[mr.charlie hustle]

My nephew plays for a Knoxville travel team and team fees' are 500.00. Last year he played in 58 games in 7 different states. Anyone who pays several thousand dollars or as one poster said 15K to play baseball is not the average player. I was a little off subject but my point was that travel teams should encourage league play by their players. That is where the players that don't have several thousands of dollars learn to play. And the record books at all levels are full of poor people that made the grade. If you make it a game for only rich folks you cut your numbers way down. If you want more numbers it has to affordable for players and fans alike. That is why a lot of parents encourage their kids to play basketball, or soccer. 25.00 signup fee and your playing. No 100.00 cleats, 150.00 glove, 300.00 bat.

With your numbers 02 it appears that a12 man roster generates 6 thousand dollars. 58 games indicates 14-16 tournaments at $100 + a pop for tournament fees. Roughly one third of your money is gone . Your team is not to the field, fed or lodged. Do the math 02 and Dusty's figures seem about right. Now if you think that working class people, who are willing to sacrifice for their sons to play high caliber baseball, should stay at home so everyone can play togather forget it. In terms of equipment try 399 for a bat,250 for a glove and 125 for cleats. Put that with a 600 dollar electric bill and no energy assistance and that's tough love. Remember it takes 9 players to play the best game on earth. To be successful it must be the right 9 and please no quitters.

[Stardust]

With your numbers 02 it appears that a12 man roster generates 6 thousand dollars. 58 games indicates 14-16 tournaments at $100 + a pop for tournament fees. Roughly one third of your money is gone . Your team is not to the field, fed or lodged. Do the math 02 and Dusty's figures seem about right. Now if you think that working class people, who are willing to sacrifice for their sons to play high caliber baseball, should stay at home so everyone can play togather forget it. In terms of equipment try 399 for a bat,250 for a glove and 125 for cleats. Put that with a 600 dollar electric bill and no energy assistance and that's tough love. Remember it takes 9 players to play the best game on earth. To be successful it must be the right 9 and please no quitters.

LOL, you know, when we started, tournament fees were roughly $125 but no more than $250. I remember the first World Tournament that we competed in the cost did not reach $300. Now, quality competition, you are paying $600-800 for a four game guarentee.

I'll include items like this as the year goes on. Pastime hosts some of the best tournaments for the older age groups in the Greater Cincinnati area. Take a look for yourself what the fees are for ONE tournament: http://www.pastimetournaments.com/Tourna...x?state=OH



[HTML] Tournaments
Tournament Schedule
All fees associated with the cost listed on the tournament schedule are included (entry fee, gate fee, etc). Teams will not be charged a gate fee at any fields during any tournaments and baseballs are on us!

Start Date End Date Location Tournament Age Cost Games Schedule Register
5/31/2012 6/3/2012 Cincinnati,OH University of Cincinnati - Ohio Valley Open Invitational 17U/18U $825.00 4 Schedule Register
5/31/2012 6/3/2012 Akron,OH U of Akron/Kent State - Great Lakes Open Invitational 16U/18U $825.00 4 Schedule Register
6/7/2012 6/10/2012 Dayton,OH Wright State/U of Dayton - Best of Midwest 16U $825.00 4 Schedule Register
6/28/2012 7/1/2012 Dayton,OH Wright State University - Best of Midwest 14U $650.00 4 Schedule Register
6/28/2012 7/1/2012 Dayton,OH Wright State University - Best of Midwest 15U $750.00 4 Schedule Register
6/28/2012 7/1/2012 Columbus,OH The Ohio State University - Buckeye Select Invitational 16U $850.00 4 Schedule Register
7/5/2012 7/8/2012 Cincinnati,OH University of Cincinnati - Ohio Valley Elite 17U/18U $850.00 4 Schedule Register
7/12/2012 7/15/2012 Dayton/Cincinnati,OH Wright State/Dayton/Miami/UCincy - Best of Midwest 17U/18U $875.00 4 Schedule Register

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[Stardust]

My nephew plays for a Knoxville travel team and team fees' are 500.00. Last year he played in 58 games in 7 different states. Anyone who pays several thousand dollars or as one poster said 15K to play baseball is not the average player. I was a little off subject but my point was that travel teams should encourage league play by their players. That is where the players that don't have several thousands of dollars learn to play. And the record books at all levels are full of poor people that made the grade. If you make it a game for only rich folks you cut your numbers way down. If you want more numbers it has to affordable for players and fans alike. That is why a lot of parents encourage their kids to play basketball, or soccer. 25.00 signup fee and your playing. No 100.00 cleats, 150.00 glove, 300.00 bat.

Sorry if I confused you, I did not mean $15K per child. I'm assuming your nephew plays for one of the Knoxville Thunder teams. Nice organization. But don't confuse yourself that $500 player fee. That is just to get on the team. You will do fundraising, travel to those 7 different states with accommodations for the family, off season training with an instructor, equipment: Definitely that player will be invested into a few thousand dollars per year.

As for League play, I coach at the HS level. The players that we get from the local Knothole league are generally sound athletes, but very little baseball foundation. You get a few very knowledgeable coaches, but the results are that person cannot get the help he needs to have quality practices. Thus, what we all fear happens. 15 players standing around the field with a coach throwing BP for 2 hours - which is a complete miss-justice to those who have talent and especially those on the fringe. By the time we get those kids, they have to be "Taught" the fundamentals at it's most basic.

Though you pay a tremendous amount more, your travel teams come with the dedication and the resources to field a practice similar to the good HS or college programs with a lot of station and 1:1 opportunities. The players that enter HS from this setting are "READY" when they step onto a HS field. 1) They have the fundamental foundation that allows coaches to work with those who need it. 2) These kids jump levels faster than those without that base of skills (Frosh to JV, JV to Varsity). 3) These kids have seen better baseball when they were 12 than they see at the Frosh level. The fact that these kids fear nothing allows their game to flourish.

I by no means am saying that those without travel ball will not succeed, but my experience is that they come around a lot slower and get the opportunity to contribute much later in their school careers. The reality is that they are competing with those kids who have fine tuned their skills, and too often, those kids who did not compete at a higher level turn into role players instead of starters.

I get your point, nothing should be so expensive that it prevents others from having those opportunities. I have been a part of a Baseball organization, and if a player makes a team in our organization, funds are not the issue. We will help those who need it. As long as they are willing to commit to the fundraising activities, the finances will get covered. This is the way your nephews organization works as well.

[papagrit]

My nephew plays for a Knoxville travel team and team fees' are 500.00. Last year he played in 58 games in 7 different states. Anyone who pays several thousand dollars or as one poster said 15K to play baseball is not the average player. I was a little off subject but my point was that travel teams should encourage league play by their players. That is where the players that don't have several thousands of dollars learn to play. And the record books at all levels are full of poor people that made the grade. If you make it a game for only rich folks you cut your numbers way down. If you want more numbers it has to affordable for players and fans alike. That is why a lot of parents encourage their kids to play basketball, or soccer. 25.00 signup fee and your playing. No 100.00 cleats, 150.00 glove, 300.00 bat.

LOL...my son wears size 17 cleats. I go to Eastbay(the only place that we can find them) and enter the size under baseball cleats and we start at the cheapest and work our way up. We usually slide in for about 50 or 60 bucks.

[Judge]

Perfrct Game USA has the top players ranked in KY.

[Stardust]

^ This would only be for kids who have been to a camp that reports the data up.

[mr.charlie hustle]

LOL...my son wears size 17 cleats. I go to Eastbay(the only place that we can find them) and enter the size under baseball cleats and we start at the cheapest and work our way up. We usually slide in for about 50 or 60 bucks.

Wow the kid has a pair of boats. I have an older son who played HS Football at 6'6" and 285 with 15 sleds and I thought that was tough but you got a real problem. Its all tough when you get to that size but dress shoes are real bad. My son is now 6'7' and 320. He no longer has need for cleats.

[papagrit]

Wow the kid has a pair of boats. I have an older son who played HS Football at 6'6" and 285 with 15 sleds and I thought that was tough but you got a real problem. Its all tough when you get to that size but dress shoes are real bad. My son is now 6'7' and 320. He no longer has need for cleats.

To Funny! ^ He's just 6'4" and 250 pounds...a lightweight. LOL He is the senior. Yeah...the coaches at that KY vs. TN Border Bowl all had a good laugh at his feet! He takes it in stride. I told him to take off a shoe and give someone a smell if they give him too much guff. Those cleats have a size 17 smell to them as well sometimes. If he plays college ball in football, baseball or throws in track...some coach is going to have a time finding the boy what he needs. I'll try to attach a pic of his cleats.