The money side of playing travel ball

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Another poster wrote the sentence
'my take on the money side of travel ball.'

Thought perhaps a good topic for discussion?!

What is the $$$$$$ aspect of travel ball
in your softball journey?

Worthwhile for different reasons for different folks let's see some feedback!!!

💥GO DFP 💥
 
May 13, 2021
643
93
For us it is no more than entertainment expenses. My DD loves playing at this point in her life she would rather play softball than anything else, and we would just as soon be sitting at a ball field watching her play than be doing anything else. At the level she is playing we can afford it, that could change when she gets older, but as long as we can afford it and she likes playing we will continue. Would be no different for us if it was cheer, gymnastics, spelling B's, or chess competitions. There is not doubt it is better than sitting at home playing video games, or surfing the internet all day. I do believe that your budget for such activities should come from money you have left over after you have saved for a future education expenses.

Some people can not afford to participate in these activities at some levels, the same we we can not afford to participate in activities that people more well off than I can afford. That however is just life for 99.99% of us there will always be things you may like to do that you just cant for financial reasons. I ran a park that done youth football, softball, and baseball for seven years, and I will say at least where I live that anyone with a willing parent can afford to play these sports.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
This is a depressing thread for me as, in my real life, I am a CFP. If a client spends what I spend on softball, I typically admonish them for poor spending habits. I guess I am the barber with the bad haircut.

Here we go:
1) TB team fees = $3,000 per year per daughter for a total of $6,000.
2) Pitching lessons for younger daughter are $120 per hour approximately 38 times per year for $4,560.
3) Hitting lessons at $50 per half hour X 2 = $100 per session X 38 times per year for $3,800.
4) Catching lessons @ $120 per hour X 26 = $3,120.

That totals $17,480 per year without travel or equipment. If I add them in, the cost goes up another $12,000, maybe more. So, I guess I spend about $30,000 per year on softball for my two daughters. I will save money when my older daughter goes to college.

Now I am depressed.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
This is a depressing thread for me as, in my real life, I am a CFP. If a client spends what I spend on softball, I typically admonish them for poor spending habits. I guess I am the barber with the bad haircut.

Here we go:
1) TB team fees = $3,000 per year per daughter for a total of $6,000.
2) Pitching lessons for younger daughter are $120 per hour approximately 38 times per year for $4,560.
3) Hitting lessons at $50 per half hour X 2 = $100 per session X 38 times per year for $3,800.
4) Catching lessons @ $120 per hour X 26 = $3,120.

That totals $17,480 per year without travel or equipment. If I add them in, the cost goes up another $12,000, maybe more. So, I guess I spend about $30,000 per year on softball for my two daughters. I will save money when my older daughter goes to college.

Now I am depressed.
Yoowzahh itemizing that...

What is the reason family/dd's involved in softball?

Joy of softball or joy of spending LOL
What makes it worthwhile?
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
Yoowzahh itemizing that...

What is the reason family/dd's involved in softball?

Joy of softball or joy of spending LOL
What makes it worthwhile?
Yeah, it hurts the wallet a lot.

Would I trade it for anything in the world? Not in a million years. I could be much more successful in my business if I didn't spend as much time with my daughters, but I would have to sacrifice that time with my girls. They are my raison d'etre, and no amount of money can change that. They love softball with every fiber of their being. My older daughter will play D3 next year, and my younger daughter should be high-level D1 in another few years.

It's worth every penny.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
This is a depressing thread for me as, in my real life, I am a CFP. If a client spends what I spend on softball, I typically admonish them for poor spending habits. I guess I am the barber with the bad haircut.

Here we go:
1) TB team fees = $3,000 per year per daughter for a total of $6,000.
2) Pitching lessons for younger daughter are $120 per hour approximately 38 times per year for $4,560.
3) Hitting lessons at $50 per half hour X 2 = $100 per session X 38 times per year for $3,800.
4) Catching lessons @ $120 per hour X 26 = $3,120.

That totals $17,480 per year without travel or equipment. If I add them in, the cost goes up another $12,000, maybe more. So, I guess I spend about $30,000 per year on softball for my two daughters. I will save money when my older daughter goes to college.

Now I am depressed.
Every decision should be made within the context of a comprehensive plan, you've left out a lot of details but I would encourage you to take a more holistic approach to you personal finances (*edited to add I see you lighten up on yourself a bit in your latter post). Also, IMHO it is not your position to "admonish" a client for these types of expenditures.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
Every decision should be made within the context of a comprehensive plan, you've left out a lot of details, but I would encourage you to take a more holistic approach to your finances (*edited to add I see you lighten up on yourself a bit in your latter post). Also, IMHO it is not your position to "admonish" a client for these expenditures.
Maybe admonish was too strong a word. I would say I question their expenditures and see if they fit in with their overall plan. I am always objective with my clients because, ultimately, it's their money, not mine.
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
Wise person told me before DD started t-ball that softball is an excellent hobby that teaches great life lessons, your daughter and your family will have a lot of fun, and you will get to hang out with great people, but:

Softball is a partial scholarship sport and you highly likely will get a better return on paying for college by just putting that money in a 529.

With lessons, equipment, and travel we will be spending $8-12k this summer. Almost tempted to ask my DD if she would rather like $6,000 towards a car.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Another poster wrote the sentence
'my take on the money side of travel ball.'

Thought perhaps a good topic for discussion?!

What is the $$$$$$ aspect of travel ball
in your softball journey?

Worthwhile for different reasons for different folks let's see some feedback!!!

💥GO DFP 💥
RAD, tell us a little about your TB path to D1 college. Recruited?
Has the cost of TB gone up? Did you travel across the country at 10 or 12U? 14u?
Was softball year around?
Was it possible for a lower middle class family to play TB?
Did teams/orgs have scholarship?
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Knowing what CFPs make I'm guessing you can afford it. But $30,000 per year for softball is getting close to what it cost me to send my kid to private college.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top