Are travel and club teams legit, or just a big cash grab? That’s a question I hear more and more these days, often voiced with growing skepticism by parents who aren’t convinced that club and travel programs prioritize athletic talent over revenue. Some parents worry that kids no longer need to be particularly skilled to “earn” a spot on an elite team — as long as their parents are willing to write a sizable check.
It’s a concern worth exploring, especially as club and travel team participation continues to skyrocket, often pulling kids away from school sports in the process. Can a team truly be considered elite if it’s diluting the talent pool in favor of bigger profits by adding more players?
Of course, there’s nuance here — not all clubs or travel teams operate with the same values or philosophies. Still, more parents than ever are asking these questions, and they deserve honest answers if families are to make the best decisions for their kids. With club sports costing thousands of dollars, it is not crazy to wonder if more clubs today are taking on lesser kids for bigger dollars?
If everyone is playing club, is anyone truly playing elite sports?
If the assertion made by some parents is true that club sports are more concerned about revenue than athletic talent, then the supposed “elite” nature of club sports is quickly mitigated. In other words, if just about any kid can make it to a club/elite/travel team, isn’t it just recreation sports all over again? As some parents chase the next shiny new league, they may already be a part of something that is serving their child very well — talk about irony!
The other side of the argument is that club and elite programs really are discriminating, only keeping kids with the very best potential. While these organizations may have started that way, what was unexpected was the hunger so many families had in trying to join youth sport leagues with greater intensity. With greater interest, more clubs emerged, leading to the current questions around how kids are selected (subjectively), how healthy an intense “club” schedule is for kids (mentally and physically), and whether joining an elite travel team even makes sense – especially if you are focused on teaching the basics and getting a lot of reps. From my standpoint, these are very important questions each family should ask, and with additional information work toward a decision that is best for you.
The other important consideration when it comes to sport intensity is the effect it may have on your child’s interest in school sports. Sadly, school sports have taken an unfair hit in recent years, with increasingly more adults erroneously assuming that school sports have faltered, and that kids generally don’t get as good at their sport as they might if they chose club sports instead. It is important to note the general philosophical differences between school and club sports outlined below:
School sports
- Inclusive to all kids, with very few sports that include cuts.
- Philosophy rooted in holistic development, with a focus toward mental and physical growth, not preparing kids for college athletics.
- Community-based, including community experiences together cheering on the home team.
Club sports
- Selective, often with cuts.
- Philosophy rooted in athletic development, winning, success, and preparing kids for future college/pro sports.
- Not locked to a specific school or community, but instead teams are comprised of kids from various geographical regions. Most families do not know one another beyond the common bond of the sports team.
As you can see from above, interscholastic sports (school sports) are designed to be a complimentary educational experience for kids, along with traditional academics, art, and music. The focus of school sports is not success at any cost, but instead designed to help kids train their bodies, work with teammates, and develop important life skills. Conversely, travel sports are designed for kids who are focused exclusively on athletic development, most of whom are playing travel so that they can increase their chances for a future college athletic scholarship. Neither approach is “right or wrong,” but they are different, and parents should understand the philosophy of each.
Final thoughts
Are travel sports a cash-grab these days? Rather than answer that directly, I would instead state what we do know today, and that is that there are significantly more travel and club options these days — warranting legitimate questions about the selection process, and if there really are significant differences anymore? For the vast majority of kids my advice is to stay with school sports as long as you can, as the competition, travel, and philosophical approach by schools is far more conducive to most kids than the unique, intense, hyper-focus on performance experience through travel sports.
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