$4 Gas and the AAU Dad
Gas prices hit $3.96 a gallon Monday. Up for the 23rd straight day. The national average hasn’t sat this high since August 2022.
I pulled up the tournament schedule and started counting miles.
My son Luke plays on a 9th grade AAU team. Harrison plays 8th grade. Spring season runs April through May. Here’s what the pump charges a family running two kids across Ohio.
The Practice Tab
Ten practices left this spring. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm. Nineteen miles each way. Thirty-eight miles round trip, twice a week.
| Miles | Gallons | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 practices × 38 mi RT | 380 | 17.3 | $68.51 |
Sixty-eight dollars before anyone touches a basketball. Now add the weekends.
Luke’s Tournaments
| Tournament | Location | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|
| April Weekend 1 | Columbus | 314 mi |
| April Weekend 2 | Toledo | 120 mi |
| May Weekend 1 | Columbus | 300 mi |
| May Weekend 2 | Findlay | 156 mi |
Harrison’s Tournaments
| Tournament | Location | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|
| April Weekend 1 | Lima | 124 mi |
| April Weekend 2 | Toledo | 120 mi |
| May Weekend 1 | Columbus | 300 mi |
| May Weekend 2 | Findlay | 156 mi |
Three weekends both boys play the same tournament. One trip. Two weekends they split. Two separate drives.
Gas Cost Breakdown
| Trip | Miles RT | Gallons | Gas Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus (Luke only) | 314 | 14.3 | $56.61 |
| Lima (Harrison only) | 124 | 5.6 | $22.18 |
| Toledo (both) | 120 | 5.5 | $21.78 |
| Columbus (both) | 300 | 13.6 | $53.86 |
| Findlay (both) | 156 | 7.1 | $28.12 |
| 10 Practices | 380 | 17.3 | $68.51 |
| TOTAL | 1,394 | 63.4 | $251.06 |
The Full Bill
Columbus is two and a half hours away. You don’t drive home between games on a two-day tournament.
| Expense | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Gas | $251 |
| Hotels, 2 Columbus weekends × ~$140/night | $280 |
| Road food, 5 tournament weekends × ~$60 | $300 |
| Spring AAU total | ~$831 |
Eight hundred thirty-one dollars. Two kids. Ten weeks. Before entry fees, shoes, and the Chick-fil-A stop your kid asks for at every exit.
Why You Pay It
I could write something about how the memories are priceless. That’s true but it sounds like a Hallmark card.
The honest answer is simpler. Harrison talks more in the passenger seat at 9pm than he does all week. Luke asks better questions when he’s tired after a game than he does at the dinner table. The car is where my kids stop performing and start talking.
At $3.96 a gallon, I’ll fill the tank.