Don't forget cheerleading when it comes to expenses, every time you turn around it is 200 more dollars.

It's certainly more expensive than when I played little league ball for $20, and all bats, helmets, and catchers equipment were provided. And teams used the same uniforms year after year. My oldest plays Southwest Ohio, which costs a few hundred. I always buy last season's bats and cleats which are available online in the offseason at much cheaper prices. I don't think my kid will get a scholly..he's very good but not incredible. The truth is there are just so few baseball scholly's available, so anyone counting on one is betting on very long odds.

 

I will say, none of my boys coaches or schools are encouraging them to specialize. My oldest gave up basektball on his own, and now just plays football and baseball in high school and gets no grief from the coaches.

It is only more expensive because parents chose to make it that way.

 

Parents feel that if their kid is not playing travel ball(any sport) that they are not any good. I call it parental peer pressure. To many parents have an inferiority complex when it comes to their kids. Parents seem to think that they are bad parents or their kids are not worthy if their kid does not make the travel team.

 

It is like every dad or parent thought that they could have made it to the professionals, if they were just "coached" better. When the truth is that no matter how much money would have been spent on them they would not have made it. But you cannot tell them that, nor will they admit that is their underlining thought process in trying to provide their kids with all the "opportunities" they felt they never had.

 

Note to parents: Let your kid just play Knothole or Little League and just sit back watch and enjoy!!!

 

I was once guilty of the whole inferiority complex thing at one time. Then I came to this realization when I noticed that we almost never took a family vacation because we were always on our way to and from tournaments all summer long(two kids.)

It is only more expensive because parents chose to make it that way.

 

Parents feel that if their kid is not playing travel ball(any sport) that they are not any good. I call it parental peer pressure. To many parents have an inferiority complex when it comes to their kids. Parents seem to think that they are bad parents or their kids are not worthy if their kid does not make the travel team.

 

It is like every dad or parent thought that they could have made it to the professionals, if they were just "coached" better. When the truth is that no matter how much money would have been spent on them they would not have made it. But you cannot tell them that, nor will they admit that is their underlining thought process in trying to provide their kids with all the "opportunities" they felt they never had.

 

Note to parents: Let your kid just play Knothole or Little League and just sit back watch and enjoy!!!

 

I was once guilty of the whole inferiority complex thing at one time. Then I came to this realization when I noticed that we almost never took a family vacation because we were always on our way to and from tournaments all summer long(two kids.)

 

 

There is quite a bit of truth to this. My oldest son plays on a select team, and I moved him up because the competition at the knothole level is not very good. He continues to play there, but we took a step back in level this year to reduce the time commitment. He seems happier, the ball is still competitive, and we could actually take a family vacation this year. My youngest still plays knothole, which is admittadly pretty bad baseball, but he has a good time playing with his friends. I tried talking him out of playing this year, to focus on wrestling, which he is very good at. He insisted on playing baseball. I helped coach that team, and the improvement they made was a lot of fun to watch, and probably my most satisfying season of coaching in the 15+ years I've coached. The point is, sports should be more about fun and not trying to get the full ride, which really, not many are ever going to get.

It's a huge business now days for a lot of adults to line their pockets with green, with the promise to mommy and daddy, that little Billy or Sally could become a Pro or at worse could get a college scholarship....

 

 

I'm not following who is getting their pockets lined. Coaches?

 

Anyone that goes into travel ball of almost any sport thinking their is a strong ROI is fooling themselves. Do it for the fun of it but do not think the chances are high that you'll get your money back in the form of scholarships.

Don't forget cheerleading when it comes to expenses, every time you turn around it is 200 more dollars.

 

Maybe the most expensive of them all.