Reply to Va Elite - where are the better players?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Isn’t it $13k when you include the travel costs which no other club does? It’s somewhat disingenuous to compare that total cost to what other clubs charge which is in the $7k range. Some of whom go to less tournaments than VAE offers. What isn’t clear is how much and what type of travel is included. And yes if the base fee goes up a lot it is a big deal. But I hear you saying that only affluent people with the privilege of a lot of money can afford playing there. [/quote]
That’s how VAE tries to spin it, but the math only kind of makes sense if parents don’t go to tournaments to watch. The VAE travel package includes hotel costs for the players to room together. This used to be common before COVID, but most clubs don’t do this anymore. If the parent is going to the tournament to watch anyway, that’s an additional cost compared to clubs where the players stays with their parents. For non-local tournaments within driving distance, VAE has the players travel together on a charter bus (tournaments like Volley by the James in Richmond and MAPL Hampton). For other clubs, the players just ride with parents so that is also a significant additional cost. Flights might be a cost that’s similar to traveling with parents, but again there are additional costs included like ground transportation once you get there that are on top of similar expenses that would otherwise piggyback off of the parents’ cost.

There is no doubt that the VAE travel package is significantly more expensive than traveling with a parent who in most cases is still going to the tournament anyway. That said, if the money isn’t an issue for your family, it’s probably fun for the players to travel together, although all of that time together probably results in a bit more team drama than might otherwise take place.

VAE isn’t the only club that makes it tough to calculate the real out of pocket costs. Some clubs only include expenses through the last “regular” tournament of the year, which is usually on Memorial Day weekend or possibly the week after if the team goes to JVA Summerfest, so if a team goes to USAV or AAU Nationals there is a separate charge for gym time, coaching stipend, and coaches’ travel for the extra month leading up to Nationals. Some clubs (e.g., MDJRs and Metro) charge separately for the uniform/gear package and coach travel.

Playing for almost any club that plays a schedule with multiple qualifiers requiring flights and multiday tournaments is going to be an out of pocket cost well over $10k when you factor in your own travel costs and other expenses not included in base fees published on club websites.

So while VAE is almost certainly the most expensive local club by a significant margin, the difference is not as simple as comparing their club fees plus travel package to other clubs published fees. 
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