What is the true cost of travel ball?

[Abrasiveboy]

This topic is perfect, my wife and I too discuss this all the time but we add in our other daughter who is in Travel Swimming. Last season my wife and oldest daughter were at ISU for a swim meet and my TB daughter and I were out of town at a tournament. That weekend right there was half a trip to Disney. lol. Its what they want to do so its what we want to do as well. I will never look back and say I regret spending the money on TB or swimming. Especially when you look at the pictures on their walls or around our house. Those memories can never be replaced. By the way Travel Swimming fees for the year are more than TB for the year but you add in bats, gloves and the tshirt you have to buy at every tourney it ends up about even. Happy New Year to everyone

 

[Bugoozi]

Travel ball is expensive however we look at it like this my dd is with us for only 4 more years. After that I will wish for more time, another tournament, or going to the local field to pitch and hit. I can work all the overtime when she is gone. Now I refuse to work the weekend she has a tournament. I can always use the money but I can never get back the memories and time spent with her. My son is an Eagle Scout, and I go on as many camping trips as possible because I already see him growing up and not needing me as much anymore. He is only 14. It's sad but travel ball will be over in the blink of an eye and I will have the memories forever. It's only money and I can't take it with me.

 

[GatorGirl]

I thought this was a good quote to go along with this topic. We are their coaches, chauffeurs, cheerleaders, booboo healers, agents, moms and dads. We are their everything....

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

I talked to my 16u team just last week about how they only have about 2 years of softball left. I saw a lot of tears come to the eyes of the players and parents. I don't believe any one of them regrets the $$$ spent over the the last 8 years.

 

[Cannonball]

The potential cost is not as much as the potential cost of not playing TB. JMHO!

 

[southernchopper]

I have never set down to figure out the price of softball. She loves it and the family loves it. Thats all that matters to me.

 

[redhotcoach]

Anyone have any girls on "Gold" type teams?
Dd has "open" offers on 2 16u teams, both are playing several PGF tourneys (Florida, NY, Colorado, Cali, Arizona). The only answer to "how much is it going to cost me?" either club has given is "well we do fund raisers to help with that."

 

[Bouldersdad]

At that level RHC Gold in this area runs 1200 to 1500 in dues on the average

 

[Comp]

Anyone have any girls on "Gold" type teams?
Dd has "open" offers on 2 16u teams, both are playing several PGF tourneys (Florida, NY, Colorado, Cali, Arizona). The only answer to "how much is it going to cost me?" either club has given is "well we do fund raisers to help with that."

My daughter played 3 years of Gold level ball, plus another year of high level 16's. How much its going to cost depends completely on how many tournaments they play and where they are at. My daughters teams were generally about $100 a month in team dues which was actually pretty cheap considering all the tournaments they played in. (Team was heavily subsidized by the coaches business for a tax write off.) They usually played in at least 2 a month, usually 3 and traveled to CA, FL and CO several times, Tucson and of course nationals in Souix Falls, Owensboro and OKC. As for cost, it all depends on how many people you take, what hotels you chose to stay in, what kind of restaurants you go to etc. It is not cheap, and as I mentioned before I dont even bother to or eve want to add up the monetary costs because it would scare me.

All in all it probably averaged out, she played 4 years of college ball with softball paying for virtually all of her college.

 

[redhotcoach]

Thanks guys.
Dd is just turning 14 this spring...we have pretty much decided to wait until 2015.