Allowing a group to form a lower level travel team

[Anonymous]

The Travel Lite thing sounds more like MSI Classic in our area if the coaches are unpaid. I think OP was talking about teams that are part of the main travel program for clubs with paid coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Travel Lite thing sounds more like MSI Classic in our area if the coaches are unpaid. I think OP was talking about teams that are part of the main travel program for clubs with paid coaches.

Not OP, but one of the PPs whose club added a team last year. Our is part of the main program with a paid coach. All the kids chose to stay again next year.

[Anonymous]

For these teams, there really is little difference between calling it travel and rec. in rec the team plays against other teams in its own club, in travel they play against teams in other clubs. What is the big hangup if they call themselves travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For these teams, there really is little difference between calling it travel and rec. in rec the team plays against other teams in its own club, in travel they play against teams in other clubs. What is the big hangup if they call themselves travel?

That is what travel lite is about. It's not an in-house league, they get to play in tournaments, and it costs a lot less. The trade off is an unpaid coach, you're not part of the regular travel pecking order, so you there is no movement up or down, and the decisions are more coach/parent based instead of club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Travel Lite thing sounds more like MSI Classic in our area if the coaches are unpaid. I think OP was talking about teams that are part of the main travel program for clubs with paid coaches.

Not OP, but one of the PPs whose club added a team last year. Our is part of the main program with a paid coach. All the kids chose to stay again next year.

I wish more clubs would get this creative. It's so much nicer this way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have this too. It's call Travel Lite. The coaches are unpaid. It's for really good advanced teams, kids who just aren't quite good enough for travel, or kids who don't want the pressure of regular travel anymore and just want to play on a halfway-decent team. Once they get on a team they won't ever be cut the following year. It puts them under the travel umbrella, so they can player in a little better league and tournaments, but they aren't subjected to the normal politics of youth travel teams. It definitely fills a need for some kids and has bee pretty popular.

I think BRYC does this for their lower teams. Travel but with dad coach.

[Anonymous]

so you're playing in NCSL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our club with may levels is allowing a group of kids who go to school together to form their own team apart from all the tryouts etc. They aren't the top team, so are being allowed to create their own squad.

What would you think if this was happening in your club?

What a lovely idea.

except for all the other kids who don't get to pick their teammates and have to try out and have to earn their place on the team...it sounds totally great.

I'm sure any other group who wanted to play together would be allowed too. I can't see that this hurts anyone at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a few teams like this in our club. They fit in between advanced and travel. One team has had the same kids since U-littles and are now around U15 or U16. They only pick up a player if one leaves. Same coach the entire time. They play in lower level travel tournaments. Not sure what league they play in. I don't see the problem with it. They would be like an E or F team if they were in our normal travel hierarchy. They don't have any effect on any of the normal travel teams, so I say let the kids play.

An E or F travel team at U15/16? Do they play competitively in NCSL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have this too. It's call Travel Lite. The coaches are unpaid. It's for really good advanced teams, kids who just aren't quite good enough for travel, or kids who don't want the pressure of regular travel anymore and just want to play on a halfway-decent team. Once they get on a team they won't ever be cut the following year. It puts them under the travel umbrella, so they can player in a little better league and tournaments, but they aren't subjected to the normal politics of youth travel teams. It definitely fills a need for some kids and has bee pretty popular.

I think BRYC does this for their lower teams. Travel but with dad coach.

Those are the "Bridge" teams -- volunteer coach, often teams spawned from a group of all stars+the coach's core rec team players. Played ODSL until COVID--now all in NCSL. But that is a thing of the past--there will be no new bridge teams formed.

[Anonymous]

The one I'm thinking about that did this plays EDP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a few teams like this in our club. They fit in between advanced and travel. One team has had the same kids since U-littles and are now around U15 or U16. They only pick up a player if one leaves. Same coach the entire time. They play in lower level travel tournaments. Not sure what league they play in. I don't see the problem with it. They would be like an E or F team if they were in our normal travel hierarchy. They don't have any effect on any of the normal travel teams, so I say let the kids play.

An E or F travel team at U15/16? Do they play competitively in NCSL?

No, I just meant their play level. Not their actual standing in the club or where they compete.

[Anonymous]

Don’t believe the lie that a paid coach makes the difference. I coached kids at cost and 3 of the 12 are now playing D1. Sometimes some coaches actually care about the game and having kids find their passion. Money spent doesn’t equal success or accomplishment. Mer’cans are so programmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t believe the lie that a paid coach makes the difference. I coached kids at cost and 3 of the 12 are now playing D1. Sometimes some coaches actually care about the game and having kids find their passion. Money spent doesn’t equal success or accomplishment. Mer’cans are so programmed.

I agree with you totally, but the unpaid coach part just brings the cost of entry down. That can mean the difference of a child playing or not to some families. The more kids we have in the game the better.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the issue. Our club did the same - there were so many talented kids trying out that they formed two teams. My son has been involved in other clubs where they have two teams but rotate between the two.