Fun Over Fear

Parents, do you want to make sure your child has as much fun as possible when they start playing baseball? Did you know that youth baseball is the second most popular boys' sport in the United States? The sandlot and neighborhood pickup games have been replaced by the explosion of "pay for play" travel baseball that can start as early as six years.

The myth: Recent studies of parents of adolescent athletes identified a belief among parents that travel baseball and early specialization are n...