For parents of young softball players
The club fee at tryouts is only part of what you'll pay.
Travel fees, pitching lessons and showcases add up fast. This book shows you what to ask before you commit, how to compare the full cost, and whether the next expense fits your daughter’s goals.
From the first youth season through high school, recruiting and eligibility.
Sound familiar?
Everybody has advice. Get the whole bill before you pay.
Before long you've paid the club fee, bought a new bat, booked a hotel you didn't pick, and signed up for weekly lessons, and you still don't know if any of it is helping her get better.
Maybe you haven't signed with a team yet. Maybe the first tournament is already on the calendar. Either way, you deserve straight answers before the next check goes out.
I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to show you what to look at.
Inside the book
A few things you'll learn
Isn't this just baseball with a different ball?
Softball’s pitching workload, travel organizations and college pathway create different decisions for parents. The book starts there.
Why throwing hardest at ten doesn’t settle her future
Birth month, growth and coaching all shape what you’re seeing on Saturday mornings. The book explains what’s behind it.
When middle school has no softball team
Where good coaching comes from at this age, and what to ask the programs filling the gap.
Baserunning you can practice at home
It costs nothing to work on, and it’s good news for a kid who isn’t the fastest on the team.
Two ladders, not one
A $650 out-of-state college camp and a $60 Saturday clinic. How to tell which one your daughter actually needs.
The dugout test
Is she part of the group? That signal often matters more than playing time.
Included
In the back of the book
Causes and Solutions Matrix
At-Home Drills
The Plan
Questions Parents Ask
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Plain answers for sports parents, camps worth knowing about, and new books when they come out. Free, and you can leave any time.
About the author
I've been the parent who didn't know what to ask
I'm Sam Duffey, founder of Prime Path Athletics. I'm a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 3. I coached youth football and basketball for 15 years and helped start a youth athletics program. I played junior college basketball at Navarro College and Cisco Junior College before I left school to enlist after September 11th.
My oldest son wanted to keep playing past high school. He didn't get to, and at the time I didn't know how to help him. That's a big part of why Prime Path Athletics exists.
My measure of a good season was never the record. It was whether kids kept coming back and parents trusted what I told them.
Before you buy
Is this book for you?
This is for you if
- Your daughter plays softball and you're thinking about travel ball
- She pitches and you want clearer questions about workload, rest and warning signs
- You're paying for lessons or showcases and aren't sure they're helping
- You've heard "she'll fall behind" and want a straight answer
This is not for you if
- You want a coaching manual. There's an at-home drill chapter, but this book is about decisions.
- You want someone to pick a team for you
- You want someone to promise a scholarship. Nobody honest can.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I get?
A 140-page book with 16 chapters and four appendices: a causes-and-solutions matrix, at-home drills, a year-round plan, and an index of the parent questions answered in the book. Get it as an EPUB ebook ($14.99) or as a 6x9 paperback that includes the PDF ($19.99).
What ages is it for?
It starts with the first youth season and runs through high school, recruiting and eligibility. Most families get the most from it in elementary and middle school, before the big money decisions.
Is this just a baseball book for girls?
No. Softball has its own rules, gear and pitching motion, and this book treats it that way.
Are you telling me to skip travel ball?
No. Travel softball can be right for the right kid on the right team. I just want you to know what you're paying for, and what it's actually buying, before you pay it.
The Real Cost of Youth Softball
A Parent's Guide to Travel Ball, Camps, and What's Actually Worth Paying For
- 140 pages, 16 chapters, 4 appendices
- Exact questions to ask, and who to ask
- Plain language, no fluff
One last thing
You can make the money back. You can't get the days back.
Don't let somebody else's calendar or sales pitch make this call for you. Get the questions and the numbers first. Then decide.
P.S. Before you sign, ask the club director one thing: "What does the fee cover, and what will we pay for on top of it?" The answer tells you a lot. This book gives you the rest of the questions.
Good luck this season.
Sam Duffey, Prime Path Athletics