It’s well known nowadays that seeking out additional playing opportunities is a tried-and-true way for youth baseball players to gain more experience, play in high-level tournaments, and get noticed by coaches of elite teams. However, it’s not for everybody, so understanding the pros and cons of these opportunities is an important part of the process when deciding if it’s a good fit for your athlete.
For more detailed information about the benefits of additional playing opportunities and how to find them, check out our post, Growing Your Game: Finding New Ways to Play Youth Baseball.
A couple of the most common ways to participate in additional playing time is by guest playing for an established team or playing for a RosterMatch team. Both are great methods for playing more baseball, but depending on your goals and expectations, one may be a better option than the other.
Let’s discuss the pros and cons of guest playing and RosterMatch so you can decide if these opportunities are a good fit for you and your ball player.
Guest Playing
Guest playing is when an individual player seeks out an already established team to play with, usually for a specific tournament weekend. Coaches will often need guest players to fill in spots due to injuries or schedule conflicts among their players. They may also do it as a means to recruit exceptional players, making their team more competitive.
Pros
There are many great reasons to guest play for a team, which include:
Playing with elite teams – Guest playing is a great way to compete with a high-level team, which will be a challenging environment that will help your player gain valuable experience. They will also get noticed by other elite teams, which will open doors for them to try out for a new, more competitive team than the one they may already belong to during the regular season.
A good chance of winning games and tournaments – Playing for an already well-established team means they will work as a team efficiently, and coaches will know how to lead their team based on their player’s strengths, as well as how to overcome their weaknesses. This means when guest playing for a team, they’ll have a good chance of winning a lot of games and even winning tournaments. If winning games is a high priority, guest playing is a good option.
Competing in high-level tournaments and locations – Teams that seek out guest players often do so to recruit great players for high-level tournaments. These highly competitive events allow players to gain valuable game time experience quickly. They also attract scouting organizations like PBR and offer the opportunity to travel to new and unique destinations and exceptional ball fields.
Testing out a team you may want to try out for – If your youth baseball player is thinking about trying out for a new team soon, guest playing is a great way to test out a team they’re interested in to see if it’s a team they would like the opportunity to join.
Cons
Guest playing may not be suited for every player. Below are a few reasons why guest playing for a team may not be a good idea:
Lack of transparency – When guest playing for a new team, you never really know what you’re walking into. There may be a lot of politics going on involving things like a coach’s son, parent cliques, bad communication, or toxic coaches. These can all lead to a horrible experience, so proceed with caution.
Unfamiliar teammates and coaches – Being a guest player means you’ll likely be the only person on the team who doesn’t know anyone. This can make it difficult to adjust to new coaching styles and fit in with teammates who are already well acquainted with one another.
RosterMatch
RosterMatch is a unique opportunity that forms a team entirely from individual sign-ups, and players apply and are reviewed to determine if they will be a good fit. RosterMatch teams are also intentionally small to maximize playing time for everyone. In addition, coaches are completely independent, so biases common with established teams are not a factor.
Pros
The positives for participation in RosterMatch are many, some of which include:
Everyone is on equal footing – Because all players on a RosterMatch team are new, everyone is treated equally. Every player gets ample playing time and is given the opportunity to prove themselves in an encouraging environment. RosterMatch also creates a “fresh start” for many players because they are not forced into predetermined positions.
Completely independent coaches – RosterMatch coaches are completely independent and will not know anyone on the team beforehand. This eliminates many biases and politics that are common with established teams.
The opportunity to make new friends – With the shared experience of forming a completely new team, RosterMatch players typically have no problem making fast friends with their new teammates.
Creates better teammates/team players – Unlike regular teams with hard-set roles and expectations, RosterMatch players rely on one another because everyone starts from the same place. This creates an atmosphere that molds players into better teammates.
The opportunity to compete in high-level tournaments – RosterMatch teams compete in high-level tournaments in the greater Cincinnati area as well as in states such as Georgia and Florida. RosterMatch participants will have the opportunity to test themselves against elite competition and gain valuable experience.
Cons
While RosterMatch has many benefits, it does have a couple of drawbacks that may be a deal breaker for some people. These include:
Harder to win a lot of games/tournaments – As a team comprised of players and coaches all new to each other, it will naturally be harder to win all their games or tournaments. Established teams that have played together for many games will be more efficient and know how to work together, and their coaches will have a better understanding of their players’ strengths and weaknesses.
Steeper learning curve for team dynamics – In a similar respect to the last point, RosterMatch teammates will take a little longer to get to know one another and work efficiently as a team. However, because of this challenge, RosterMatch participants learn how to be better team players.
Conclusion
Additional playing opportunities can be useful for any youth baseball player interested in growing as an athlete and teammate. However, depending on your goals and expectations, one method may be better than another.
With these extra playing opportunities becoming more and more commonplace, it’s essential to know what you’re getting yourself into, as it’s not for everyone. We hope this information will help you and your player enjoy more baseball for years to come!
This information is provided by Kings Sports, a company focused on youth baseball for the past 20 years. We manage tournaments and local leagues in the greater Cincinnati area, along with individual player opportunities to participate in events in Georgia, Florida, and many other locations. To learn more, visit playksports.com