Topical Issue: Is Club Softball Getting Too Pricey For Many Top Players & Their Families?

It’s no secret that playing travel ball–and we do mean travel ball!–with all the inherent costs can quickly equal what you’d put down to purchase a car (or a house, in some cases).

Add up the practice and tournament travel expenses plus lessons for hitting, pitching, fielding, running and/or athletic training–not to mention the costs for equipment, apparel, cleats, bats, gloves and so on–and the annual bills can run up to five-figures in some years.

One parent at a clinic last December came up and showed Extra Inning Softball President Brentt Eads a spreadsheet for their daughter of travel ball costs for 2017 totaling close to $11,000!

Sadly, we heard of several instances this summer where players couldn’t afford the costs–mainly because of travel– to be on some top club teams and had to be comped, have their costs covered by a kind benefactor (like a coach, a parent or the organization itself) or just not compete on the team they were selected to be on.

Frankly, it comes down to this and this is the reality of the sport: to be the best you have to play the best and that’s rarely going to happen by staying close to home.

Still, for many parents running up softball debts isn’t a possibility when trying to help a young athlete realize her dream of playing at the next level.

Case in point: we got a letter this week from a parent who wrote:

You hear so much about teams that travel all over the country for tournaments, but what about the girls that are good players, but the families can’t afford to be on a team that travels so much?

This past summer, the team we were on went to three tournaments out of state and then Huntington Beach… our coach planned three out of state tournaments for the fall and was scheduling countless more for summer that was beyond our means.

We did not go with him and chose to go with a more regional team.  I talk to many parents that say they struggle with the expenses and worry about their kid not getting recruited. 

The struggle is real for many families.  Our daughter just wants to play, and we just want her to be happy and go to college. — South Mom

So… what do YOU players, parents and coaches think?

• Is this becoming a growing problem where too many players and parents are having to turn down opportunities to play at higher levels because of expenses?
• If so, can anything be done or is this just a part of the game that’s unavoidable?
• Can deserving players get scholarships to top Power 5-quality teams if they don’t play on nationally respected teams or at prestigious national events?
• Or is just the cost of maximizing a player’s skills and opportunities and something that has to be done as an investment into an athlete’s future?

We’d love to hear your thoughts, stories, opinions and ideas… email: [email protected] and put in the header “Travel Club Costs.”

Mention if you’d be OK to be quoted by name, city and/or club organization or if you want to be anonymous.  You can also go to our Facebook page and respond underneath the link to this story.

We’ll publish in a few days some of the comments and thoughts…

Thanks!

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball