Fairy tales and dreams make us believe high school baseball players tryout for the team, make the team, start every game, get voted the number one player in the county, have colleges lined up and down drooling at every practice and game, sign a full scholarship, get drafted and play 20 years for the Yankees in the Bronx. While this is the Dream of all of us, it certainly is more of a fairy tale for most.

The reality of high school baseball is times have certainly changed. Mostly due to economics, college coaches simply do have the budget money to travel during the spring season. Plus, all colleges have their own playing schedule while the high school teams are playing. Secondly, high school coaches are not paid to move their players on. Along with instilling sportsmanship and fundamentals, mostly they’re paid to win. So, who’s responsible for alerting and advising the college coaches, and in some cases, the pro scouts of a player and his ability? This is where Summer Baseball and competitive Travel Teams have found their mark.

With the growth of organizations on a local level such as Prospect Select, and on a national level such as Perfect Game USA, highly competitive travel teams have taken on the joint relationships to provide events, tournaments, and showcases for the high school player. From Memorial Day through early August, a twelve week blur of events, showcases, and tournaments takes the players all across the region. And it’s at these events where the bulk of recruiting and exposure take place.

The model is quite simple in its nature. College coaches can’t afford to watch every player on their list of potential recruits during the Spring season. Why would they spend hundreds to thousands of dollars to travel to see a few kids they heard about when they can see 80-100 kids all over the same weekend at the same venue during the summer? Then comes the question, how do we get a player on the coaches list? Just going to a big tournament or showcase often times is just not enough. College coaches need to be alerted ahead of time. Thus, another key item for the summer teams and organizations.

High school baseball has certainly changed. Unless you are the top 1A, top 1% player – the dream of playing at the collegiate level must be handled like a business. Grades equal money. Higher the grades, more academic money a player qualifies for, which equals less athletic money he will require, which equals a cheaper recruit, which equals a more attractive recruit. College coaches hear about hundreds and hundreds of players a year. Most colleges have come to rely on summer programs and their evaluation process. They’ve come to trust and count on them. It’s the dream of all high school players. Summer programs have helped make sure it’s not a Fairy Tale.