Dugout Dreams: The Heart and Heartbreak of a Travel Baseball Team

The world of youth travel sports is seductive. Coach Mark Balfoure determines if a child is talented, chock-full of potential, and therefore worthy of the coveted invitation to a team of similarly gifted young athletes. Soon after, parents like Seth struggle with bills for monthly dues, uniforms, hotel rooms, private lessons, and more. But the true cost of high-stakes youth sports becomes apparent first to the children. Some preteens, like Zach, enter travel baseball full of confidence and joy only to leave the sport discouraged. Others thrive as their skills improve and their knowledge expands. In Dugout Dreams, players, parents, coaches, and a haggard umpire navigate the triumphs and turmoil of travel baseball.