Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

New norm for fees

Posted by MxOutParent on June 22, 2026, 10:44 am

With Orgs like the new IMG GL fees being all in at $4.5k+, will we see all other orgs drastically raise their prices? Seems like fees are getting out of control, with all these orgs, with a poor track record and purchasing a name every year.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Re on June 23, 2026, 11:38 am, in reply to "New norm for fees"

I believe that fee also includes use of the facility they are out of for the year.

I can tell you the rest of IMG are not paying near that same fee.

Something to keep in mind though, for the same caliber of team in the area, those fees are right around that same level.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @MxOut on June 22, 2026, 5:14 pm, in reply to "New norm for fees"

1. Fees only ever move in one direction - up!
2. At least you're going to pass less today than someone else will in 3 years!

My daughter's ride is coming to an end, and she was fortunate to get a P4 scholarship. But that sure doesn't mean we got the equivalent of four years of school paid for - we probably spent about half of that amount for her travel ball expenses in the past few years!

If you're aiming for P4, and certainly top 25 teams, you're going to see fees costs continue to go up. This isn't a "middle class" sport anymore.

If you're not aiming for P4 (or, more importantly, if you can be honest with yourself and know that she's not for that level), it makes sense to be much more careful with what organizations you hitch your wagon to.

In other words, it makes no sense to pay A-level fees for B-level prospects. There are still D1 schools that recruit from the B-level organizations, and lots of other roster spots in D2, D3, etc.

We all complain about the fees, but we all keep paying them. We're the problem.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Wrong on June 23, 2026, 2:14 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

There are not D1 coaches recruiting B level players or from B level programs. Stop the non-sense.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @Wrong on June 24, 2026, 12:25 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

Denison - WI
Wasco - Purdue

Examples exist.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Wrong on June 24, 2026, 1:01 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

Silver Hawks do not play B level tournaments.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @@Wrong on June 24, 2026, 2:17 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

Okay, here we go again...

If you're not playing T25, IDT (or at least Sparkler PP), Top Gun KC, PGF Premier or Alliance high-end... you're not an A schedule.

Silverhawks may go to those tournaments, or fields nearby, but they are not on the top fields, are not national programs, are not seeing non-Midwest P4 coaches, etc.

It's a big world out there... any only Bandits and Chill are at the level in our area.

Here's how you know - how many teams have you faced with multiple SEC commits on it? If your answer is "None" or "I dunno" - you ain't an A schedule.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Wrong & right on June 25, 2026, 6:30 am, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

This post started about best orgs, and here we are again talking about the alphabet.

There are lots of metrics you could select to determine best orgs: winning, RPI, size, coaches, value, training, etc.

But once you get to the stage of multiple weekends out of town every summer and fall, I’d posit that the most important metric is: “Is this org putting kids into the highest level college programs?”

The best way to measure that is by either tracking it every year (eg, Bandits and Chill websites), or seeing which orgs are consistently getting into the best tournaments.

The previous post about the top national tournaments gives a good list. IDT, T25, PGF Premier, Easton Rawlings, Team 1 / KC are on that list - probably no more than 10 true elite tournaments in the country in a given year.

How are tournaments elite? If Mike White shows up. If Patty Gasso is there. If UCLA, Oregon, Georgia, etc are showing up consistently at your complex.

It shouldn’t be disrespectful to speak the truth… that’s not a Silverhawks schedule. It sure isn’t Wasco. Sparks keeps a toe across the line largely due to legacy. One Cheetahs team has earned those entey tickets, but not the org. But it’s Chill and Bandits every single year.

The “multiple SEC on the roster” also makes sense as a benchmark. Silverhawks and Wasco may see a couple of opposing Big Ten commits in a weekend. Neither of them are seeing a lineup like you find at those elite tournaments - P4 near top to bottom, with multiple top 25 (SEC/ACC) in the lineup.

We got into this a while back - what is a “A team?” We don’t need to tread that ground again, but let me just say that Bandits and Chill have mostly A teams, are A orgs - and there isn’t another A org in the Midwest, and only a handful of potential A teams.

A teams will play late in the day on Sunday at those elite tournaments. Maybe 25 teams in the country.

Sure as hell not Wasco. That’s a million miles away…

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @wrong on June 24, 2026, 1:16 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

PGF Regional Championship in Peoria or the Indy Firecracker aren't B tournaments? They are. But I agree with the post @Wrong saying P4 commits do come out of B orgs. The top Wasco teams play an A schedule but they are discounted down due to the rest of the org's teams. Fine but they place P4 too. CTW has an Ohio State recruit, there are so many examples. You, sir Wrong, are wrong.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Almost correct on June 25, 2026, 8:45 am, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

The top Wasco teams (?) do NOT play an A schedule.

They can't get into A tournaments.

If Wasco is in A tournaments, there must be six letters before A in the alphabet!

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by How about on June 22, 2026, 3:56 pm, in reply to "New norm for fees"

Just take the $4,500 and throw it out the car window driving down I65. That's about your return on your investment.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by Parent on June 23, 2026, 4:59 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

You are so wrong. If you know how to work the system, yes, you can get a return on your investment. D3 has a LOT of money if you know how to play softball and understand financial aid.

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @Norm on June 22, 2026, 3:42 pm, in reply to "New norm for fees"

If that’s truly the case then an investigation needs to take place. Who wants to pay that for a REGIONAL team that has parent coaches

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by KnowBetter on June 23, 2026, 10:12 pm, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

they need to investigate that whole BB mess. lost alot of money and wasted my kid's time

Re: New norm for fees

Posted by @KnowBetter? on June 24, 2026, 9:26 am, in reply to "Re: New norm for fees"

Wait, so you are saying you paid for your DD to join BB but she didn’t get coached, play in games or learn anything? Sounds like you need an attorney!

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