In our large public high school in FCPS about 15 kids who've played travel baseball since elementary did not make the JV team as freshmen. An additional 30 or so that played little league/babe ruth (basically rec baseball) didn't make it. And there will be additional cuts from JV to varsity. Plus both JV and Varsity have about 25 kids each, at least half of which sit the bench the entire season. It's pretty brutal and a blow to kids who've been successfully playing on competitive travel teams to not get to play with their high school. It also stinks because, for baseball, travel baseball stops during the high school season, so you don't even have that group to play with til the summer season starts up.

Anonymous wrote:OP here- we are at a competitive public. Most boys who are playing club basketball are doing it in order to make middle and high school teams. I am sure they all love the sport and have fun as well, but their parents and the kids goal is to make the middle and high school teams.

It definitely pays off in HS and nearly always helps with admission and scholarships to top universities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think there’s a status or ego component for kids playing on competitive club teams. The more elite the team, the higher the perceived status at school. So the goal may not be to make the school teams even though it might appear that way.

There is also an ego component and cliquey component for the parents.

That is so true!!

Anonymous wrote:I also think there’s a status or ego component for kids playing on competitive club teams. The more elite the team, the higher the perceived status at school. So the goal may not be to make the school teams even though it might appear that way.

There is also an ego component and cliquey component for the parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For whatever it’s worth, club sports are an entry on the common application extracurriculars section. Your student reports hours spent etc and leadership roles there. It shows real commitment over time, much more so than the short high school season.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but it does have that “pay off”.

Absolutely not, but I think the OP is more focused on younger clubs to play in HS. Also doesn't pay off quite often unless the kid is motivated and playing a top level, because there are many places that will take your $$$ and say they play "club/travel".

OP here- yes, I am specifically asking about playing travel/club in order to make middle and high school teams.

Depends 100% on the specific school and the specific sport. Most sports are either no cut, or fairly easy to make at our HS. But we aren't at one of the striver/gunner type schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For whatever it’s worth, club sports are an entry on the common application extracurriculars section. Your student reports hours spent etc and leadership roles there. It shows real commitment over time, much more so than the short high school season.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but it does have that “pay off”.

Absolutely not, but I think the OP is more focused on younger clubs to play in HS. Also doesn't pay off quite often unless the kid is motivated and playing a top level, because there are many places that will take your $$$ and say they play "club/travel".

OP here- yes, I am specifically asking about playing travel/club in order to make middle and high school teams.

Anonymous wrote:For whatever it’s worth, club sports are an entry on the common application extracurriculars section. Your student reports hours spent etc and leadership roles there. It shows real commitment over time, much more so than the short high school season.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but it does have that “pay off”.

Absolutely not, but I think the OP is more focused on younger clubs to play in HS. Also doesn't pay off quite often unless the kid is motivated and playing a top level, because there are many places that will take your $$$ and say they play "club/travel".

For whatever it’s worth, club sports are an entry on the common application extracurriculars section. Your student reports hours spent etc and leadership roles there. It shows real commitment over time, much more so than the short high school season.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but it does have that “pay off”.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not for us and we had little to no interest in the whole culture surrounding it so we bounced when it wasn't fun. DS is 6"6 and naturally athletically inclined so we were generally supportive, but again, if it becomes something they hate we are fine with quitting. Never considered sports as a factor at all re: college.

There are coaches out there that want to give your an oar. Just sayin

lol. My thought

DP. Can you explain the joke? Give her an oar?

tall uncoordinated kid should row

Regular old little league worked just fine for my DS to make his varsity baseball team. He didn't play travel ball until he was a sophomore and looking to get recruited to play in college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not for us and we had little to no interest in the whole culture surrounding it so we bounced when it wasn't fun. DS is 6"6 and naturally athletically inclined so we were generally supportive, but again, if it becomes something they hate we are fine with quitting. Never considered sports as a factor at all re: college.

There are coaches out there that want to give your an oar. Just sayin

lol. My thought

DP. Can you explain the joke? Give her an oar?

Anonymous wrote:Do all kids who play travel or club basketball end up making their middle or high school teams?

Almost nothing in life is "always" or "never", excepting maybe death and taxes.

There are exceptions to anything relating to schools. DCUM will never agree how many exceptions or on what is "usual" and what is "exceptional" though.

So I find questions like the OP odd. The answer has to be "not always" because of exceptions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not for us and we had little to no interest in the whole culture surrounding it so we bounced when it wasn't fun. DS is 6"6 and naturally athletically inclined so we were generally supportive, but again, if it becomes something they hate we are fine with quitting. Never considered sports as a factor at all re: college.

There are coaches out there that want to give your an oar. Just sayin

lol. My thought

What?
Bizarre question

Anonymous wrote:Not for us and we had little to no interest in the whole culture surrounding it so we bounced when it wasn't fun. DS is 6"6 and naturally athletically inclined so we were generally supportive, but again, if it becomes something they hate we are fine with quitting. Never considered sports as a factor at all re: college.

There are coaches out there that want to give your an oar. Just sayin