Parents whose children participate in elite travel ball leagues can spend up to $12,000 annually on fees, equipment, hotel rooms and gas. One mother, Casey Kelley, from Alabama, has spoken out, saying that if parents spend all of that money and time, their children should get to play in games. Kelley’s daughter plays on a club volleyball team.
The topic was inspired by a conversation she had with other volleyball parents who agreed that every kid should get a decent amount of playing time.
“I’ll tell you what I think. I think, if you’re paying to be there, so it’s not like high school sports, I think everyone should have the opportunity to play because this is a developmental league … and they’re there to develop and to learn,” she explained in a TikTok video.
“Especially if these parents are paying thousands of dollars for them to be in the league and then traveling, spending money on hotels for their kid to sit there and maybe play a minute or two the whole weekend. I think it’s unfair,” she continued.