Questions to Ask Before Joining a Travel Team (Get the Answers in Writing)

Before you sign with a travel team, ask for five things in writing: an itemized fee list, the full tournament schedule with locations, the hotel rule for each event, the refund policy, and how playing time is decided. Most parents ask about the first and the last. The tournament and hotel questions are the ones that change what you actually spend.

We pulled advice from the Better Business Bureau, TeamSnap, Aspen Institute research and housing company documents, then built a checklist you can copy into an email. Where a source is dated, we say so.

What does a travel team cost beyond dues?

Dues are the number on the flyer. They are not the number on your credit card statement in June.

The Aspen Institute's Project Play published its State of Play 2022 findings with a plain number: "The average family pays $883 annually in one child's primary sport." The same report listed soccer at $1,188, basketball at $1,002 and baseball at $714 per year. It also found that parents making $150,000 or more spent 83% more on travel than families earning under $50,000. (Project Play)

Those are survey averages from 2022 across all levels, not travel team prices. We are not going to guess a travel team number. Ask the club for last season's actual total cost per family, including tournaments. A club that has run for several seasons knows it.

The BBB's advice on fees is simple. "A reputable organization should be able give its members an itemized list of any fees." The BBB names court or field rental, uniforms, equipment and tournament fees as common charges. (Muddy River News)

Our trip cost calculator and full cost breakdown show where the rest of the money goes.

What should I ask about tournaments?

This is where most first-year surprises live.

• How many tournaments are on the schedule, and how many are overnight?
• Which are required and which are optional?
• Who picks them, and when is the schedule final?
• Does the club pay tournament entry fees from dues, or bill them separately?
• What happens to your share if a tournament is canceled or the team is not accepted?

A written schedule with cities and dates lets you price the season. You can then search each event in our tournament finder to see its hotel policy.

What should I ask about hotel rules?

Ask this before you pay, not after the first weekend.

Some tournaments use stay-to-play. Team Travel Source, a housing company, defines it: teams and athletes "must stay in one of the official hotels set up in the official tournament housing block." (Team Travel Source) Sports Destinations quoted an event services executive in 2024 saying it "is now being used in the majority of all major tournaments." That is one executive's view of major events, not a count of all tournaments. (Sports Destinations)

Rules differ by event. As an example, the 2027 Florida Fest volleyball qualifier page says each team "must book a minimum of 4 room nights per day of the event," and lists exemptions for a practice facility within 75 miles, among others. (Florida Region) A different event may have no such rule. See what six volleyball qualifiers say for the spread.

Questions to ask the club:

1. Which events on our schedule require booking through an official block?
2. Does the club or a parent manager book the rooms, or does each family?
3. Is there a minimum number of rooms or nights, and who is responsible if we fall short?
4. Does the event publish an exemption (distance, loyalty points) and who approves it?
5. What is the cancellation policy on rooms?

Our guides cover how to read a housing policy, what an attrition clause means and how to ask for an exemption. For the data we gathered, see our stay-to-play report.

What should I ask about refunds?

The BBB says: "The refund policy should be clearly spelled out by the organization and explained to the parents and players before the season begins." (KRCU) It also recommends asking what happens if a child wants to quit or is injured.

Get specific:

• What is refundable, and until what date?
• If we leave mid-season, do we owe the rest of the dues?
• Are uniform costs and deposits refundable?
• If the club has already paid tournament fees on our behalf, are they deducted?

What should I ask about coaches, safety and playing time?

The BBB lists these:

• "All coaches, even those who volunteer, should receive training on recent techniques."
• "The parents, player and coach should have clear expectations for how often the child will play."
• Ask "what safeguards are in place to prevent and respond to injuries."

The BBB also notes that recreational leagues typically offer equal playing time, while travel teams are more competitive. (KRCU) If your child will not be playing a lot, you should know that before you buy a hotel room.

Ask the BBB's other practical question too: can the club give you references from past members? Call two.

What about the bigger question: should we do this at all?

Janis B. Meredith, writing for TeamSnap in 2017, framed four questions that have nothing to do with price lists. Should this be a financial priority? What kind of team is it? Is this the best way for my child to improve? Is this what is best for our family? (TeamSnap)

She also points out that club teams are not always superior to alternatives like small group training or clinics. It is an opinion piece, but the questions are fair. Your answer to the last one decides if you can live with a Saturday and Sunday schedule for months.

TeamSnap also suggests asking about a parent manager, who can "help the coaches and the rest of the parents with team communication, logistics, and more." (TeamSnap) Ask who that is.

What are the warning signs?

The BBB piece is titled as a guide to spotting red flags, and its list reads like a short audit. A club that cannot or will not do the following deserves a second look:

• Give you an itemized list of fees.
• Explain who trains and supervises its coaches, volunteers included.
• State how often your child is expected to play.
• Put the refund policy in writing before the season begins.
• Name past members who will talk to you.

None of those is an accusation. They are normal requests, and a well run club answers them quickly. If you get vague answers, slow down. The BBB also suggests checking the organization's rating, accreditation status, complaints and reviews at BBB.org. (Muddy River News)

Copy-and-paste checklist for your email

Send it as an email, not a conversation at practice. Keep the thread in one folder so you can find it in March. A reply you can forward is worth more than a verbal yes.

How do I use the answers?

A fee list and a schedule are only useful if you do arithmetic with them.

Add up the schedule. Take the number of overnight events, price each weekend with the calculator, and compare the total to your budget. If a club will not share a schedule or a fee list, that tells you something too. You are allowed to say no, or to ask for another season to decide.

Next up for new families: what to expect at your first travel tournament and how to save money on tournament weekends.

Check your tournament

Once you have the schedule, look up each event in our tournament finder and read its hotel policy. Events with no hotel requirement are on our book-anywhere list. Want a heads-up when a policy changes? Sign up for alerts.