Friendly Etiquette

[Sam]

Individual players/families may not be able to afford to support a snack bar (personally, I don't buy that argument)....but there are not entire teams that can't....this BBQ was an organized team function.

If the families can't afford travel, play rec ball. Pretty simple.

[catdad]

OK Sam, you've kinda drawn me out from only being a reader to needing to say something.

Not all teams players live close to an area where there is good competition. We have to drive
2 1/2 hours to play and stay in motels and it has gotten quite expensive this season. Therefore many times I will bring a personal cooler and do Subway for lunch or something else cheap. Not saying I never use the snack bar because I do. But not using it doesn't make me a bad Dad does it?

I have kinda viewed you as a guy who always stands up for the underdog. You seem pretty adamant about not letting organizations take over and let the little guy still have his gold team and other similar things. But it seems I may not be totally understanding what you're trying to say on this one.

So are you saying fastpitch is only for the upperclass? Boy am I in trouble then. I thought it was for all the kids who had the talent and desire to play at a higher level. Do we turn away those kids that don't have rich parents or do we find a way to bring them in?

Thank goodness gas is going back down here in Texas ($1.69 gallon in Houston) maybe I can buy some more of those $5 hamburgers at the next tournament.

[Demonboy]

I understand teams have the snack shack as fundraisers and I totally support the snack shack. But not every family/team is from the upper class cities or make alot of money. With the ecomomy being the way it is and people losing jobs it's not easy for some people to keep kids in tb let alone support snack shacks every weekend. It was a bad call for the team to have a bbq 50 feet in front of the snack shack but does the team bbq at every tournament/friendly? I have been to alot of tournys and seen teams bbqing or tailgating. I've even seen a team with a taquaria, does that mean they are all going to get there pics taken or black balled? We don't know every teams or parents financial situation to judge them. Maybe they can't afford to buy food from there every weekend or they want healthier things for there dd's in between games (personally I do). I'm just the type of person that doesn't judge. JMO.

Man you are reaching. At most friendlies, you can get a burger and a soda for 3.00.

And sure there could be days where AN INDIVIDUAL does not have 3.00 to spare. An individual....who may need to brown bag it.

An individual (or two) having to make a fiscal family decision does not a TEAM BBQ make.

[Sam]

OK Sam, you've kinda drawn me out from only being a reader to needing to say something.

Not all teams players live close to an area where there is good competition. We have to drive
2 1/2 hours to play and stay in motels and it has gotten quite expensive this season. Therefore many times I will bring a personal cooler and do Subway for lunch or something else cheap. Not saying I never use the snack bar because I do. But not using it doesn't make me a bad Dad does it?

I have kinda viewed you as a guy who always stands up for the underdog. You seem pretty adamant about not letting organizations take over and let the little guy still have his gold team and other similar things. But it seems I may not be totally understanding what you're trying to say on this one.

So are you saying fastpitch is only for the upperclass? Boy am I in trouble then. I thought it was for all the kids who had the talent and desire to play at a higher level. Do we turn away those kids that don't have rich parents or do we find a way to bring them in?

Thank goodness gas is going back down here in Texas ($1.69 gallon in Houston) maybe I can buy some more of those $5 hamburgers at the next tournament.

Travel ball has always been for kids whose parents could afford it.

The teams that run tournaments and friendlies do so as fundraisers....why?....so that their parents don't have to spend so much money in support of the team. Read that again.....if you don't support the fundraisers....you will, in effect, limit the opportunities for lower income talented players.

So when you buy a Subway instead of the $5.00 burger, you are telling a low income talented player that she can't play....understand?

I am the biggest proponent of supporting snack bars and, herego, low income families.

To answer your question....yes, if you buy a Subway and not a hamburger from the snack bar...that does make you a bad person.

[Fasterpitch]

Beat'n that horse..........

[A's mom]

Sam is dead on on this one. I am one of those who benefited from a similar scenario. My DD started the season having rotator cuff surgery. Our team knowing what I was spending in med. bills allowed us to not pay dues, as long as we still supported the team with hostings, i.e. working the snack bar, anywhere we could help. We worked every minute of every function, plus my DD was in the dugout every game including two days out of surgery. Then she was released to play 4mos. later after less than two months of working out she had to go back under the knife for her elbow this time. Needless to say, not all orginizations are all about the money. Most important, supporting our snack bars allowed my DD to stay part of the team which we would not of been able to afford at the time due to med. bills. No one will ever realize how much that ment to us or our DD (except those of you who know who I am or who she is) staying part of the team helped her heal emotionally as well as physically.

Support the snack bar you won't usually know who you're helping or why but my DD and I thank everyone who supported ours last year!

[NumeroUno]

like a red headed step child

[Longdisttrvlballer]

Do we still live in the USA? What happened to Freedom of Choice? I totally agree that parents need to help support the snack bars. I don’t think that we should be expected to purchase all of our food and drink for the day solely at the snack bars. A team BBQ is not cool, but packing sandwiches or the occasional subway (etc.) should not be frowned on as long as you purchase something from the snack bar that day.

[A's mom]

She is not! And I have the DNA results to prove it, Jerry helped us get those. Maurey helped with our son, but that one didn't turn out so great

[Sam]

Do we still live in the USA? What happened to Freedom of Choice? I totally agree that parents need to help support the snack bars. I don’t think that we should be expected to purchase all of our food and drink for the day solely at the snack bars. A team BBQ is not cool, but packing sandwiches or the occasional subway (etc.) should not be frowned on as long as you purchase something from the snack bar that day.

No, I live in Southern California.

Nobody said you couldn't do both. The bottom line is supporting the snack bar...nobody cares if you buy a burger at the snack bar and throw it away. You bought it and supported the team going through the effort.