Club baseball teams generally have a dozen or two units at various age brackets, usually starting at 8u and going all the way up to 18u or 19u. Many club baseball teams focus heavily on tournament play and travel. Club baseball teams are more selective about their players, often holding tryouts to fill out a roster.
The costs for club baseball teams can be much higher than $700. I’ve heard of some teams charging $3,000 to $5,000 for a summer, especially as kids get older and start traveling more. The high fees are often the result of frequent practices during the off-season, which are held indoors.
The biggest downside to club baseball is that it prices lower-income families out of the game. In addition, if their kid is talented at a young age, they can quickly lose ground on others since they are not getting the same level of training, coaching, and competition.
The other downside is that many club baseball teams are more of a big business that puts money ahead of doing what’s best for the kids. Some organizations are looking to turn a profit on the backs of parents who think their little angel will be the next major league baseball player.
Finally, the other big downside of club baseball can be the number of games played during the spring, summer, and fall. There are some 10-year-old teams out there playing 100 games a year. That is completely insane. Kids will either burn out mentally or break down physically playing that amount of baseball when younger.
I have always felt that sports are one of the best teachers of life skills. Sports teach you to perform under pressure, fail and learn from it, become a better teammate and leader, and teach critical healthy habits.
I believe it’s essential to keep your kids active. Many kids get in trouble during that time after school and before dinner. Many other kids spend that time sitting in front of a screen for hours at a time. I’d argue that getting your kids involved in activities is more important than ever.