Anyone Tired of the Money Grab with these Tournaments

[as the world turns]

Parents are so desperate to have Suzy play college ball that they are willing to do ANYTHING to make that happen. They then complain when they wonder what happened to their bank account.

Wow, what if they took the same money and put it into a 529 plan or some other college savings

No doubt.

Some do the dog and pony show just end up at some BS college in the middle of nowhere. They could have instead gone to a Cal State school to get their PE Science degree and have money left over.

[PairOfAces]

If you can't afford both travel ball and a college fund for your DD(s), guess which one you should give up. But I agree that the time spent together is priceless. There are, however, cheaper ways to spend quality time with your kids than travel ball.

[jonriv]

Parents are so desperate to have Suzy play college ball that they are willing to do ANYTHING to make that happen. They then complain when they wonder what happened to their bank account.

Wow, what if they took the same money and put it into a 529 plan or some other college savings

I hate that argument. I wouldn't trade the time spent with my kid growing up and playing ball no matter the cost. The memories and experiences were priceless.

Perhaps you hate the arguement because it is true??? It is quite possible to save for your child's education and still have those memories and experiences. IMO far too many people spend tens of thousands a year and jet all over the country for TB and that money would be far better put into savings. We averaged around $2500 a year, I spent endless hours with my daughter in the car, on the field etc. Got to experience tournaments in farway places etc… Far too many throw $$$ away seeking that magical scholarship and there are much better ROI out there. All these complaints of cost of tournaments and extortion- you can't extort the willing.

[Tyler Durden]

Parents are so desperate to have Suzy play college ball that they are willing to do ANYTHING to make that happen. They then complain when they wonder what happened to their bank account.

Wow, what if they took the same money and put it into a 529 plan or some other college savings

I hate that argument. I wouldn't trade the time spent with my kid growing up and playing ball no matter the cost. The memories and experiences were priceless.

Perhaps you hate the arguement because it is true??? It is quite possible to save for your child's education and still have those memories and experiences. IMO far too many people spend tens of thousands a year and jet all over the country for TB and that money would be far better put into savings. We averaged around $2500 a year, I spent endless hours with my daughter in the car, on the field etc. Got to experience tournaments in farway places etc… Far too many throw $$$ away seeking that magical scholarship and there are much better ROI out there. All these complaints of cost of tournaments and extortion- you can't extort the willing.

I beg to differ. No way you will have those 'memories and experiences' without putting in the time on the road. The experiences we acquired were a combination of the travel, competition, and camaraderie of like-minded friends and foes. As I read this thread, I try to imagine what other activity my family could have pursued that would have given us these memories, and not been equally co$tly. Another sport? Two problems with that thought. They all cost a lot, and our daughters happened to be very good at this sport, not so much the others. Summer travel-the-country-and-sightsee-with-the-family? Good windshield time to family bond, but a large part of the memories equation is built on the competition and excitement that your family experiences when traveling and competing against the countries best. Just traveling doesn't cut it. Going into competition with your kid as she is growing up is priceless. So, to all new parents starting out on their travel ball journey, I will leave you with this thought. JonBovi's reply is the standard bean-counter analysis; he is correct that playing travel ball does not yield your best college fund ROI. However, it does yield uniquely forged and irreplaceable family memories and moments that will stand the test of time. And is worth every penny.

[jonriv]

Parents are so desperate to have Suzy play college ball that they are willing to do ANYTHING to make that happen. They then complain when they wonder what happened to their bank account.

Wow, what if they took the same money and put it into a 529 plan or some other college savings

I hate that argument. I wouldn't trade the time spent with my kid growing up and playing ball no matter the cost. The memories and experiences were priceless.

Perhaps you hate the arguement because it is true??? It is quite possible to save for your child's education and still have those memories and experiences. IMO far too many people spend tens of thousands a year and jet all over the country for TB and that money would be far better put into savings. We averaged around $2500 a year, I spent endless hours with my daughter in the car, on the field etc. Got to experience tournaments in farway places etc… Far too many throw $$$ away seeking that magical scholarship and there are much better ROI out there. All these complaints of cost of tournaments and extortion- you can't extort the willing.

I beg to differ. No way you will have those 'memories and experiences' without putting in the time on the road. The experiences we acquired were a combination of the travel, competition, and camaraderie of like-minded friends and foes. As I read this thread, I try to imagine what other activity my family could have pursued that would have given us these memories, and not been equally co$tly. Another sport? Two problems with that thought. They all cost a lot, and our daughters happened to be very good at this sport, not so much the others. Summer travel-the-country-and-sightsee-with-the-family? Good windshield time to family bond, but a large part of the memories equation is built on the competition and excitement that your family experiences when traveling and competing against the countries best. Just traveling doesn't cut it. Going into competition with your kid as she is growing up is priceless. So, to all new parents starting out on their travel ball journey, I will leave you with this thought. JonBovi's reply is the standard bean-counter analysis; he is correct that playing travel ball does not yield your best college fund ROI. However, it does yield uniquely forged and irreplaceable family memories and moments that will stand the test of time. And is worth every penny.

Tyler "bean counter" that hurts Though perhaps with the whining on this post some bean-counting would not hurt. I am not diminishing the effect of travel and competition. I participated whole-heartedly. I disagree with the fact you have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to do that. For those players going to PONY Nationals(gasp) or USSSA, or TCS in Park City etc for them they may feel they are playing the best and frankly might even be getting a better experience than some of these girls on 20+ roster team. Tyler I know it worked out for you and your family and I think that is great, but what about those dont have the same experience as you, was the money worth it?

There were two players on my daughters college team who played for PGF playing teams. In speaking to the parents their experiences were no better than ours and the parents said they would not have gone that route if they had to do it all over again they would not(citing cost, excessive travel and family stress) It is different for everyone and newbies should go into this with eyes open and realize you can have it both ways