Field of Dreams: Maximize Your Trip Experiences

I so enjoy maximizing my sports experiences, whether on the business side while attending a conference like my recent visit to a fantastic place like Miami for RacquetX or managing the tight schedule of an upcoming baseball trip with my son.

Sports Trip No. 1

As he concludes his senior year in high school, I'm acutely aware that opportunities for Sports Trips with Dad are becoming scarcer. I vividly recall our very first road trip, catching Sidney Crosby play live in Pittsburgh as if it happened yesterday.

Our upcoming adventure — and I so hope not our last — is a journey to Marion, Iowa for some spring league baseball with my son's travel team. My task is to get him to the fields on time for his pitching duties, dealing with a tight travel schedule while also making the most of our rare visit to the heart of Iowa, which includes a visit to Chicago (with our flight from Toronto).

As a sports parent, especially when supporting your kids in travel or rep sports, it does become a full-time commitment. With that, the focus should never be on the future with the false and crazy expectation that your child may turn pro one day. Instead, cherish the present moment and the incredible opportunity to spend time with your family, meeting new family friends and, by doing so, exploring unique travel experiences, whether to a nearby town and their historic sports venues or a distant adventure to a new city you would never visit otherwise.

I remember taking my son to his first baseball tryout, where the coach made it clear to all parents that if spending every weekend at the cottage in the summer is your vision for the coming years, then maybe travel baseball might not be for you and your family. It is a true statement but also an opportunity to rethink family vacation planning. I wouldn't have traded any of it for the trips and experiences we had with both our kids — from swimming tournaments to winter hockey road trips as well. Learning so much from it all.

As I gear up for planning next week's trip, I am getting excited about the trip agenda, quickly realizing the amazing nearby attractions that will make this another unforgettable baseball adventure. For example, we are only an hour away from the Field of Dreams Movie Set!

Here is how our trip is looking, so far...

• Games played at Marion, Iowa's Prospect Medows Sports Complex

• A visit to the Field of Dreams Movie Set

• Attempts at catching the Cedar Rapids Kernels in action

• Drive to Chicago for a tour of Wrigley Field

Our weekend trip will be tight for time, especially after adding in my son's game schedule, but we should be able to find time for a Field of Dreams visit, and our tour of Wrigley Field is set for the day we fly home out of Chicago. Fingers crossed on making a Kernels (and a Cubs) game, too.

Summary and suggestions: Stay aligned with the theme. If you're on a baseball trip, enhance the experience with unique baseball-related activities outside of the actual games your child is playing. This can be challenging, especially if you're on a tournament trip with the entire team and time is limited. In these situations, minimal planning is preferable to fully enjoy the games and the local social scene. Consider attending a nearby minor league baseball game instead of killing time at the local mall.

The concept of sports travel is vast, and it's remarkable how it can turn each journey into a truly unique and once-in-a-lifetime bonding experience.