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The Ultimate Guide For Travel Ball Parents This Summer

The Ultimate Guide For Travel Ball Parents This Summer

Summer is approaching which means one thing… time to start spending your weekends at the softball/baseball fields! To help make your weekends at the fields more enjoyable, here is a list of items to have in your trunk.

Folding Utility Wagon

This wagon folds up and will fit in any trunk perfectly. It also has cup holders and pockets on the side. No need to carry all of your heavy bags and coolers…this will fit all of your things for the weekend!

https://amzn.to/43T9GRX

Portable Neck Fan

This is definitely a MUST for those hot and long days. This handsfree fan has 3 different adjustable speeds and also has LED lighting for those night games.

https://amzn.to/43PLobI

Foldable Canopy Chair

If you don’t already have one of these, what are you doing?! This chair was made for sporting events. It has a cup holder, built in canopy, cooling mesh, and oversized seat edges.

https://amzn.to/3H04eTC

Soft Cooler Bag

This cooler bag will keep your drinks and food cold for up to 10 hours. It also has a big pocket in the front and a cup holder on the side.

https://amzn.to/3owk5Dd

Stadium Seat For Bleachers

If you’re more of a bleacher person, than a lawn chair person this seat is for you. It has a cupholder, a phone holder and also folds up and has a carrying strap. This seat also comes in a variety of colors, so you could easily find one of your team colors!

https://amzn.to/3mMHbVH

Pop Up Tent

The parents and kids on your team will thank you on those HOT and LONG days! This pop up tent is easy to set up and no assembly required. You can easily fit in your chairs or even take a little nap in between games.

https://amzn.to/41HTwci

Coach’s First Aid Kit

Every team needs a first aid kit and this one is specifically made for teams. Keep this in your wagon or hand it off to the coach to keep with all of their other equipment.

https://amzn.to/3oAsS6N

Packing Cubes

These are ideal for all of the small items you are bringing with you such as sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, chapstick, toilet paper (iykyk), and etc.

https://amzn.to/41sfqRj

Hope this list helps make your tournament days more enjoyable and also more efficient!

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1 Thing You Can Do EVERY Game That Will Impress College Coaches

Can you hit a home run every game? Probably not.

Can you throw a perfect game every game? Probably not.

Can you make a diving catch every game? Probably not.

There are a lot of reasons for those things not to be probable no matter how good you are.

However, there is one thing you can do every game. Yes, EVERY game. What’s that? It’s running on and off the field. Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but it’s true. If you’re healthy enough to be on the field playing then you are healthy enough to run on and off the field.

Why does it matter though? It won’t improve your batting average or ERA. Coaches are impressed with more than just your statistics. They observe your attitude too.

Your attitude makes a difference on how well your team plays together. Your attitude is a reflection on how coachable you are. Running on and off the field is a reflection of your attitude. Running on and off the field is a reflection of YOU. You and your character.

In NCSA’s 2019 recruiting report, they asked college coaches to rank the following when it comes to recruiting… athletic ability, character, academics, and location. These coaches put character first and then athletic ability and academics were tied for second.

Coaches notice these small things to get a better understanding of you as a person and you as a teammate. Watching you run on the field after you just made the last out batting shows that you’re able to keep giving it your all through adversity.

Let’s Play 4 U’s events are made for athletes who want to be recruited. Our events bring in college coaches of all levels. There is a lot of recruiting that is done during our camps and tournaments. We want to give each athlete the opportunity to show colleges what type of player they are. We not only want them to show off their athletic ability, but more importantly to show them their positive attitude and character as well.

The 2019 NCSA Recruiting Report

Photo Credit: USD Athletics

3 Things Sports Programs Can Do About The Mental Health Crisis

Four college athletes (all women) died by suicide in the first 5 months of 2022. Their families and teammates were shocked. From the outside, their life seemed perfect. From the inside, it was a different story.

In a recent NCAA survey, 30% of women and 25% of men reported having anxiety. 25% of the athletes reported experiencing depression, burnout, or disordered eating.

Only 10% of those athletes struggling with mental illnesses were getting help from a mental health professional. There is a big stigma with getting mental health help. These statistics put an even greater importance on mental health resources and education.

Here are 3 things a sports program can do for their student athletes’ mental health…

1. Provide Mental Health Training.In a sports program, hours and hours are dedicated each week to physical training. It’s time to add in mental health training as well. Here are a couple examples of current mental health training organizations…
Thru The Game is a great organization that provides mental health training for athletes, coaches and parents.

Thru The Game

Morgan’s Story is inspired by Morgan who played lacrosse at Duke University who died by suicide. This is an organization that is structured around an ambassador program. This is for athletes who are interested in becoming active advocates for mental health on their campuses or sports programs.

Morgan’s Message

2. Have Designated Advocates For Each Athlete.

Katie Meyers was one of the athletes who died by suicide last February. She was the captain of the Stanford soccer team. Katie’s Save has a mission to implement a policy where students can choose a trusted adult as their “Designated Advocate”. This person would be notified if the athlete is struggling with academics, athletics, etc..

Katie’s Save

This promotes the safety of students and helps them feel less isolated when they are struggling. This doesn’t just have to be at the collegiate level, but it can be implemented into travel programs, high school teams, etc..
Here is a link to the consent form that they have created for you to use for your program…

Consent Form

3. Hire A Sports Psychologist.
Athletic programs hire physical therapists and trainers for physical health injuries. Hiring a Sports Psychologist would be very beneficial for mental health struggles or illnesses. For a university, college, or high school this psychologist could be on campus. For a travel program or on a smaller scale, this could be connecting with a local Sports Psychologist. Ask if they could come in to talk to coaches, parents, and athletes. This would help lessen the stigma of asking for help and also be a great tangible resource.

There are many other things that can be done to help improve the mental health of student athletes, but this is a good start. Here at Let’s Play 4 U, we see each athlete as a human. They are more than their batting average, ERA, GPA etc.. They are a human who deserves to be seen as much more than just the athlete and student that they are. We hope this post encourages programs to implement something that would greatly benefit the mental health of their athletes.
Provided below are more resources for mental health services…