14yoDD playing on 16U team. 2nd time to Colorado. 1st time at 16U level (read: playing in Denver area not Fort Collins area).
Shared a lot of the above experiences so will try not repeat.
Adding...
-Enjoyed playing in the Denver area more than Ft. Collins. I love Ft. Collins, but really enjoyed Denver and the short (generally less than 30 min drives to each venue). Fields were nice until Sat and then played on average at best fields.
-Being 2025 we did not expect to get a lot of attention from college coaches, but we did.
-A lot of coach contact during the nightly events on Tuesday and Wednesday(?) at Christopher Fields and Aurora.
-I would not do the large college camp again...too many kids...some players did a single college camp with ~30 players and had a much better experience.
-Showcase games were fun. DD met and played with girls from around the country which she enjoyed.
-Team played okay in pool play, but rallied in bracket play. Made it to the top 8 in our bracket. Played competitively with, and beat, some very good teams we would never get a chance to play if we didn't travel to this type of event.
-DD pitched way more than I had planned...another pitcher got injured...but it was good for her to push some limits. She learned a lot about herself this trip.
-Is it "worth it"? Such a relative question. I didn't even think about the cost until I read this thread. We dropped some cash with hotel, rental car, flights, etc. for sure. But if anyone is doing this as an "investment" for college, they should immediately reevaluate their strategy. Take all the money you put into travel ball and put it in a 529 account.
-like the old visa commercials...
Hotel: $2000
Dining out: $1500+
Rental Car: $800
Airfare: $500
Spending 9 days with my DD who will soon graduate and move away, play the sport she loves with her teammates, make new friends, talk with college coaches, develop as a softball player and human being?: Priceless.
Already looking forward to next year.
Shared a lot of the above experiences so will try not repeat.
Adding...
-Enjoyed playing in the Denver area more than Ft. Collins. I love Ft. Collins, but really enjoyed Denver and the short (generally less than 30 min drives to each venue). Fields were nice until Sat and then played on average at best fields.
-Being 2025 we did not expect to get a lot of attention from college coaches, but we did.
-A lot of coach contact during the nightly events on Tuesday and Wednesday(?) at Christopher Fields and Aurora.
-I would not do the large college camp again...too many kids...some players did a single college camp with ~30 players and had a much better experience.
-Showcase games were fun. DD met and played with girls from around the country which she enjoyed.
-Team played okay in pool play, but rallied in bracket play. Made it to the top 8 in our bracket. Played competitively with, and beat, some very good teams we would never get a chance to play if we didn't travel to this type of event.
-DD pitched way more than I had planned...another pitcher got injured...but it was good for her to push some limits. She learned a lot about herself this trip.
-Is it "worth it"? Such a relative question. I didn't even think about the cost until I read this thread. We dropped some cash with hotel, rental car, flights, etc. for sure. But if anyone is doing this as an "investment" for college, they should immediately reevaluate their strategy. Take all the money you put into travel ball and put it in a 529 account.
-like the old visa commercials...
Hotel: $2000
Dining out: $1500+
Rental Car: $800
Airfare: $500
Spending 9 days with my DD who will soon graduate and move away, play the sport she loves with her teammates, make new friends, talk with college coaches, develop as a softball player and human being?: Priceless.
Already looking forward to next year.