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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The weekend we’ve been dreading is finally here…and [b]we are poorer for it[/b] (clinics that now I feel like don’t mean anything because they weren’t invite-only and tryout fees).

Sending good vibes. Our gal so needs to get out of her situation. But it’s really competitive, obv.[/quote]

btw, I did some back-of-the-envelope math. If you want to keep your kid in shape, you could sign up for a gym membership. The Planet Fitness black card membership is ~$30/month and she can always bring a friend (I guess it could be either of the parents). You would pay $360 for an entire year and you can go as many times as you want and stay as long as you want. Of course, there are gyms that offer a lot more (and also charge a lot more). Compare that price with the volleyball club bill, which is about 10 times more expensive. And that's just at the beginning of the season: by the end of the season, you you realize that you paid 20 times more than the gym membership. For that price, you get 2/3 practices per week and ~10 tournaments. But that money pit is a lot larger: you pay the monthly PF membership (if not more) for each clinic that you sign up for. Then you realize that the coaches lie to you just to give you hope and sign up for more and more clinics, maybe even private lessons.

I have to admit that it is easier to take my DD to volleyball practice and tournaments than it would be to take her to gym: gym is way less fun.[/quote]
I suppose if fitness is the primary goal, then a gym membership would definitely be a lot cheaper. I think for must of us, it's a lot more layered than that. There are good lessons to be learned from team sports. Learning to be a good teammate, having to compete for playing time, dealing with harsh coaches, handling pressure, and even how to handle the disappointment of not making a team. Hopefully they will also make some friends, maybe get good enough to make their HS team, and a few will find a passion that leads to playing in college. We have enjoyed it as parents as well. We've met lots of nice people, had some fun times in hotel bars, and gotten to cheer our DD on playing the sport she loves.  My DD is playing 18s this year and while there are obviously a lot of challenges, it's been a part of our lives for the last 8 years and I will miss it when it's over.[/quote]

I agree with all those stated benefits. But how much extra money should you throw at the clubs for those benefits? Isn't 20x too much money? Mind that the club fees go up every year with no relationship to inflation or between how much you pay and the quality of the experience. It feels like the clubs that charge more money tend to deliver a poorer experience, especially on the MD market. [/quote]

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