Younger kids and higher level of competition

[Top_Notch]

4ish for dues/year is not unheard of. DD started with a much smaller travel ball org and they kept costs down to half of that. But once she got serious is was more expensive. This is her last year (18u) and I think dues were $3500, no fundraisers. Of course, with batting lessons, pitching lessons, travel costs, car rentals, eating out the total cost was easily more than double the entry fee. It was also worth every penny. YMMV

 

[Tazman]

We waited until second year 10U for travel and second year 14U for high level and I wouldn't start a moment earlier than 14U for a serious commitment. It took 6 months to a year to catch up but much less burned out.

 

[joe720]

Really up to your kids where and how they want to play. But $3-4K a year is pretty standard for a decent team in the NE. You can go to a low level B team for probably $1500 a year but you kind of get what you pay for. If you average out all the hours spent and break it down to an hourly rate you will actually be shocked how cheap $4k at a well run org would be. If they offer winter workouts it's even better. Figure half of the fee goes to tourny entrance fees. Rest is training, uniforms, ect. Think i came up with $4 or $5 per hours when i did the math this year.

Edit: my DD plays for one of the more well know orgs in the NE. Definitely worth the investment. Also not talking national teams here. That's a whole different rabbit hole that i personally do not think is worth it.

 

[njparent]

A) As crazy as sounds, that price tag for a full year for what it entails isn’t bad especially in the Northeast where things tend to be more expensive. Are they planning on playing tournaments which require hotel stays? If so add on another 1000-2000 depending on how many there are. Are uniforms included in the price tag? Are you paying coaches and if so is that included?

B) If your kids love ball they will likely enjoy it, especially at that age. I’ve been around a lot of tournaments the last 6 years and while I see some parents dragging as$, I rarely see kids who don’t seem to want to be there. They get to hang out with their friends all day while playing ball..

C) As I alluded to in B) if you as a parent enjoy doing adult things on the weekend more then once or twice a summer you are going to have to adjust your life

Most teams are paid coaches. One club has a different structure, with paid coaches running each practice/workout (small coaching staff split among 7 different teams). They train 2 parent coaches to coach the weekend tournaments and execute the game plan. Apparently they have had success through this system in getting the high school level commitments to colleges (granted, it's not just this team, but the high school play as well). At first I was hesitant with parent coaches, but they did say any parent that is interested would have to be "interviewed" to make sure approaches are aligned and complaints of favoritism will not only relieve the coach of his duty, but also the kid from the team.

Our wreck league also didn't have any all star play. They have the spring wreck season, then different "travel" teams spring, summer and fall, which are just extensions of the rec teams and take anyone.

They both love the game and have motivation to drive themselves to work at it.

 

[uncdrew]

I really enjoyed our 5 Summers of All Star ball. We put up with rec league just so we could play Summer AS.

Agreed. Summer All Star ball was just perfect. Local practices, community feel. Double headers on weekends. Seemed the right pace and commitment.

Travel ball is insane. Now I'll be the first to admit that my DD and I love it. But kiss your life goodbye.

 

[YoungBuck]

We are having first thoughts of getting away from the town rec/travel scene and having 10u & 12u start looking at playing at a little more competitive level. They've gone to a few tryouts, and get offers from teams usually the evening after the tryout, or first day after a team has a batch of tryouts (helps they are both pitchers).

We've discussed in depth as a family. They are aware of what their commitment will be. Also letting them know either way is correct and there is no wrong decision with staying with town, or going with a more competitive travel team.

Being new to this two concerns I have are costs and burnout (not only them, but me...). When I see what these teams are charging for a year I kind of get floored. I know it's a business and all, but is $3000-$4000 a year (fall tournaments, winter training, spring/summer tournaments) an average normal amount? Trying to justify that it's 16-18 tournaments, 2 practices a week, and 2 winter workouts indoors a week for 8 weeks, so maybe it's not that far off? And then that is 16-18 weekends, of possible 8 AM games, getting them there by 7, up by 5:30...

Please, any learnings you can share into your entry into higher level travel ball would be appreciated. In my area there are just town teams, or a very few within driving distance travel ball teams that I would consider (there are some of the National chains, but feel they are way beyond what we are looking at for now).

With both being pitchers you should be able to dictate far more than the average parent (and you should on behalf of your DDs health).

It's not an investment it's a lifestyle choice in my opinion. You can find anything from $1,000 at the "A" level to $5000+, depending on what you are looking for and where you live.

With your daughters being pitchers you can be picky in what you seek. There are more teams than pitchers.

Gunner sums it up best, "it's a lifestyle." Where you choose to live on the spectrum is up to you.

 

[NJZoo]

Here is my advice from a fellow NJ resident - don't under estimate travel distance to practices. When we did the tryout circuit a few years ago, I had in my head that we'd be willing to travel up to an hour for the right fit. We ended up picking a team about 30 min away and I am SO thankful. That 30 min can easily become 45 min with moderate traffic. Then you figure that everyone is at practice 15-20 min early, and all of a sudden we are leaving the house at 4:15 for a 5:30 practice. The the Fall comes and it gets dark sooner, so we leave at 4pm to make practice. So, you barely have enough time to pick them up from school, get them dressed, and give them a snack. Even if you have a flexible work schedule, it's not always easy.

Second, there is absolutely a team for every girl. That said, it's very unlikely that you will find a "forever" team, especially on your first shot. Remember, you have to be your daughter's biggest advocate. If you aren't sure about something, or if your daughter isn't happy, don't just assume things will change or get better. The time goes by fast, don't waste time in the wrong situation.

Good luck, it's a wild ride!

 

[lostcreek1]

Here is my advice from a fellow NJ resident - don't under estimate travel distance to practices. When we did the tryout circuit a few years ago, I had in my head that we'd be willing to travel up to an hour for the right fit. We ended up picking a team about 30 min away and I am SO thankful. That 30 min can easily become 45 min with moderate traffic. Then you figure that everyone is at practice 15-20 min early, and all of a sudden we are leaving the house at 4:15 for a 5:30 practice. The the Fall comes and it gets dark sooner, so we leave at 4pm to make practice. So, you barely have enough time to pick them up from school, get them dressed, and give them a snack. Even if you have a flexible work schedule, it's not always easy.

Second, there is absolutely a team for every girl. That said, it's very unlikely that you will find a "forever" team, especially on your first shot. Remember, you have to be your daughter's biggest advocate. If you aren't sure about something, or if your daughter isn't happy, don't just assume things will change or get better. The time goes by fast, don't waste time in the wrong situation.

Good luck, it's a wild ride!

Quite a few girls around here (South East) travel an hour or more if they want to be on a good team.

 

[NJZoo]

Quite a few girls around here (South East) travel an hour or more if they want to be on a good team.

Oh, definitely, everyone makes their own choices . Just saying that for us, living in NJ with the traffic and trying to get 2 kids to different practices, distance is a major factor. In NJ, there are SO many teams for such a small area, that it's not hard to find one within 30 min - especially in the case of the OP who is just thinking about getting in to club ball.