Is it just me or are you getting sort of annoyed by the "Tipping" options every time you purchase anything? What does this have to do with youth sports or real estate? Well, it's another option on a lesser scale of what to do and when to do it. Consider this my dry humor ha.
The same way we have tournaments year round and showcases for just about every sport, now we have a tip option for any and every thing we buy from original waiters to Starbucks cups of coffee. My Point???? When to do it and when to skip.
When it comes to tipping the person who brings my food and replenishes my beverages I have no hesitation. I usually tip 20% unless you suck, then you get the standard 15%. I can't think of a time I gave zero as an adult. This is part because I have waited tables and so has my wife. It is not easy and it's not a great paycheck therefore I appreciate it. Tipping the Starbucks kid at the window for passing me my drink? This kind of falls in line with the bartender who cracked open my Coors light and handed it to me. I get if you made me an old fashioned or espresso martini but simply handing me something always felt weird giving you a buck for it. The new one that gets me is at the frozen yogurt place we go to....I made the ice cream and I have to tip you? No chance... I choose no. Anyhow on to the blog...when to go and when to skip just like when to tip and when to skip.
Traveling Tournaments
Team USA, we have a few friends who made the USA softball team and are down in Peru. What an awesome experience for the girls and the families. Was it awesome softball? With a score of 100+ runs scored to only 1 run allowed I will let you be the judge of that. The fields appeared to be dated and the other countries' teams were filled with players from the United States. Hardly a national team of Columbia or Mexico but nonetheless what an awesome event to be a part of. Would I have gone if Sav had tried out? Hell yes. I would have spent every single penny because when do you get a chance to play for your country.
My point is that even though the competition wasn't great and the field looked pretty beat up, that was an experience of a lifetime. Long distance tournaments? None further than in another country so it makes my point. We get so caught up in the cost of everything, myself included but make sure your focus is the time spent with your child and the dream they are pursuing.
Sometimes being offered a chance to play afar really needs to be evaluated by you and your family. If it's for Team USA and you can afford it for sure, but if it's for Alleycat Alligators in Montana maybe you don't have to go. I suffer severely from what my wife calls F-O-M-O Fear of missing out. I am always done traveling but then I get there and get all butthurt if the teams suck or the fields stink. My favorite is when we travel across the country to play a team we see 5 times a year locally.
Showcases
This one is kind of simple. What are you "showcasing". Does your child do something at the upper 99%? Are they fast, are they strong, are they just all around a great player? To be fair it kind of goes like this. If your child is a pitcher, a catcher, or insanely strong and hits the ball easily out of the field of play then go for it. Those 3 things register as "WOWS". If your kid has great hands or is a great teammate I'd say wait till they are a little older. I have seen some of my son's best teammates not make certain teams, leagues or lists simply because they did not have a "Metric" that was measurable like the 3 things I mentioned but they are absolute studs in the baseball game. If you say "My kid has a great softball IQ or baseball IQ" do not go to a showcase.
These events are not games. They will not be measuring your Child's attitude or aptitude for learning. As they get older and are in high school these events change and you start to mix it up as you want to kind of measure your Child's abilities to the next kid. With 1000's of options for our kids to play sports in college whether it be a D1,2,3,NAIA,Juco there will be a place for you child to play if that is what they choose. Do not be fooled into thinking that a showcase or travel tournament makes up for hard work and extra reps. Like mentioned in the past, your child's desire to be the best will be evident by their after practice workouts and extra routines, not just the jersey they play with or the metrics registered at a given showcase.
To the parent reading this that is wondering what a good measurable is and they think their child is good I say "Go ahead". If you don't know then sign up for it. Pay your $300 and check it out. If you aren't a teenager yet I really don't think it's necessary. Kind of goes back to the rankings game. You will see a certain team that really feeds the ranking bug. They will have nearly their entire team ranked in a certain organization because they subscribe to that system. Remember that ranking is only relevant to the players who have participated int that group's org day, showcase or tournament. A good example is this. Look at the draft for major league baseball. The top draft pick was a kid from High School. The best player in college was ranked #1 but was he really #1 if he was drafted #3? Does it matter? Not really but to make a point that just multiplies down the line. Is it better to be ranked 99 out of 100 than not to be ranked at all? I'm not really sure. I think the kid can say they are in the top 100 of their prospective group but could also look like they have a ton of work to do if 98 players were better than them.
In closing if you can afford it and enjoy it do it. If tipping is something you like to do and hope you get a big smile from the frozen yogurt teen then I say tip 20% and feel great inside. As for me, I'm hitting skip until I see some effort when I ask how to use the hot fudge dispenser. :)
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