How the all-in estimate is modeled

The dues were never the whole bill for us; they are usually 40–60% of what a family spends in a year. So we build an estimated annual cost beside them: a planning range, never a quote from the club, always shown apart from what the club posted.

It starts from a program fee

We estimate an age group only when the club posts a program fee for it: dues, registration or a training fee. If a club posts only a tryout or tournament fee, you see “program fee not published” instead.

What we add, and how

The rules we follow

• Age. Travel and tournaments scale ×0.75 for U8–U10, ×1 for U11–U13, ×1.15 from U14.
• Region. A state modifier for hotels, fuel and distances; California runs about 20% above the baseline.
• Ranges stay ranges, one fee per team included: both ends shown.
• Per-event fees. “$35 per tournament” is multiplied by typical events a year: 2 recreational, 4 local, 6 regional, 8 national. A tryout fee counts once.
• We never model what the club already charges for. A posted uniform, tournament or travel fee replaces the modeled line; “kit included” drops it.
• Fully funded programs model nothing beyond personal gear. A boarding academy's fee is tuition: we model nothing on top and leave it out of medians.
• When rules disagree, we take the lower figure. Overstating a club's cost is the worse mistake for a family deciding what it can afford.

Not included

Private training, ID camps, position coaching and team extras such as socials and photos. Families tell us these add $500–$3,000 or more.

State, league and national medians use these midpoints: one per club, competitive programs (U10 and older) only, at least three clubs. Model v2.4-alternative-fees; every estimate records the version that produced it.