High Cost of Travel Team

[Coach Al]

Now this is something that really put a burr in my saddle. The organization I am involved in decided to start a travel team. They are in a rebuilding process after years of mismanagement. I went to the first meeting to organize the team and was dismayed by the attitude of one of the coaches. Now I know that the cost of running a team can be substantial, but when I heard that the fee would be $400 per player I expressed my concerns. In our community, 60% of the children are living below the poverty level. We were recently declared one of the 5 poorest urban areas in the country. I have 2 girls on my house team that I feel are good enough to play on this team except that I know their families could no afford this. I mentioned this and was told that they would have to set their priorities better and not take that trip to Disney World. The thing is, these families priorities are not Disney or softball but rent or softball. The mention of a scholarship program was met with disdain. I just want to state my dislike of this elitist attitude. I would like to know if anyone has ran into this and any ideas of how to handle this.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

My advice would be to find a new organization that meets your standards or perhaps start your own. Sounds like the folks you talked to are all about themselves and certainly not about the girls IMHO.

 

[dpett]

$400 per player is cheap!!! If you have 12 players and play 10 tourneys at $375 per pop you have $1000 left over for equipment, field rentals, insurance, sanctions and uniforms. Fundraising is a huge deal for us and we raise about 75% of budget that way. In your scenario that would be $100 per player for 30-50 games. Pretty cheap.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

In my experience, money is an issue at every single level of softball.

In Rec. ball, there are parent’s who think that $40 is a rip-off or they can’t afford it. Either way they can get a waiver if they qualify (at least in our area).

At NSA B level, the first team that DD played on, fees were $300 and players had to provide 2 uniforms. There were families that couldn’t afford the fees and those who thought it was a rip-off. The coaching staff tried to help the kids who couldn’t afford it and the ones who thought it was a rip-off went to play somewhere else. On the second team she played on, there were no “fees”; players furnished their own uniforms and paid between $25 and $50 per tournament. This caused an issue of commitment when it came down to paying for some of the tournaments so the coaching staff and concerned parents paid for a couple of kids to play so we would have enough players.

At ASA A level, the team DD now plays for has a $1,000 fee to play. The team pays for tournament fees and provides uniforms, bags, helmets and some associated training; players provide cleats, trainers, bats, gloves and all other accessories. Players are also required to go to a private hitting coach at their own expense and pitchers/catchers must also go to a private instructor. There is absolutely no trouble with families thinking it’s a rip-off or not being able to afford it. No pay – No play. The issue here is that the season will end up costing each player in the thousands of dollars after all is said and done.

Personally, I prefer to pay a higher fee and know that if a family can’t or won’t pay, they won’t be involved with the team.

 

[jinjet95]

I prefer to think that if a child has the talent and the desire, there is a way for them to play softball. Our fee is $400 per child, the rest is raised through fundraising. Last year's budget was around $15,000 and included 12 tournaments, 2 leagues, 2 uniforms and bags. Private instruction was each player's expense. If a committed player's family is unable to pay the full $400, there are other ways for them to contribute. I would hope that none of the other parents would begrudge lending a helping hand to someone in need. With the way the economy is these days, next year one of us may need that helping hand.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

Coach-n-dad;

Potentially thousands of dollars for the opportunity to play? Or are you saying that every player is guaranteed playing time for thousands of dollars a year? And for an organization that - forgive my perception of your last sentence - cannot be bothered with the majority of families in today's economy? Or are there scholarships available for the next Jennie Finch or Cat Osterman who happens to have lower middle class parents who can't afford the grand?

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Point taken...

As with any competitive softball (or any other sport) team, there are no guarantees, just the opportunity to play.

Also, I apologize if I come off as not caring about "the majority of families in todays economy". I do, and I am one of the families that have taken a huge hit in income and will struggle to pay for the fees required for DD to play. As far as I know there are no scholorships offered by the organization, but I could be wrong.

I just re-read my post and my last statement is a little bit harsh. My point is that I am willing to pay extra to ensure that my DD gets the best possible opportunity to be seen by as many colleges as possible. I know that there are many kids that have the talent and the desire to play softball and they wll find a way - absolutely!

By the way, I am in the "lower middle class" you speak of.

 

[ranstl]

Even on a rec team, I tell my parents to expect to spend around $200 by the time we pay for registration fees, uniforms, and team equipment. On top of that add costs for cage time and indoor practice facilities. This year my team will play a few tourneys, so there will be another $100 or so per player. So even on a rec team, the expenses will mount. I sell it like this - it's an experience the girls will remember forever, regardless of how far they go in softball. So a few hundred dollars is money well spent.

 

[SnocatzDad]

There are plenty of lower middle class families that shell out thousands of dollars for private schools because they deem it a good value. If it's a good value then people will find a way to buy it. One of our club orgnaizations host tournaments almost every weekend and allows older players to umpire to help offset costs. If you umpire 10 games in a weekend you pull in around $300 and your providing a valuable service rather than asking people to buy overpriced junk and/or begging for money at a fundraiser. My daughter ref's basketball games inthe off season to pull in a little scratch, there are ways for kids to earn money to offset their sports expenses

 

[Coach JV]

Everyone's in a unique situation when it comes to financial situations. The travel price is fair. In
2009 we had a couple of girls who wanted to play and could not afford the 450 beans. One of the
parents of our team suggested that the girls reach out to find a 'player sponsor'. One of theses girls
sent her sponsor an e-mail weekly reporting back on her progress as well as the teams' performance. By the end of
summer, the sponsor was attending games and tournaments. When we played in a state regional,
he and his wife stayed at the team hotel and mixed nicely with the parents. This season, he offered
another sponsorship if needed, if not, he is going to throw a sponsorship toward the team. IMO-he has
given this player a lifetime of memories and has restored my faith that some decent people do still exist.

The second player sent one very nice letter (handwritten) to her sponsor and received a Christmas gift card
in return. It is not easy to find sponsors, but there is more than one way to skin the cat and 'just let them play'