It's a vacation in that the family is vacating their home in Phoenix. But they probably won't be visiting a lake or watching a Tigers baseball game. They'll be spending most of their time inside a hockey arena. Marmorstein and his wife are going to watch their kids play inline hockey. They'll be gone most of the month.

And even though they won't see the sights of Detroit, they say they don't feel like they're missing out on a traditional family vacation, like one to a national park or Disneyland. They've been doing this for 15 years.

"We travel every month," says Marmorstein, 51, who retired from his corporate job 10 years ago. "We are road-hardened warriors. Every year, our summer vacation is surrounded by wherever the hockey finals are."

Young athletes get specialized

Sports camps and tournaments, from Little League baseball all-stars to basketball and from volleyball to competitive cheerleading, are sending families on the road.

Dan Resmondo, a family travel expert who serves as district manager at Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas, said sports-related family travel is becoming more common.

"When I was growing up, you kind of played everything," Resmondo says, on a road trip to Winslow, Ariz., himself for his 14-year-old son's baseball team. "Now, you get specialized in a sport."

The Marmorstein family has been to England, Canada, Florida, Louisiana, Niagara Falls and California. This fall, they're going to Las Vegas. All for inline hockey.

Dawn Auelua's 13-year-old son specializes in baseball. Family vacations to South Carolina, a decade-old tradition for the Auelua family, have been put on hold since travel baseball entered their lives.

"It's been three years that we haven't had a family vacation. It's all been baseball related," Auelua, 39, says. "We'll be doing this for a long time."

The Gilbert, Ariz., family is headed to Steamboat Springs, Colo., later this month for a tournament. Brian McAllister and his 13-year-old son, Justin, will be going, too.

McAllister, 45, says this summer was the first time in four years his family was able to get away for a two-week visit with relatives in Ohio. In summers past, Justin's play on Little League all-star teams prohibited them from going anywhere but to tournaments.

"Once he's on that Little League all-star team, your summer is done," McAllister says. "It's a heck of a commitment, but I wouldn't change a thing. It's been one of the most pleasurable experiences seeing him have fun like that."

Cutting corners

The travel gets expensive, but there are ways around going broke.

Most teams hold fundraisers or find sponsors for big, out-of-town tournaments. McAllister says the kids often hit up their pediatricians, dentists and local restaurants to help fund the trips.

Though it's difficult to compare the cost of a traditional family vacation with a sports-related getaway because of so many variables, Resmondo says oftentimes the sport-related trips are less expensive.

Meals are at places like Pizza Hut and Chipotle, where traditional vacations might find families at nicer restaurants where the plates are not made of plastic. Hotels for sports trips are generally spare, of the Days Inn variety. Families on vacation might book nicer hotels, with more amenities.

One non-negotiable amenity for sports trips with teenagers, according to Resmondo, is a pool. And Internet access, so busy parents can keep in touch with work.

Auelua views the tournaments, camps and travel teams as an investment. As youth sports grow more competitive and college gets more expensive, Auelua says the chances for a scholarship increase as her son and his teammates hone their athletic talents.

"It's really worth it," she says. "The time and commitment can really pay off. That's all we want, is for our kids to go to college."

Add fun to a sports vacation

Just because you forgo the annual trip to the mountains or beach in favor of a baseball tournament doesn't mean you can't make memories. Here are tips on how to squeeze in fun activities:

Plan: Check your child's sports schedule, whether it is a bracket or daily routine, before you leave to see where you can sneak away for other activities. If a game is in the afternoon, hit the museum or amusement park in the morning.

Skip chain restaurants: Try the hometown pizza joint or hit the local diner. It'll give you a flavor of the place you're visiting.