re: Who actually likes “travel ball”

Just to put a similar perspective on this, I have 17 year old daughter that plays on a national level softball team. She just committed D1 last fall.

At 13, SHE made the decision that she loved the sport and wanted to be great. We were just playing on a local team that myself and a few dads helped coach. SHE decided to tryout for our organization's national level team and made it. SHE decided to put in the work at lessons, in the weight room, at speed and agility training. SHE decided that college ball was where she wanted to be.

Our national level team has played in California, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Arizona over the last few years. These are basically the only tournaments that the P5/High Mid Major coaches attend. They never go to Rec or High School games. If you want to be seen you have to be on those fields.

As SFP said, she falls into that top 1-5% of athletes that belong at that level. The local tournaments have simply replaced Rec/Legion leagues that used to exist.

I have coached at the 14/16/18u National level and can tell you that the elite athletes getting recruited to play at those levels no longer come out of anything less than a high level regional team or national level team.