provides our players opportunities to compete in competitive leagues and tournaments, while representing Peters Township and our Association.
There is generally a lot of confusion and misinformation surrounding Travel Baseball, so we have setup this page to provide as much information as possible and address as many frequently asked questions as we can. If you still have questions regarding travel ball, you are always welcome to submit questions via this website, or attend our General Membership meetings to stay abreast of all PTBA happenings.
What is Travel Baseball? PTBATravel baseball teams play in tournaments and leagues, generally in the surrounding townships, but potentially out of the area and out of state as well - depending on the team and the managers and families involved. Travel teams are assembled by age group (7, 8, 9, 10, etc.) and their age group is dictated by their age on April 30th of that year. Travel baseball provides a more competitive brand of baseball than you will generally see in our Rec. leagues, but is also still focused on player development.
Who can play? PTBA Travel Baseball is committed to allowing as many kids the opportunity to play as possible, and will often field 2-3 travel teams per age group (7yrs - 13yrs), if the interest exists. In order to be eligible for consideration, players MUST play on a Rec. team, and make 60% of their games in the Spring Season. A player who does not achieve 60% Rec. participation will not be eligible for travel baseball, unless there was a medical, or other acceptable reason that they could not achieve 60% participation. In a case where we cannot field a team because of low interest, the Board may waive the participation requirement in order to field a team, but this is entirely at the discretion of the Board.
At what age does travel baseball start and what levels of play are offered? PTBA offers travel baseball starting at age 7 (first year Pinto) and continuing to every age group where interest-level and participation exists. At 7 years old, there is typically enough interest for 1 team. At 8 years old and above, we generally have 2 teams, and sometimes 3 though that is less common.
Does every player make a team? No, not necessarily. While we endeavor to select multiple teams at each age group, there are years when we just don't have enough kids to do that, so there can be cuts.
How much does Travel Baseball cost? Travel Baseball will vary in cost by team. Each team has fixed and variable costs. The typical cost for Summer Travel falls somewhere between $300 and $500 per player (estimated). Each team has a set amount of expenses for tournament fees and uniforms. The expenses are divided equally among the members of the team. A typical team for Travel Baseball will play in 3 to 5 tournaments in the summer season. Each tournament costs about $300. Each player will be provided a traveling baseball quality uniform that includes pants, jerseys, socks, belt, a fitted (potentially) personalized hat and, potentially, a bat bag, batting helmet, etc. Since the team is together for a full year, there are additional opportunities for travel competition in Fall and Spring leagues, as well as optional indoor Winter training, etc.
What is the commitment level for Travel Baseball? While we expect Full Participation, we do understand that family commitments can sometimes overlap with baseball. We have left the discretion in the hands of each Manager, and expect that communication will occur between families and coaches to ensure that we have no cases where teams are short-handed & have to withdraw from tournaments.
Is there equal playing time in Travel Baseball? No, not necessarily. In Rec. baseball we have rules that encourage and sometimes dictate how many innings players can and can't play in the infield/outfield, etc. These rules generally do not exist in travel baseball. While the overall goal should still be focused on player development, coaches have the option to play kids where they will have the best chance to help the team and be successful.
What if my child is sick or injured and can't make the tryout? If that is the case, please notify us ASAP. As long as your child has a doctor's excuse for their injury or illness, the PTBA will waive the participation or tryout requirement so that they may be considered. Their evaluation will be based entirely on last season's performance in Spring and Travel (if applicable).
Who can coach? Anyone who manages a team in our organization could be a candidate for coaching travel ball. After the teams are selected, the PTBA Board of Directors will select travel managers from the list of interested parties.
Why do I need to volunteer at our tournament? Our parents are the reason our program is successful. We run 6-7 travel tournaments each summer and the proceeds from those go right back into our program to fund the organization and help pay for field projects and other equipment. Parents are required to volunteer at their child's tournaments, or pay a qualified person to stand in for them. In addition to volunteering your time, you will also be asked to volunteer your talents! Each tournament will need parents to volunteer food to sell at the concession stands, game announcers, field setup and tear-down, official scorekeepers, etc. Please be prepared to jump in and help make your child's tournament a great experience for all!
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PTBA TRAVEL BASEBALL SELECTION PROCESS, OR TRAVEL BASEBALL IN GENERAL, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK YOUR CHILD'S COACH, OR SEND AN EMAIL TO ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR SEND AN EMAIL TO [email protected] AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.