I always did the research to know what was in the horizon for each kid leading into next year. I also have a daughter five years older than my son who played travel softball.
When my son was in LL in 6th grade with a year of eligibility remaining I was told no way, no how the Jr Legion coach would take him next year. Then, when the kids were thirteen the JR Legion coach believed they practice hard and watch games. He called it paying your dues. I decided no way, no how was my son going to enter high school ball coming off LL and sitting on a Jr Legion bench over two years.
I played college ball. I coached Babe Ruth ball out of college. I started my own 13u tournament travel team. During a LL all star rain delay I chatted with a dad coach from another league. He was all in on the travel team idea. He had played college and pro. I found two more dad coaches with college and/or pro experience with talented kids. Then I added nine more of the most talented kids from our LL all star district. I was looking for potential high school players to train, not the biggest kids in the moment. I took the athletic 5’2” kid with the 6’2” dad over the 5’8” kid with the 5’6” dad. The team lasted three years. They played 16u when the kids were 15yo freshmen. Five were asked to play for the most elite 17u teams in the area and went on to D1. All but one went on to college ball at some level. He could have. He chose college basketball.
We didn’t play fall ball after 7th and 8th grade. The cost was about $600 per player. Fall ball added five more tournaments and $300. All ten summer tournaments were within commuting range except two. A third depended on how early someone wanted to get up and drive if the 8am game. As coaches, the four of us knew the game. We weren’t in it for money. We were in it for the love of the game.
During a break between games during the 13u season I was watching a 14u travel game chatting with one of the dads. He thought travel was too expensive. He didn’t know baseball to coach it. He told a couple of former college baseball dads if they would do the coaching (their kids were on the team) he would do all the administrative work (essentially the team GM).
There are always ways to get around the cost if you’re motivated. It’s more challenging to be motivated. It takes little effort to complain.