What to do with your number
Seeing the full number is the point. A season that costs more than you expected isn't automatically a bad deal, and a cheap one isn't automatically a good one. Use the total to ask better questions:
- Get it in writing. Ask the team for every fee and tournament date before you sign, and compare it to your total.
- Look at cost per game. If most of the money goes to travel, ask how many real practices you're getting for it.
- Count the practices. Players get better at practice. Paying mostly for tournaments means paying to play, not to improve.
- Have a budget talk. Decide as a family what's comfortable before tryouts, when emotions run high.
Not sure what to ask? Our guide How to Choose a Travel Team walks through the 10 questions that matter, plus the red flags.
American