At CAL Sports we believe that traveling outside the area to compete is good for our players for a few reasons. Although we aren’t spending every weekend at an overnight event, we like to choose locations that give our teams a diversity of competition within which to challenge themselves.
First, getting our teams out as a unit creates a bonding experience within the team. Players sometimes come and go, and every season brings players new to the CAL Community. Traveling together gives them a chance to get to know one another, and the bond we see grow between them starts to show on and off the court as the season progresses. Traveling also creates closeness in the CAL Community at large, since parents and players often watch other CAL teams when their own squad isn’t playing. Parents and kids get to know the families of all the teams, which leads to friendships that can last well beyond the season. Our community is very strong and can be an asset in situations from carpooling to care taking to meal sharing.
The decision to travel came to CAL Sports rather naturally. Years ago our in-house leagues were popular and competitive enough for parents to start questioning – what’s the next level? This is when we decided to take our teams on the road. Traveling to different cities and states gives our group experience in competing against a variety of skill levels and styles. This challenges our own players to rise to the occasion and adapt, which are skills you just can’t get inside the CAL gym. Coming up against teams from a wider area also increases our chances of seeing them again at Nationals. If you’ve played them before, you’ll be familiar with their game.
Lastly, we all live within communities where we may be surrounded by the same kind of folks. Forming teams from several areas throughout Montgomery and Bucks county gives our young athletes a chance to play with kids they don’t know or might have played against in the past. And when we take that team on the road, we play against all kinds of other competition. Exposing our players to developing cross cultural connections can help them grow as people, preparing for situations they may find in adulthood.
We’re proud of the role AAU and Club travel plays in developing young athletes and the building of our CAL Community. And we’re proud of our Cobra players who represent us by being good sports on and off the court.