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Travel Ball -Coach Banks-Coaching Culture In Athletics Saturday June 22, 2019

Travel Ball -Coach Banks-Coaching Culture In Athletics  Saturday June 22, 2019

I know this isn’t going to be an easy aspect within athletics to converse about, however I am going to share a few stories regarding travel ball.  NOTE:  THE STORIES, EXPERIENCES, AND OPINIONS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE OPINIONS OF COACHING CULTURE IN ATHLETICS.

I am merely speaking as one individual in the large link of the chain that keeps athletics moving.  I do however have my own opinion in regards to year around travel ball and specialization among sports.  I have seen city ball associations go under due to the growing trend of individualized travel associations.

As I awake and fill my coffee cup up with the dose of caffeine that will help me through my early morning, I read through social media and am caught up on a shared article by Joe Kinsey titled: “Michigan’s Baseball Coach Drops Great Line About Travel Ball.”  Michigan head coach Erik Bakich makes a real statement regarding travel ball.  He mentions he isn’t necessarily looking at the kid that plays in 30 tournaments a year, but that he is also looking at disadvantaged youth in cities that may not get the same opportunity travel ball is providing others.  Kinsey (2019) quotes the Michigan coach; “we think our roster should look like the United States of America.”  You can read this article in its entirety at the following link:

Michigan’s Baseball Coach Drops Great Line About Travel Ball

Years ago, as a father I aspired of my daughter playing at an elite level of competition.  My thought was that the more she played the more exposure and better she would become.  It was from this experience, I have come to resent my decision making in this regard.  Understand I do think travel ball is purposeful in its intent, however I don’t think it is absolutely 100% needed in making your son or daughter viable in the collegiate ranks.  I have been to more tournaments than I care to remember, but I can tell you this without a doubt; none of the tournaments played by my daughter prior to her sophomore year in High School had these student athletes signing letters of intent.

To be honest I think travel ball and the plethora of games played by my daughter hit her like a ton of bricks her Junior year playing for Division II Benedictine in Springfield, Illinois.  She had lost her love for the game in many regards.  Was this due to overplaying and an overactive father as a role of pushing her to be the very best she could be?  I can’t answer that in its entirety.  I am however grateful to have watched her play on the diamond for so many years.  I am so proud of what she has accomplished over the years.  She is now a sergeant in the Army married to another sergeant, and has given me the greatest reward as a father; a grandson.

Now the facts. 

  • Travel ball did not get my daughter a scholarship. 
  • High School Varsity sports got her a scholarship. 
  • Travel ball did create a sense of animosity among her teammates in many ways. 
  • Some but not all of the athletes that competed on the school’s team played together in various travel ball associations. 
  • There was obvious animosity present at times, not always, within the team throughout their respective seasons.

Personally, I think we need to create a conducive atmosphere that is appropriate for the student/athletes to get better.  I do think that travel ball has a purpose and that the purpose is to allow student/athletes to get more games in to develop as young athletes.  More opportunities do not necessarily mean 80 more games a year, but more experiences to develop into the player they want to be. 

There needs to be a direct impact within these leagues with the Head Coaches in the respective communities.  This will help establish a culture that is positive and not watered down.  This will also help steer clear of any animosity that may be present within the communication of parent, student/athlete, coaches, and community members.  If we are all on the same page of aspiring young men and women to achieve great things in their lives, then we must all be on the same page with the same commitment.

MISSION STATEMENT: To end the Mad Culture Present in today’s Athletics.

VISION STATEMENT: Realizing the full potential of Pro-Active Coaching on Athletic Culture in the United States.

Kinsey, J. (2019, June 18). Michigan’s Baseball Coach Drops Great Line About Travel Ball. Retrieved June 22, 2019, from https://bustedcoverage.com/2019/06/17/michigans-baseball-coach-drops-great-line-about-travel-ball/?fbclid=IwAR2k0dEB2-VTZ_L5PiXIS9JDnJlGeK1KeAZd8N1GFb-aaET9sbDRWjDiwX0

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## Charles “Chuck” Banks ### Founder and Voice of Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network Charles “Chuck” Banks—known to many throughout the tri-state sports community as Coach Banks or “Chuck the Tank”—is the founder and lead broadcaster of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network. Built from more than two decades of coaching, teaching, leadership, and relationship-building, the network is dedicated to telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, schools, and communities that make local sports special. A native of rural Iowa, Banks has spent 20 years in education and more than 25 years coaching football. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Graceland University in 2004 before completing a master’s degree in Secondary Education and Educational Administration and a specialist degree in Educational Leadership. Throughout his coaching career, Banks worked with programs across southeastern Iowa. His stops included Centerville, Central Lee, and Fort Madison, along with seven years coaching girls basketball and additional experience in junior-high track. At Central Lee, Banks served as an assistant defensive coach and activities director before becoming the Hawks’ head football coach from 2020 through 2022. Central Lee reached the playoffs during his final season. He was also part of multiple playoff teams and a district championship during his time with the program. At Centerville, Banks spent nine years as an assistant and helped the Big Reds capture a district championship and earn multiple playoff appearances. Most recently, he coached at Fort Madison under Head Coach Derek Doherty, helping develop younger players within the Bloodhound football program. Banks’ defensive coaching journey evolved from the traditional 5-2 defense to the 3-3-5 before he found his preferred home in the 4-2-5. However, his coaching philosophy has never been limited to schemes, formations, wins, or losses. He believes the greatest responsibility of a coach is to build relationships, develop leaders, create belonging, and prepare young people for life beyond the playing field. That belief became the foundation for Coaching Culture in Athletics. What began as an effort to create meaningful conversations about coaching and leadership grew into a full sports-media and broadcasting network. Coaching Culture in Athletics now serves as the umbrella for Dog Pound Radio, The Coach Show, the Dog House Tour, Dog Pound U, Hound Talk, the Dog House Saturday Morning Blitz, live game broadcasts, team previews, rankings, interviews, historical features, and year-round coverage of local athletics. Through the Dog House Tour, Banks visits practices, meets coaching staffs, interviews athletes, studies programs, and gives local teams the type of detailed coverage normally reserved for much larger schools. The network’s reach extends throughout southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri, connecting communities across the tri-state region. Banks has covered and developed relationships with programs including Fort Madison, Central Lee, Centerville, West Burlington–Notre Dame, Mount Pleasant, Macomb, West Hancock, and Brown County. His work highlights more than star players and final scores. It recognizes assistant coaches, linemen, managers, scout-team players, school traditions, historic stadiums, longtime community supporters, and the people working behind the scenes. The Coach Show allows Banks to sit down with coaches from the high-school and college levels for honest conversations about leadership, program development, adversity, family, faith, and the profession of coaching. His interviews are guided by experience rather than observation alone. He understands the pressure of leading a program, the hours spent preparing, the sacrifices made by coaching families, and the responsibility that comes with mentoring young people. Dog Pound Radio brings a more energetic edge to the network. Inspired by Banks’ love for football and his beagles, Leo and Loki, Dog Pound Radio combines local sports reporting with the unmistakable “Dawg Mentality”—toughness, loyalty, preparation, perseverance, and love for the team. Loki continues to serve as a central part of the brand, while the memory of Leo remains woven into its heart. Banks’ journey has also been shaped by significant personal adversity. After suffering multiple strokes, undergoing heart surgery, and facing additional serious health concerns, he stepped away from coaching and entered what he describes as medical retirement from the sideline. He also speaks openly about depression, adult ADHD, recovery, and the importance of faith, family, purpose, and mental health. Although his health changed the way he could serve, it did not take away his calling. Broadcasting became a new sideline. Through Coaching Culture in Athletics, Banks found another way to teach, coach, encourage, and advocate. His experiences have given his work a deeper sense of urgency: appreciate the people around you, tell their stories while you can, recognize the unseen contributors, and never underestimate the impact a coach can have on a young person’s life. Faith and family remain at the center of Banks’ life. He and his wife, Stephanie, have built a life rooted in southeastern Iowa and are the proud parents of Chelsey, Peyton, and Katarina. Their growing family includes son-in-law Donald Archambault and grandchildren Orion, Owen, and Ollie. Banks often credits his family for standing beside him through the demanding seasons of coaching, education, broadcasting, illness, and recovery. Today, Chuck Banks brings together the perspective of a coach, educator, broadcaster, historian, husband, father, grandfather, and survivor. His voice is passionate, direct, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to the communities he covers. The mission of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network is simple: promote the positive impact of athletics, strengthen coaching culture, celebrate local communities, preserve sports history, and provide athletes and coaches with a platform where their work matters. This is more than a radio network. It is a celebration of coaches, culture, athletes, families, and communities. It is local sports coverage built on relationships. It is where coaches, culture, and communities connect. It is Coaching Culture in Athletics.

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