How much $$ is too much?

[daddyball101]

yeah it is, you just make them run to make up for what they missed. Parents these days are holding down two jobs each trying to make ends meet. rushing to get kids here and there and sometimes just doing the best they can. I am glad they are at least making the effort to get there. Do I want a dead 3rd baseman cause mom and dad drive 90 to make it on time because they cannot live up to your coaching standards and that guy is punishing the child for what they have no control over. What does that teach the kid? that is does not matter if they give all theyve got and give 100% every practice that if mom cant get off work in time to accomodate that guy that her hard work is worthless? What she does herself is meaningless?

I am glad you are not my coach. Do you beat them with a stick if the parent asks you a question you don't like? bench them if dad says "ohh man that was a strike!" how do you find anyone to play if evryone is being punished for their parents?

As a coach, you should be grateful they showed up and make them understand that they dont get the easy way out for being late they have to make it up. but that you value them and their hard work. They should be praised and punished for thei actions not that of the parents.

[Kat]

You didn't say anything about them not being able to afford it...well if you did I guess I didn't pick that up. I don't think they should be charged for the whole season if they only make 2 tournaments...but who is charged? Who picks up the total? Do you charge the rest of the team more money to make up for that person? What if those kids parents are doing all they can to make the payments as it is? It isn't the kids fault, but the parents need to go into this knowing what they can and cannot do and it is their responsibility to know where their financial status is. Now if something terrible has happened in the family I totally understand but again who makes up for it the other parents?

[Hawk17]

We have never paid over $1200 for a summer. That includes uniforms and at least seven or eight tournaments. Parents still have to pay for hotels, travel, equipment for their daughter. You can fund raise to help with expenses also.

If you are going to high quality tournaments, you can expect around $1000.00 a year.

Hey, we have a professional team in our area that is starting a travel program. It costs $1500 plus $450 a month ( additional) if your kid makes it. That includes everything, including a trainer, dietician, etc. but it STILL seems extreme to me. I'm betting every kid better play for that much. No subs for $6000 a year! LOL

[thatguy]

yeah it is, you just make them run to make up for what they missed. Parents these days are holding down two jobs each trying to make ends meet. rushing to get kids here and there and sometimes just doing the best they can. I am glad they are at least making the effort to get there. Do I want a dead 3rd baseman cause mom and dad drive 90 to make it on time because they cannot live up to your coaching standards and that guy is punishing the child for what they have no control over. What does that teach the kid? that is does not matter if they give all theyve got and give 100% every practice that if mom cant get off work in time to accomodate that guy that her hard work is worthless? What she does herself is meaningless?

I am glad you are not my coach. Do you beat them with a stick if the parent asks you a question you don't like? bench them if dad says "ohh man that was a strike!" how do you find anyone to play if evryone is being punished for their parents?

As a coach, you should be grateful they showed up and make them understand that they dont get the easy way out for being late they have to make it up. but that you value them and their hard work. They should be praised and punished for thei actions not that of the parents.

That is a fantastic response...you've made several assumptions about the way I coach and you don't even know me, but based on your comments you are exactly the parent I am talking about. I don't care if your kid is the second coming of Jessica Mendoza, you wouldn't be playing for me anyway. Maybe my standards are too high, but no one is immune. Have you been held accountable for anything in your life? That's life and that is what I'm teaching a kid.

You're right I should just make them run...some kids might rather be beaten with a stick. It requires less energy and doesn't last as long. You are a genius. Who have you played for where that thought would even come out of your computer?

If you read my post...you would have seen that my point was that the coach was not punishing the kid, the parents were punishing the kid. The rules are the rules and are consistent for every kid on the team, not excluding the coaches kid, "daddyball". The minuimum expectation is that every kid will make an effort to be there and give 100%...it about being a part of a team. I understand my responsibility to the team and my kid, and those are things you should consider before ever committing to a team. If your job or your place of residence will not allow you to fulfill those responsibilities...find a different team! If you can't afford to fulfill your financial responsibilities as a member of a team...find a different team! Lastly, if you are only going to feed negativity, not to be confused with voicing your opinion with the coach in a professional manner, you guessed you and your DD can find a different team. I'm a volunteer...and not putting up with your crap is my right.

By the way, I generally do not make kids run for punishment, that's too easy, and nobody drives 90 in socal.

Riddle me this, since you are so quick to offer your coaching advice, you have two kids...one kid, slightly lesser talent, shows up every day on time...second kid, slightly better talent, consistently shows up late to practice and games...both kids make an effort to show up and give 100%...who do you bench, you can't play both?

Have a nice day!

[Quicksilver 95]

WOW! this thread has really taken on a life of its own. so much that I could not resist chiming in.

Topic #1 - Costs - I have seen it very common for teams to charge about $1,000/kid per year, $100/month, etc. However, its very important to know what it covers. I recomend asking for the budget. look at what is covered and understand where the money goes. Our team provided a detailed budget for each family to review. I think $1,000/kid is about what it takes without fundraising to run a team and pay for all the equpitment, fields, friendlies, tournaments, some guest coaching and batting cages for the year. That woudl likely leave a little extra in fact to assist in some of the National tournament items. Some teams build more into the costs such as travel or hotel, etc. you REALLY need to understand where the money goes to know if you are getting a deal.

Topic #2 - Fundraising - I like fundraisers. It's not that they pay for what I can not afford or that it pays anywhere near my normal rate of pay. In fact its probably below minimum wage (my sons rate of pay!). I truely believe its good for the girls to see the comittment from the family to the team. We get the entire family invovled and usually do more than asked. Scribbling a check doesnt show much in my opinion. However, that said, some parents do show the comittment in other ways and the fundraising is not ideal for them. I can respect that, but prefer fundraising for my situation.

Topic #3 - Coaching and payments/equiptment - I'm not sure who you think coaches are, but a softball team is not normally something run by a coach to drain his back account AND time! Some love the game and most are coaching because they have a kid on the team or a combination of the two. I'd have to agree with one of the comments above. If a parent sets welching on a committment as an example for the kid, I suspect even if the kid is a good player, they are trouble for any team, both parents and kids. I woudl have serious concerned for the greater good of the team. I have seen these type of families get invovled in teams and totally infect the team until it was no longer functional. The parents need to make good on the committment of payment and equiptment return. Do the right thing. If its truely a monetary hardship, many coaches will work something out off line since they are normally great people (at least off the field, some get a bit crazy on the field ). Not returning the equiptment/uniforms is just bad since you are really not going to use them and you would get new if you go to another team. I'm not a coach, but feel we need to support them as parents much better than was starting to be stressed in this thread.

Anyway, I rambled a bit. that is JMO

[daddyball101]

There is nothing "negitive" about being in the sport for the kids.

You are consistantly negitive. are you not "thatguy" that attacked the surge 96 for wanting their score showing correctly? How did it hurt or offend you, "thatguy", that someone wanted a pat on the back? Are you "thatguy" that tried to previously defend your negitive comments before in the alabama forum?

As far as who should play in your little riddle..... you always play the kid that will be best for the team in that particular situation. If you only sit kids out of revenge, punishment and spite then it does nothing to teach anthing. sitting is NOT a punishment. Everyone should sit at some point when it is best for the team for that player to sit. Some of the best players in the sport sit on a regular basis waiting for the team to need their special abilities wether its their bat or speed in the outfield or their pitching style.

Its people like you that run kids out of the sport trying to show what a big man you are to a bunch of little girls. its terrible..teaching kids that they get the bench because they are in punishment. So what do the rest of the girls think about the other 2-3 girls that are sitting with the ones being punished? that they suck? that they must not be good enough for you? because getting the bench is punishment. RIGHT?

I am so glad to hear you are in socal. we have enough screwed up messes of teams in this state. no need for another ego centric jerk teaching our kids their no good because they might have "no good parents".

And just to let you know my girls have palyed on the same team for 6 years. with a coach nothing like you.... all feel good and mushy and self esteem building and stuff like that.

please respond with your ATTACKING COACH ways. Someone does not agree with you or your style. so i guess i better watch out for some electric shock attack or bat beat down huh?

Are you a softball soldier coach ? i heard they were a little iffy on the character and moral side of things?

I'll repete one last time...all i said was be in it for the kids and help out the ones that find financial difficulties. do what you can to keep a kids in the sport. top player or bench warmer. if they want to play dont let money and coaches vindictive like "thatguy" kill a kids love of softball.

thats all im saying..just like i said before myself and my dd was attacked by "thatguy". to each his own.

if "thatguy"can't make a justification why he cant help a kid play ball when they are having money trouble without attacking a 14 year old little girl then that goes to show your real character anyway.

[thatguy]

Daddyball...We can agree to disagree...and out of respect for "heybucket" who will no doubt delete your nonsense given it adds no value to the topic, I'll choose not to respond publicly to your latest attack on my character, by the way you have now called me an "attacking coach", a thief and an abuser....Now who's the one with character issues? You don't know me - Jackhole!

[Judd]

This last summer we paid around $500. That covered 2 uniforms, a bat bag, helmet and around 10 tournies. And that included a $100 fee to the park for practice (per player). Not really a bad deal. DD left before the season was over and she kept everything.


I dont really see how teams can ask for uniforms back. a parent should buy the uniform etc and then there are no issues.


Since we are talking about this and how some parents are struggling to pay for travel ball, what are some teams doing to reduce costs? Are you eliminating the helmets and bat bags? cheaper uniforms?

[daddyball101]

Yeah, Ask heybucket to eliminate your negitivity and where you made nasty comments about a 14 year old. I might have questioned your character based on "YOUR" statements re: your coaching choices but I never attacked a kid like you. Instead of keeping it to what was said..which is all i have , etc.. and you attacked my 14 year old. that in itself is enough to let EVERYONE know what your character..or lack of it, really is.

You should have never changed the subject of the topic from what "WE" were talking about helping kids pay the expenses to you benching kids as punishment for their parents droping them off to practice late.

I would not want anyone to know what kind of person I really was either. Did you ask them to delete where you attacked and ridiculed the 96 parent that wanted their score posted correctly? Or how about where you were questioned previously about your negitive posting to other parents? you ask them to delete that too.

Keep it to the topic and talk about the ways to HELP these kids stay in the sport. not about how you as a coach torment and punish them.

And thanks for repeting what I said by saying if a kid cant afford a specific team to find a new one..IE the reason they would quit one team and move on..finances. but then "coaches", and I use that loosly refering to you, want revenge for the kid leaving your team and will do anything to keep them from playing by refusing to release their VTD card? That is just as low class as the parents you are complaining about. All I said was figure out how to work it out with the parents. Only charge them for the tourneys they played at..whatever it takes, chances are your going to replace them so there is usually someone else there to pay more dues. You have really not lost anything? Unless the coach is keeping the money, one kid leaves and you keep the money and then charge the replacement the team dues and have that too. I dont know any coach that wants dues for future events when the kids is not playing for them anymore?

most of the coaches are good about not taking it personal if a kid has to leave. but there are "thatguys" out there im sure. most teams here they usually break up payments for the spring and then the fall. that helps a lot of people.

heard of a team from oklahoma that each parent bought the kid their own uniforms and supplied their own gloves, helmets...and the such. then when they went to tourney the added up the fees for that tourney and split it by the number of kids going.

[thatguy]

Yeah, Ask heybucket to eliminate your negitivity and where you made nasty comments about a 14 year old. I might have questioned your character based on "YOUR" statements re: your coaching choices but I never attacked a kid like you. Instead of keeping it to what was said..which is all i have , etc.. and you attacked my 14 year old. that in itself is enough to let EVERYONE know what your character..or lack of it, really is.

You should have never changed the subject of the topic from what "WE" were talking about helping kids pay the expenses to you benching kids as punishment for their parents droping them off to practice late.

I would not want anyone to know what kind of person I really was either. Did you ask them to delete where you attacked and ridiculed the 96 parent that wanted their score posted correctly? Or how about where you were questioned previously about your negitive posting to other parents? you ask them to delete that too.

Keep it to the topic and talk about the ways to HELP these kids stay in the sport. not about how you as a coach torment and punish them.

And thanks for repeting what I said by saying if a kid cant afford a specific team to find a new one..IE the reason they would quit one team and move on..finances. but then "coaches", and I use that loosly refering to you, want revenge for the kid leaving your team and will do anything to keep them from playing by refusing to release their VTD card? That is just as low class as the parents you are complaining about. All I said was figure out how to work it out with the parents. Only charge them for the tourneys they played at..whatever it takes, chances are your going to replace them so there is usually someone else there to pay more dues. You have really not lost anything? Unless the coach is keeping the money, one kid leaves and you keep the money and then charge the replacement the team dues and have that too. I dont know any coach that wants dues for future events when the kids is not playing for them anymore?

most of the coaches are good about not taking it personal if a kid has to leave. but there are "thatguys" out there im sure. most teams here they usually break up payments for the spring and then the fall. that helps a lot of people.

heard of a team from oklahoma that each parent bought the kid their own uniforms and supplied their own gloves, helmets...and the such. then when they went to tourney the added up the fees for that tourney and split it by the number of kids going.

Keep it up...dude! Unlike you, I've got enough class to respond to you privately. If you have something to say to me personally...let's take it offline. When you do...feel free to quote me from where I have attacked your 14 yr old DD or any kid on this board. Keep digging!