When my son wanted to try travel baseball this year, I didn’t really know what we were getting into. Thought it’d be a few hundred bucks like rec league, but boy was I wrong. First thing I did was ask other parents at practice. Most just shrugged and said “it adds up” – real helpful, right?
Digging Into The Numbers
Started cold-calling teams all over North GA. Emailed coaches too. Took me three weeks just to get clear answers because nobody posts prices upfront. Finally made this chart comparing five local clubs:
- Base fees ranged wild – $1,200 for a rookie squad, $3,500 for “elite” teams
- Uniform packages costing extra every single time ($200-$400)
- Tournament fees not included – we pay per event ($60-$120 each)
- Surprise! Fundraising quotas ($500+ per kid)
Oh and equipment? Forgot that entirely at first. His old bat got rejected – had to buy a new USSSA certified one ($300) plus molded cleats ($90). Still mad about that.
Travel Nightmares
Nobody warned me about hotels. Spring season had us driving to Alabama twice. Found out most tournaments make you book specific partner hotels ($150/night min). Gas alone cost us $45 per trip.
The Final Tally
Here’s what actually got spent over six months:
- $2,850 club fees (mid-tier team)
- $380 uniforms
- $960 tournaments (8 events)
- $290 equipment
- $830 travel/gas/hotels
Total out of pocket: $5,310. And that’s without summer ball!
Biggest shocker? The $200 coaching “gift” all parents were expected to chip in for. Nobody mentioned that during sign-ups. Just Venmo’d the team mom and moved on.
Would I do it again? Kid loves it, so probably – but wish I’d tracked every penny from day one. Pro tip: save for uniform replacements. Those white pants get destroyed every month.
