Elite Travel Ball fees

[let it be fun]

For a lot of sports, this is the case.

If you are rich with a talented kid, there are plenty of doors that the $ can open. (Without the talent, the doors won't open anyway).
A poor kid with talent has fewer options. Notice that there seem to be certain sports, such as football and basketball, that are seen as the ticket out of the ghetto, while other sports not so much.

Unfortunately I think you are right. For the most part, money is involved in some way with the kids I have seen who get the opportunity to play at the highest level. Whether it is playing for an Elite travel team of going to weekly hitting or pitching lessons, most of the girls I have seen make it have parents who could assist with making that dream come true.

 

[Cannonball]

Makes me glad my kid wasn't any good and so didn't play for any of those top organizations. We recouped in one year all of the fees we spent on her playing. The next 3 years were money in the bank. I didn't see mentioned anywhere here, but could have missed it, that academic money out there can be equal to that athletic money. Just a thought!

 

[BobInMadison]

As far as academic money goes:

We were disappointed when DD 1 quit softball. Her coach said she was borderline D-1 in her talent, but, since she started playing late, needed a lot of work.
After she quit she really concentrated on academics, and will start Wisconsin in the fall. Her academic scholly pays 100% of tuition and fees.

 

[JAD]

Thanks Rambler34....is this from a Elite organization from Birmingham near Irondale ??..(hint)...

Is this for all teams in the organization or just the top 18u?.....if you don't mine me asking what all tournaments your DD's team play in??

I appreciate the knowledge

In most cases when the 18U Gold team is "sponsored", you can bet that the 16U, 14U, 12U, 10U and 8U teams in the organization are helping fund it!

 

[JAD]

Our coach said organizations like the Vipers are great for getting noticed by colleges. So what he liked to do when he was coaching his daughter's team was play in all the same tournaments and try to play against them.

When you play in showcases you want to play the best teams in the tournament. if your team is not well known, there is a chance your DD will be seen by college coaches watching the other team. When we played the Corona Angels at the IDT two years ago I bet there were 30+ coaches there watching. We play the OC Batbusters - Stilth today in a PGF pool game and I am hoping there are a lot there.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Playing for second-tier showcase teams is like having a push mower, IMO.

In many cases, a push mower is all you need.

In other cases, you'd do better with a riding mower, but you can still get the job done if you work harder.

But, there's no escaping the fact that some people will do better because they had a riding mower, and others won't because they didn't. High-profile organizations are not right or necessary for everybody, but it's a mistake to think they are just a big name. They do have something valuable and tangible to offer.

As JAD is basically saying, you can't just copy their schedule. Some tournaments are invitationals and won't let you in, or they'll take your money and banish you 35 miles away. Or if you get in the same tournament, you're 3 and out, while the Vipers are 5-2 and playing the other top teams that advanced in the same direction they did. And then there's the value of their recommendation to college coaches. Coaches trust the Vipers, Impact, etc. They've got history there.

 

[JAD]

As JAD is basically saying, you can't just copy their schedule. Some tournaments are invitationals and won't let you in, or they'll take your money and banish you 35 miles away. Or if you get in the same tournament, you're 3 and out, while the Vipers are 5-2 and playing the other top teams that advanced in the same direction they did. And then there's the value of their recommendation to college coaches. Coaches trust the Vipers, Impact, etc. They've got history there.

I remember when DD played for a Tier-2 organization and we finally got an invite to the Atlanta Legacy Showcase after 2 years of trying to get in. As a coaching staff we thought we had proved ourselves on the field and that all of our hard work resulted in our invite. In reality, the TD had secured additional fields, increased the number of teams invited, and we were playing another obscure team on a remote field with no college coaches in sight - and for that privileged we had paid a $1600 entry fee...

 

[grcsftbll]

I remember when DD played for a Tier-2 organization and we finally got an invite to the Atlanta Legacy Showcase after 2 years of trying to get in. As a coaching staff we thought we had proved ourselves on the field and that all of our hard work resulted in our invite. In reality, the TD had secured additional fields, increased the number of teams invited, and we were playing another obscure team on a remote field with no college coaches in sight - and for that privileged we had paid a $1600 entry fee...

Well. That's not cool.

 

[Orange Socks]

I just saw this. Lots of money!

The True Cost of Travel Softball - Softball Journey - Help for Parents, Players & Coaches

 

[MNDad]

I just saw this. Lots of money!

The True Cost of Travel Softball - Softball Journey - Help for Parents, Players & Coaches

That's a nice list. I'm glad he included college camps because that's often overlooked. The big cost isn't the camps themselves, it's the travel. You can save a lot of money by sticking to the camps of schools she's received interest from or been in contact with.