Parents Complain About Insane Travel Basketball Tournament Prices, 'Stinking Of Weed'

Folks, I don't know how many more of these posts I have to make before you, the travel parent, see the light that you're being used for the benefit of travel sport corporations who are playing on your emotions. 

Let's go to Kentucky where it was a big weekend in travel basketball. You know what that means: Profiting off parents who have to go see their kids play and that means charging insane gate fees. 

According to Anthony Wireman, who covers the University of Kentucky basketball program, he heard from parents who were paying gate fees of $45 per person and $15 to park a car. 

"Went to go watch a family members game yesterday at Transylvania and it was going to be $45. No single game tickets, $45 for a weekend pass to watch one game smh Ridiculous," a Twitter user shared of his experience at a Made Hoops tournament held in Lexington. 

According to the MadeHoops.com site, the tournament was for 11U-14U boys teams. To be fair, the $45 got you into games all weekend. 

But what if you just wanted to attend one session because you had to work on Saturday?

"Not only that, but @madehoops didn’t even have a one day option. I was at drill this weekend for the Army but was able to get to my son’s second game last night. They wanted $45 regardless. So instead someone inside FaceTime’d me to watch. It was ridiculous," one parent tweeted. 

The complaints about the tournament just kept pouring in. 

"I was at Made Hoops this weekend also. How bout one team we were supposed to play was also in another tournament in Lexington at the time time. Drove all the way there to play them today, and they were no shows because they were scheduled in the other tournaments also. Sigh," another dad wrote. 

And then there's the mom who claims the tournament her son played in didn't have game basketballs to use. 

Have you hit your breaking point, parents? Have you figured out you're the target of corporations who need to show profits and line pockets with your money while you chase dreams? 

Still in denial? 

Don't take my word for it. Listen to what ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes, whose employer has made a few bucks off travel basketball via its Disney Wide World of Sports complex, has to say about what's going on here. 

He says this is all happening because parents are listening to the wrong voice. 

"They are listening to lies. They are acting out of fear that others are getting an edge, gaining an advantage," Dykes tweeted Monday morning. "So they keep paying, and paying, and paying the cost of the chase. And it’s destroying kids, families, and futures. But that’s why they pay."

When will this all end? When Americans have no more credit to pay for the hotels, Hampton Inn pizza parties and fuel for the SUVs that are on payments. 

As of the 4th quarter of 2023, Americans held a total credit card balance of $1.3 TRILLION. 

That's a record. 

Have you hit your travel sports financial breaking point? I've been writing about this topic for the last two years and I'd love to hear your perspective and how you finally came to the conclusion that you were getting out of the game. 

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com