Pay to try out for travel team?

Happens all the time around here. There are very few tryouts where a fee isn't charged anymore.

Our experience is that the higher level programs sometimes charge a small fee in the $25-$30 range.

Not here for baseball yet. Volleyball they all do. My guess it is only a matter of time.

We have paid for our daughter's dance auditions (usually $10-15) but never for baseball tryouts.

I would call the coaches bluff and tell them that you would only let your son try out if they paid you!

It has started in Florida on one of the best, billed as a tryout "camp".

I've had many coaches ask me to play without a tryout and/or simply ask to have me come work out. Other times I've had to pay small fees in the $25 range. Once son is in high school, his reputation will begin to precede him and the tryouts will be of less consequence.

If a parent made a big deal about $25 to cover tryout costs, i'm sure they don't want that kid on the roster anyway. If they are asking a lot more than that to tryout you probably have a club all about money and you don't want to be part of that experience.

I knew a 10U fastpitch team that charged a $250 fee. 200 people tried out.

What could possibly cost $25.00 or more in the tryout?

I would have to be pretty desperate to pay a tryout fee.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
I knew a 10U fastpitch team that charged a $250 fee. 200 people tried out.

This happens for several fastpitch teams. The tryout is how they pay for coach travel fees. You are a fool if you pay that.

It's a part of Barry's Health Care plan, as approved by the Chief Justice.

Having just spent a grand on youth baseballs
(for the fall), it's a nominal fee.

Collecting fees for kids to play was not me twenty years ago, yet isn't one of the sponsors of this web site charging kids ~$650 for a "tryout".

Normal tryout fee is $25-$30 around here.

We are paying 25-35 $ for a tryout which I dont have a problem with. It gets a little strange when a returning player is charged for a tryout but doesn't make the team. That happened to a player on 2014's team last year & his Dad didn't take it well especially when they would not refund his fee.

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I would've been upset too.

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Some of the showcase teams in Virginia also charge about $25 for the tryout. As you can tell from other responses, not really unusual.

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
You are a fool if you pay that.

They won the Nationals (after beating us). Does that count?

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
You are a fool if you pay that.


They won the Nationals (after beating us). Does that count?

...which would make them fools with trophies.

quote:

Originally posted by Tx-Husker:

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
You are a fool if you pay that.


They won the Nationals (after beating us). Does that count?

...which would make them fools with trophies.

I take exception to that insensitive remark.

I have a good friend who is a fool and it's difficult to function in life when wearing this stigma.

quote:

Originally posted by playball2011:
Is this the norm? 15u age.

I would say it is normal. The tryouts are probably scheduled on a field that is rented to the ball club (not cheap around here). Equipment use, baseball, tees, nets, screens, chalk... all cost money. The 25$ fee paid by all that tryout probably covers the above with a little wiggle room left over. Those who make the team will be charged a monthly fee and thier money will them go to the above expenses to include umpires, field rentals, travel expense and tournament fees. Not to include the coaching fees. It aint cheap, that’s for sure...

Think about the 25$ tryout fee as "earnest money".

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
You are a fool if you pay that.

They won the Nationals (after beating us). Does that count?

Anyone and everyone can justify it as they would like. My child's team won a national title, every kid on the team earned a college scholarship and every one of them started on their college team as a freshman. I guess it depends. Daughter's team did not charge a tryout fee. Not to bore anyone too much by typing this again but they are listed in Jug's Magazine as the model way to run a travel team and in Softball Today Magazine as the 18U Team of the Year.

Here is how this year's 18U team did:

Extreme Elite

Daughter's team placed 3rd in the USSSA Women's World Series this year. No one pays to tryout for the team. They just held tryouts for 10U, 12U, 14U this past weekend and there were so many players trying out. Next weekend, is 16U and 18 Gold Tryouts.

I can't get excited over the $250 frankly. It's a drop in the bucket over a season of travel ball.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
I can't get excited over the $250 frankly. It's a drop in the bucket over a season of travel ball.

You must have a big bucket.

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"I can't get excited over the $250 frankly. It's a drop in the bucket over a season of travel ball."

Thanks for your remarks SoS...I couldn't have asked for a better opening for this!




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All the top teams request $$$. They hold a one day or weekend tryout. Scorpions, FTB Mizuno, Elite Squad,all hold showcase style tryouts and charge $150-$200. Several D1 coaches attend.

There is a team, Brighton Beach, that would travel the country sending out letters to try out for a fee and coaches evaluation. If you made the team, all the travel and fees were paid, no cost...the coaches also made a nice living...all from the invited tryout fees.

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Bergen Beach?



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Bergen Beach...that's what I said!

All those beaches look the same to me.

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They all look the same? You must've 'dropped anchor' a long ways off shore skipper!



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Tryout + Fee = Fundraiser

My son got invited to a "tryout" this past weekend. The fee was $50. Even he laughed...


To each his own...

I don't always agree with gotwood4sale , but he totally had the right idea with this.

For less than the cost of some tryouts, you get the benefit of eons and eons of years of knowledge and experience with the wonderful world of baseball.

Please donate to the hsbaseballweb. Thanks.
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as bballman said, here in GA it is common, but mainly for the established programs and not so much individual teams.

East Cobb started it around here. They do a Tryout Clinic for 4 hours on 2 days where you come out and go through your different skills and have coaches evaluate you. The fee is $100. That is for all age groups (8U-18U). For 16U and below, there will be 150+ kids at each age group, so it is definately not a deterrant.

Most of the others are less (but have less overhead in putting on event and maintaining the facilities) at $25 to $50 each.

I have talked to several others that do it to keep players from coming that are not really interested in the team but are doing it as a safety net in case others don't pan out. It helped define the level of committment the player has to trying out for the team.

It's like setting free cookies out in the break room. Even if you are not hungry you still may grab one because they are free. If you have to pay for them, you may not be as willing to get them.

quote:

Originally posted by 2014_Lefty_Dad:

It's like setting free cookies out in the break room. Even if you are not hungry you still may grab one because they are free. If you have to pay for them, you may not be as willing to get them.

Great way to put it. Makes perfect sense when you put it that way.

Our summer team did this either last year or the year before. If you made the team, it was then part of your fees.