Every conversation I have with parents starts the same way. "How much does travel baseball cost?" And I get it. You've heard the horror stories. Families spending $5,000, $8,000, even $10,000+ on travel ball. Some of you are probably wondering if we're all crazy.
Here's the thing – most parents are asking the wrong question.
It's Not About the Total Cost. It's About the Value Per Hour.
Let me break this down for you. If you're paying $3,200 for a travel baseball season and your kid gets:
70 practices at 1.5 hours each (105 hours)
25 games at 2.5 hours each (62.5 hours)
Facility access ($99/month for 12 months = $1,188 value)
That's 167.5 hours of baseball instruction and play, plus $1,188 in facility access, for $19.10 per hour. And that doesn't even include uniforms, lesson and camp discounts, equipment discounts, and other perks that add hundreds more in value. Compare that to private lessons at $75-100/hour or elite camps at $50/hour.
Suddenly, travel baseball looks like a bargain, doesn't it?
Where the Hidden Costs Live (And How to Spot Them)
The organizations that end up costing families $8,000+ aren't necessarily better. They're often the ones that nickel and dime you to death:
"Required" additional training sessions
Mandatory private lessons with specific instructors
Equipment "requirements" that happen to be sold by the organization
Tournament fees that keep getting added throughout the season
Travel requirements to tournaments 6+ hours away
What You Should Actually Be Paying For
When I talk to parents about our program costs, I explain exactly what goes into that number:
Quality coaching time – Our coaches aren't volunteers doing this as a side hustle
Proper facilities – Indoor space, quality fields, equipment that works
Real player development – Individual attention, skill progression tracking
Appropriate competition – Tournaments selected for development, not trophies
The Questions That Matter More Than Price
Instead of "How much does it cost?", try these:
"What does my kid get for that investment?"
"How will you track his development throughout the season?"
"What happens if he's struggling or excelling beyond his age group?"
"How do you choose which tournaments to attend?"
Here's the Bottom Line
Travel baseball isn't expensive because coaches are getting rich (trust me, we're not). It's expensive because doing it right requires real investment in coaching, facilities, and competition. The organizations charging $1,500 are either cutting corners somewhere, or they're subsidizing your kid's development in ways that aren't sustainable.
Your job as a parent is to figure out which organizations are giving you real value for that investment, and which ones are just good at marketing.
We've been answering these questions honestly for five years now. If you want to know what real value looks like in our program, give me a call.