Youth & adult sports training

Books and taxes for travel sports clubs.

Dues that differ team to team, a required tournament hotel block with a penalty if rooms go unfilled, team manager cash for snacks and extra reps, and an apparel order for every squad. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
JulyExample month
$24,000
what you made

July came in at $24,000. One tournament's hotel block came in short of the room minimum, so I booked the attrition penalty against that specific team's travel cost.

  • Team dues, all squadsTeam dues
  • Tournament hotel blockTournament travel
  • Hotel attrition penaltyTournament travel
  • Apparel order, three teamsUniforms and apparel
  • Coach stipends, JulyCoach pay
Money in$95,000
Money out$71,000
Set aside for taxes$5,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A travel club's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your club runs nine teams across different sports, each with its own dues and travel schedule, plus tournaments that require booking a hotel block months out with a penalty if it doesn't fill. When the books blend all of that together, no single team's number means anything.

  1. 1

    Every team's dues get blended into one club total

    A 14U baseball team might pay $2,800 for the season while a 16U softball team pays $3,600 with a heavier travel schedule behind it. Combined into one club number, you cannot tell which teams are actually covering their own costs.

    What we doKeeps each team's dues, coaching cost, and travel cost on its own line, so team-by-team performance is easy to see.
  2. 2

    Hotel block attrition penalties get missed or misfiled

    A tournament's required hotel block often carries a penalty if the block doesn't fill, charged weeks after the event and easy to book as a random travel fee with no team attached to it.

    What we doTies an attrition penalty back to the specific team and tournament that caused it, so that team's real travel cost is accurate.
  3. 3

    Team manager cash for snacks and extra reps never makes it into the books

    A team manager who collects cash from parents for gate money, team meals, or an extra practice often keeps that money and spending separate from the club's own account, so the club's books miss real costs the team is actually carrying.

    What we doAsks for team manager cash activity when it exists and folds it into that team's real cost, so nothing meaningful is left off the books.
  4. 4

    Apparel orders for different sports get filed as one expense

    A baseball team's uniform order, a softball team's order, and a basketball team's order each come from different suppliers at different price points, but often get logged as one lump apparel cost with no team attached.

    What we doTies each apparel order to the team and season it belongs to, so the cost matches the dues meant to cover it.
  5. 5

    Coach stipends across different sports get paid the same way regardless of role

    A head coach running three tournaments a summer and an assistant helping one weekend a month get paid very differently, but both often land as one payroll number with no link back to which team each coach actually works with.

    What we doKeeps coach pay tied to the team each coach serves, so dues and coaching cost can be compared team by team.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a travel sports club.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Team duesSeason fees, broken out by team and sport.
  • Tournament and gate feesEntry and spectator fees for events the club hosts.
  • Apparel and gear salesWhat families pay toward their team's uniform order.
  • Sponsorship incomeLocal business sponsorships for jerseys or event signage.

Money out

  • Coach payStipends tied to each team, kept apart from your own draw.
  • Tournament travelHotel blocks, attrition penalties, vans, and entry fees.
  • Uniforms and apparelOrders tied to the specific team and season they cover.
  • Facility and field rentalPractice space rented by team or by the season.
  • InsuranceParticipant accident and general liability coverage.
  • Team management softwareRegistration and scheduling fees across all teams.

What we watch for you

  • Team-level margin

    Dues against coaching and travel cost for each individual team.

  • Travel cost per tournament

    What each weekend actually costs once hotel blocks and penalties are counted.

  • Apparel cost recovery

    Whether uniform orders are fully covered by the dues meant for them.

  • The set-aside

    What every team's dues actually owe, tracked monthly so April is never a scramble for the club.

Ask Gus

Things travel club directors ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

Our hotel block for last month's tournament didn't fill, and we got hit with an attrition fee weeks later. How does that get booked?

I tied that penalty back to the team and tournament that caused it, so it shows up as part of that team's real travel cost instead of a random charge with no explanation.

Our team manager collects cash from parents for gate money and snacks. Does that need to be in the books?

It should be, yes. Send me a rough tally of what came in and went out and I'll fold it into that team's real numbers, so nothing meaningful is missing.

Does the club owe our coaches anything at year end?

If they're paid stipends on a set schedule using your teams and facilities, they typically look like employees rather than contractors. That call needs the accountant's read before you settle on how to pay them next season.

The tax side

The tax side of a travel sports club.

Most of what trips up a multi-team club is keeping each team's dues, travel, and coaching cost from blending into one meaningless total.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Coach worker classificationA coach paid a set stipend on a schedule the club sets, using the club's teams and facilities, is usually an employee rather than a contractor, even for a seasonal role.
  • Contractor 1099s for guest coachesA guest skills coach or a one-time tournament coach paid $2,000 or more in 2026, and not on payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Sales tax on apparel salesUniforms and gear sold to families are usually taxable even where team dues are not. Rules vary by state, so Gus keeps that income separate to make the split easy.
  • The pass-through deductionMost club owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when each team's dues, travel, and coaching cost are booked correctly.

Deductions travel sports clubs miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Team equipment across sports
  • Hotel block deposits and fees
  • Attrition penalty charges
  • Team dealer uniform samples
  • Team management software fees
  • First aid and training room supplies
  • Liability and accident insurance
  • Coaching certification fees
  • Film review tools
  • Tournament and showcase listing fees
  • Storage for team equipment
  • Van or trailer rental for travel

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A travel sports club's year, kept every month.

Tournament season peaks in different months for different sports, but your taxes come on a fixed schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the coach 1099 list is ready across every team, and a monthly set-aside is already running club-wide.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, right as spring tournament travel starts ramping up.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where the club stands, what it will owe, and whether peak summer tournament travel changed the number.

  4. October

    Before next season

    Before next season's team dues and apparel orders go out, Gus looks at what's worth locking in before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for travel sports clubs. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions travel club directors ask first.

Can Gus keep each team's numbers separate even though we're one club?

Yes. He tracks dues, coaching pay, and travel cost by team, so a baseball squad and a basketball squad never get blended into one confusing club total.

Our hotel blocks sometimes come with attrition penalties. Does that get lost in the shuffle?

No. Gus ties an attrition charge back to the specific tournament and team that caused it, so that team's travel cost stays honest instead of showing up as a mystery fee.

Some of our team managers handle cash on the side for their own team. Should that be part of the books?

It should. Send Gus a rough accounting of what a team manager collects and spends, and he folds it into that team's real cost so the picture is complete.

We register through a team management app across all our teams. Do I have to change anything?

No. Whatever team management app you use across all your teams stays exactly as it is. Gus reads your bank statement, and if a deposit needs an explanation, he asks once per club, not once per team.

Our books have been a running mess since we added more teams. Can that be sorted out?

It can. Send over every bank statement you have, and Gus works through it team by team until the whole club has a real number to plan around.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever