[Blacksmith]

Myself and a few LL/PW coaches were talking the other day about ball players and how much its changed over the years..The discussion turned to AAU,Travel ball,all stars etc. Some of the guys believe that for a kid to get a chance that travel ball and aau play is almost essential to get noticed now a days. Ill admit Im not expert on the subject as growing up there was no such thing for us..Even at that travel ball is very expensive and many people cant swing it or parents work wont allow it.
What do you guys think? Is hard work and talent alone good enough now? Will a player who is no more talented than another player get looked at harder just because the play aau/travel ball?

[RunItUpTheGut]

Two things.
1. Coaching. This state seems to love hiring incompetetent teachers for coaches and ADs and it kills a program.

2. YOU HAVE TO PLAY SUMMER BALL. If you want to be successful, you need to play summer ball. If other kids are playing 200 games more a year than you then there is going to be a difference...this a major difference in softball across the state and you can see it in baseball more and more each year
If you don't get on a travel team, you can expect very few looks from D1 schools unless your name is Kris Bryant

[Blacksmith]

This state still has the problem of the buddy system. A lot of districts seem to think its more important to take care of ones buddies wives and sister in laws than it is to hire the right person for the job. I love Kentucky and Eastern,Ky in particular but its rife with nepotism.

[baseball1974]

Hard work and talent is enough, but only if you have coaches that have good enough reputations and contacts with college coaches to get players seen. In some cases a coach like that can save you from having to fork out thousands of dollars for travel ball. Those coaches are a "dying breed." What is happening is you have young kids fresh out of college coaching travel teams, and if the parents have a good relationship with that coach, then they'll push to have him hired as the high school. Two things result from that; #1 - that coach is getting paid to keep you happy so you'll keep giving them money. Then they get a dose of reality when that coach isn't playing your kid because your not paying him to anymore. Ha! #2 - what also happens is you get a head coach of high school program that doesn't have any foundation to work from that he would have learned from working his way up to becoming a head coach. Those type of situations is why the "turnover rate" is so unbelievably out of control.

[Blacksmith]

I use to think that travel teams were only loaded with the best of the best and that's all they accepted. I've come to learn over the years that money talks no matter the skill level of the player.

[ky playmaker]

If you want seen get on a good travel team and go play perfect game national championship. My son played several years and at almost every game there was 15-30 scouts there.