For many metro Atlanta families, journeys to distant softball diamonds, swimming pools, soccer fields, volleyball courts or other facilities are a near-weekly routine.

But with each uptick in the price of gas, the cost of sports success has risen for parents, who shell out hundreds on every weekend trip.

For example, the Georgia Impact's pursuit of girls softball glory has taken the team across the Southeast this summer, from Lakeland, Fla., to Lynchburg, Va. The goal: making it into a 144-team national tournament in Owensboro, Ky.

"We're going to do what we have to do," said Steve Barrett of Warner Robins, father of two Impact players. Including the Owensboro trip, he'll have driven 4,000 miles this season in the family Dodge Caravan, and that's not counting practices in Jonesboro — 90 miles from home — or local tournaments.

"It's just much tougher than it used to be, no doubt."

The Impact is hardly alone. Club athletics have mushroomed in the last decade or so, creating a micro economy built around road trips.

High gas prices and the slumping economy are changing the equation.

"I think across the board, you could say within the entire softball community, everybody is having to re-evaluate this commitment that everybody's made to softball," said Will Tomasello, who coaches another Impact club team.

Al Owen, coach of the 16-and-under team the Barrett girls play for, said his gas bill last month was $850.

"You're talking about another house payment with that kind of money," said Owen, who lives in Coweta County.

Owen, whose daughter Alison is also on the team, estimates his family has spent at least $20,000 on softball in the past four years. Gas may be a fairly small part of the expense, but recent prices are prompting parents to strategize to save money.

Rather than taking separate cars, Owen and seven others drove to a tournament in Owen's RV to share costs. Car pooling and sharing hotel rooms have become the norm.

Some parents will save by staying home and sending their daughter with another family. The Barretts have taken their own food on the road, making sandwiches in their hotel room rather than going out to eat.

Still, Barrett estimates a typical tournament — gas, hotel, tournament fees — costs $500.

"Hopefully in the next year or so, we can pay off our credit card bills," Barrett said. "We want our kids to participate and do everything they can do, and you don't want the financial end to stand in the way of it."

Such costs are typical, regardless of the sport, and they are forcing adjustments by club sports organizations as well as parents.

The girls field at the U.S. Tennis Association's 18-and-under Southern championship in June was the smallest ever, said Bill Ozaki, program and player development director for USTA's Southern section. The boys field, which usually has a waiting list, accommodated everyone who wanted to play.

In part to ease the cost, USTA has sought formats that shorten tournaments, which can sometimes run seven days.

"It's a very expensive sport anyway, and unfortunately, it kind of favors people who have money," said Ray Daniell of Douglasville, whose two daughters are highly ranked. "We're kind of a middle-class family, but we kind of scrimp and save and my wife and I don't do a lot of things most people probably do."

Teams are trying to find or arrange competitions closer to home. Keith Ricketts, club director of the North Atlanta Volleyball Club, said one of his teams passed on a tournament in Florida in favor of one in Augusta because of gas prices. "Some of the meets that are out of town, some people just can't do it right now," said Melissa Wilborn, coach of the DeKalb Aquatics swim team. The team plans to cut down on out-of-town meets in the coming season.

Rather than go out of town to play in front of college coaches, Tomasello and another Impact coach want to organize tournaments in Atlanta and fly in the coaches, believing it will be more cost-effective.

Coaches see other evidence of the economy and gas prices. Ricketts said parents who want private coaching for their children are opting for group lessons with two or three teammates to lower costs.

Parents on the Impact softball team have chipped in to pay for tournament fees and travel expenses for players whose families can't afford to send their daughters.

To help cope, several clubs are trying to hold the line on fees. The Impact teams cut down on the frequency of practices to save on gas prices — players travel from Woodstock, Oxford, McDonough and Newnan, among other places.

While coaches and club officials wonder if participation rates will drop, parents are loath to abandon their children's activities. In addition to offering the best competition, tournaments are generally the best way for aspiring college athletes to get noticed by college coaches, who often attend. At Owensboro, for example, 84 college coaches had registered to attend as of Friday. For the best club athletes, that can mean a scholarship offer worth thousands.

"I don't know that it's necessary, but that's where we find most of the talent," Georgia Tech softball coach Sharon Perkins said.

For the Barretts, the chance for daughters Jensen and Kiley to play in nationals drove their decision to play with Impact rather than a team closer to home. It has meant extra costs but also delivered the opportunity they sought.

Before leaving for Owensboro, Barrett looked at the end of the summer with mixed thoughts. He enjoyed watching his daughters play and the great family time, he said, "but I'll be glad to stop spending so much money."