Prep teams take a road trip

If I was a coach, parent or even school administrator, I’d have mixed feelings about prep sports teams traveling to play in out-of-state or even long-distance tournaments.
Here’s all the reasons why I think these road trips might be worth the money, effort and travel. First, to get some decent weather – especially on a year like this one. I know the teams from Salt Lake County south have been on their fields for a couple of weeks, but the teams north of that might not even be playing outside today. And this time of year you never know if you’re going to get sunshine or snow. The two baseball games I covered last week in Orem just about turned me into a popsicle. Chance are coaches are going to find warmer weather and drier fields for their players this time of year in St. George, southern Nevada, Arizona or southern California. Reason two is team chemistry. Many coaches feel that players seem to bond when they start the season spending a few days on the road together. Makes sense to me.
Now for some reasons against prep road trips. Mainly, money. Parents are already dishing out plenty for athletics and kids are already swamped with fund-raising obligations. Second, these trips often turn coaches and parents into major chaparones. Honestly, some of these trips are just asking for trouble. And last, is the competition really better than the teams would get around here? For softball, it probably is because you can get a whole bunch of good teams in one place and one time. I think the Dixie Sunshine Tournament and a few other St. George baseball tournaments also have quality teams participating. But many don’t, and teams would probably get tested better just staying home and playing another local team.
So, you parents, coaches and players, are these road trips good or bad? Let’s hear your pros and cons on whether prep teams should travel long distances and stay overnight to play in preseason tournaments.