Coach May makes a good point. The traveling is what gets to be expensive. For us this Fall our only over nights stay was Az. for our Jr and Sophomore teams. Our 2010 team went to Jupitor which was planned well ahead of time to help save money. Yes, they paid for travel but it was money well spent. I think parents need to look at where they are traveling and what is the value of the event. We try to pick and choose so our parents spend wisely. We get invited to many events but chose the ones that will get is more bang for the buck. We have player who traveled to tournament in the South from SoCal before he joined our program. The parent said the trip for their son totaled about $1500.00. No colleges, below average teams and hot muggy weather. The parents thought there was no value and was money wasted. We are fortunate to be in SoCal as there is so many recruiting opportunities here.
There are teams here that will charge an initial fee of $500-$1000 and $150-$250 monthly dues. They still have to pay extra for tournaments and "special" events. They pay for "professional coaching." They will get you to the next level. We firmly believe it is the player ability and hard work that gets them to the next level.
I can't believe how much the parents of 14U, 13U and 12U teams spend on travel. Hitting 4 or 5 states a year. Skip one or two of those tournments and put it in to a college fund.