Best plans for lots of national travel for TB ?

[RubberBiscuit]

So looking to get some tips from you TB veterans out there. Parents & players.

DD is on a TB team that only has one in-state event. We are stepping it up where last year it was about 50/50.

What have you guys learned in doing the full summer of every weekend out of town that worked the best for you or anything you wish you would have done different?

 

[Hoover's Dad]

Is she flying alone or is the family flying/driving together?

 

[RubberBiscuit]

DD is 15 so not too much travelling on her own just yet.

And we'll be driving but might have her fly one-way to the longer destinations like CO (from midwest) to avoid the gruelling car ride.

Unique note that it's cool where the coaches are having the girls randomly room together.

 

[chinamigarden]

My nephew played soccer like that for a few years. A different out of state tourney or match every weekend. What fun it was. Of course as soon as he graduated from HS he quit playing soccer because he hated the grind it had become. The kid was D1 material. First Team All State Division 1. At the State Cup tourney he was goalkeeper of the tourney 3 years in a row. He is loving college. But not missing soccer.

Be careful, that much travel burns some kids out. Listen to your dd and pay close attention to what she says about Softball and travel. She might love it (and many kids do) but if her opinion starts to change, pay attention.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

We got off of a gruelling summer/fall schedule and learned a couple things in the process:

1) Pay the extra $ to stay in a nice hotel that serves a full breakfast as part of the room. Not "executive breakfast", or whatever they call toast and fruit. We found that the difference in cost is about $30; we will pay that at Denny's so there isn't really much of a cost difference after all and the rooms are generally much nicer/cleaner/quieter/more comfortable.

2) If you fly to CO, only 1 bag gets checked (DD's equipment/bat bag stuffed to the hilt) and all travellers carry on the biggest bag allowed by the airline. The cost of checked bags can add up very quickly!

3) If you drive more than 12 hours straight, make sure that the hotel that you are staying in will allow you to check in when you arrive.
*We drove 16 hours to CO 2 years ago. We left at 2pm thinking that it would be best to drive all night and let DD sleep in the car. That worked out well - BUT!!!!!!!!!! Most Hotels will not let you check in a 6am so you could spend the day dirty, tired and annoyed.

4) If you fly, try to split the cost of a rental car with another parent/family to help keep costs down.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Good stuff c-n-d.

The hotel comment I agree with but with this TB team all the hotels are preselected by the coaches.

Another item that I am undecided on is how much "extra" stuff do ya do when on travel trips. I have seen both sides of the spectrum where one DD & family does nothing but rest in the hotel for the next game and another DD & family schedule water parks and other adventures during a tourney. I have seen 'bad outcomes in both cases.....

 

[2bucketdad]

Make sure your DD's equipment bag an extra glove thats broken in, extra cleats if possible, shoe laces, hair ties and headbands, and feminine products.

 

[chinamigarden]

Make sure your DD's equipment bag an extra glove thats broken in, extra cleats if possible, shoe laces, hair ties and headbands, and feminine products.

I would put these in a carry on, just in case. If her bat bag gets lost, you can always buy a helmet and borrow a bat. But you aren't going to break in a glove and cleats in time to play.