Mandatory Lodging?

[cbangelsfan]

I don't like the idea of mandatory lodging requirements. A few years ago we went to Park City, and we stayed in a privately owned condo for $300 for the week. This year we will have to shell out way more for an Authorized Hotel I am sure.

[MTR]

Seems weird that with all that involved, its usually the small out of the way cities that land the big tournaments.

Actually, it isn't that weird. Image getting the cooperation of a large city like LA for a tournament like this. It would take months on end in committee meeting among all the departments involved. Concerns would be budget, manpower, overtime, misc. resources, etc.

In the smaller towns and cities, it is a more compact, interactive government structure which would make it easier to maintain and control the items which create headaches to the larger bureaucracies.

The smaller towns have fewer hands in the recipe which makes it easier to appropriate funds to accommodate the necessary efforts to win and administer a tournament in their town.

[DonnieS]

I was tense about the mandatory thing at first for the Ronald McDonald tournament in Houston, but the price we are playing at one of the required hotels is the same or lower than we paid before. My experience with Ronald McDonald tournaments in Houston over the years has been everything was managed and run efficiently and very professionally, and this situation was no different. In fact, after the hurricane and some of the places were damaged and more locations had to be located, Lampl went and found more and constantly kept us informed about the new hotels. He also offered a deal which even after all that, if we wanted to find other lodging other than the listed hotels, the charge would be 175 per team, that is much less than the 500 or better I hear is being required out west.

Since our first experience playing up in that area 5 years ago, we go out of our way to find tournaments by those same people.

[txsoftballfan]

There are several issues regarding the TCS Park City tournament...and now lodging can be added to the list. The main issue is field location. You may be playing within Park City or at nearby Quinn Junction....or you could have games on the WEST SIDE of Salt Lake City as well, not to mention "nearby towns" that are at least 1/2hr away. It used to be the Salt Lake City locations were for the "International Bracket", but no longer. Last year we played over 1/2 our games in SLC and the team was in the winners bracket. (BTW-the temperature difference between SLC and PC was at least 20 degrees!) For our team, it would have made more sense to stay in SLC and saved even more between lodging and the gas needed to travel to and from.

But we stayed in condos in PC which averaged about $100/day. We saved money by "eating in" instead of going to restaurants, which we'd have to do if forced to stay in an "approved hotel". We still added to the economy by going to the market, and occasionally restaurants and stores. Not to mention supporting the vendors.

We all know travel ball isn't cheap; we've accepted that fact. Add to that an economy that is in (dare I say the word?) Recession...and we'd be dumb not to try and save $$$ wherever we can. If TC is so out of touch that they make such items "mandatory" because they "have such a superior product", it will drive teams away...which if I remember my economics professor comments.."will cause not only less profit, but the desire of needing the product will decrease as well". Good luck TC...you've made the alternatives of AFA and USSSA (ugh) more attractive.

While we're on the subject of hosting...how in the heck can SO CAL ASA host their state championships in a H*@% Hole like the Hemet area (and all the "attractions" THAT place has to offer!) when you have the OC and places like where the SURF CITY tournaments are held that will actually bring people like us to there......not to mention ocean weather, the beach, the local attractions, etc..... let's work a deal out for there instead!