Baseball
AAU, Club, and Travel Baseball Costs: Who would have thought it would be so much?
Whether AAU, Club, or Travel, baseball is one of the most expensive sports to play. The equipment required throughout the typical travel baseball player’s 10-year involvement with the sport, combined with travel, registration fees, and instruction, quickly adds up. As USA Today recently documented, the total easily can exceed $35,000.
AAU, Club, and Travel Baseball Registration Costs
Registration fees vary widely. A single-season spring Club, Travel, or AAU baseball registration fee, depending on league level, can easily cost several thousands of dollars.
The bad news: If your child picks up an injury or is otherwise unable to play, you are stuck having paid the registration fee. Travel, provided tickets haven’t already been purchased, can be money saved. Equipment, provided it still fits, will still be available to use when your baseball player is healthy. However, the registration fee, which is the most expensive cost? That’s gone.
The good news: That doesn’t have to be the case. With baseball registration insurance from Sports Refund, if your athlete can’t play, you don’t pay. Simple as that.
How Affordable Is Sports Refund?
Registration fees for AAU, Club, and Travel baseball programs are thousands of dollars. And, leagues have a strict “No Refunds” policy, meaning that if your baseball player gets hurt or can’t play, you’re stuck having to pay.
Until Sports Refund.
We offer baseball season interruption insurance policies. Our policies cover the registration fees for sports programs and cost less than 5% of the total registration fee, on average. If your child can’t play, you don’t pay.
Why Do I Need Sport Registration Insurance?
AAU, Club, and Travel sports require commitment from their athletes. The days of children cycling through sports with the calendar are largely gone, and most sports now are year-round schedules–even baseball.
This is having a huge effect on our children. Medical professionals have noted the increase in ‘recurring use’ injuries. WebMD and The Cleveland Clinic have both noted the rise in serious elbow injuries among youth baseball players. These injuries have historically been more associated with aging veteran professionals — think John Smoltz moving to the bullpen post-Tommy John surgery, or Mark Prior’s brief run of dominance before a lifetime of travel ball tournaments robbed us of his prime with a string of shoulder and other injuries.
Players, parents, and coaches are more aware of the health concerns and the potential long-term impacts that come with increased and early specialization. Sports Refund protects you from ever having to balance the money spent against your child’s long-term health. And with our easy sign-up system and low-cost coverage, there are no hurdles to clear. It’s as simple as:
Can’t Play? Don’t Pay!
What and Who Does Sports Refund Cover?
Sports Refund covers both individual AAU, Club, and Travel Baseball players and teams/groups. Coverage is available for all players under the age of 26.
How Does Sports Refund Work?
Your Club, Travel, or AAU baseball athlete’s physical well-being is covered by your health insurance. Their equipment, should it be stolen or damaged outside of normal wear-and-tear, is probably covered by homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Even travel costs can be insured.
But the registration fee (which is typically the most expensive costs)? That is virtually always non-refundable. With Sports Refund’s season interruption insurance, however, your family is protected against real financial loss.
All you have to do is sign up. That’s it. No examinations, no long questionnaires.
AAU Baseball and Travel Baseball Season Interruption Insurance: An example
Ben’s family paid $5,000 for an elite travel baseball registration running from April through July (120 days). Ten days into the season, Ben suffers a broken hand.
With just 20 days left in the baseball season, Ben is ready to return to the diamond. He has missed 90 days (75%) of the season, but his family has still had to pay the full $5,000 registration fee.
If Ben’s family had Sports Refund season interruption insurance, at a cost of about $170, they would have received a check for $3,750–75% of the season’s total registration fee.