Most athletes know how it goes. Players don’t just go to tryouts empty-handed. Sports teams can be an awesome thing to be a part of, but they are also costly.

It’s obvious that a player needs the sport necessities to even play. For instance, if you’re a baseball player, you’ll need a mitt, bat and cleats, which all cost a great amount of money. Players will obviously need their socks (maybe even stirrups), compression shorts, pants and jerseys, which are usually free, but sometimes are a fee of $20 to $25 when playing for any high school sport.

“On top of all the stuff I need to play, I have my Oakley sunglasses to block the sun. Those were like $120,” junior Christian Camacho said. “I also have a different and unique glove which probably cost a bit extra. It’s my baby.”

For the most part, summer camps are mandatory when wanting to play during the season. Unfortunately, they’re never free. According to Assistant Principal of Student Activities Bob Murphy, camps are, on average, $100.

Now that the athlete has spent money to go to summer camp, there are other needs. For example, there is a lot of gear required to be a football player, like senior Michael Parisi.

“For the season, a helmet, shoulder pads, girdle and knee pads were all provided by the school. I had to buy pretty expensive cleats, though, that were around like $80,” he said.

There are high school sports, and there are club, or travel, teams that you can join. Travel teams are for people who can play at a higher level and love to play the game year round. Most travel teams range from $500 to $2,000, depending on which sport and team you join.

“For myself, the money is totally worth spending. The competition for me in just the house programs was not going to allow me to play at the college level. My goal was to play in college and because of travel, I was scouted by multiple schools and now I’m playing next year,” senior Shannon Taucher said.

Travel team prices varies greatly. It pays for uniforms, bags, equipment, tournament entry fees, body registrations, team medical insurance and sometimes travel expenses. To play at any level or any team, it does cost you. Sports, to some people, are everything. All the funds it requires are worthwhile for ones who truly love to play.