Economy vs Travel ball

[GIMNEPIWO]

"The parents looking for that free ride."

AARRGGGHHHHH! ... couple years ago, we had this gal who would one week start the front end of a triple play through quick thinking and lightning fast reactions ... and the next week look like she never played the game ... but her parent's ... divorced ... ( the loud mouth Mom switched teams, but that's another post ) ... were always the first to complain but last to participate and were always too busy to give a player a ride while often seeking rides for their DD ... ugh ! there are givers and takers ...

"dress your kids up and plant them in front of store begging for money"

... and beggars

[Killer Rabbit]

Last year DD's team would travel to SoCal a minimum of twice a month. Take time off, bring entire family (five total), hotel, gas, food, etc. etc. etc...Expensive!

This year (thank God for gas prices coming down!) with DD playing in SoCal three out of four weeks a month it is actually cheaper. How, you ask? Mom and Dad had to sacrifice attending a lot of DD's friendlies and practices (Hard to do). DD had to sacrifice having Mom and Dad there all the time (Very hard to do). We also car pool/rotate with two other players. Pack food and water for two days (For practice days. We still eat at least one meal from the snack bar as long as it's decent during friendlies and/or tourney).

[coolstuff]

I just hate fundraising in general. Show me the "buy out" and I'm there. Most of the teams we have been with have allowed parents to deduct the sponsorship money from their team fees. So what's the point of that besides asking a business to help YOU pay for YOUR DD's team fees?

I swear this story is true. I once heard a mother brag about how she had collected more than enough sponsorship money to cover her DD's team fees. She planned to keep the extra money to offset hotel and travel costs. Now I ask you, what would those businesses think if they knew that's where their money went? What would their response have been if the pitch was, "Would you help me pay my daughter's travel ball fees and help me pay for hotel rooms and gas when we go to tournaments?" instead of "Would you consider sponsoring Team X? Your name will be on a banner!!!!"

One suggestion is: do you really need to play 4-5 tournaments in the fall, and an indoor tournament once per month during the winter (I'm in northern Indiana and the wind chills were minus 20 this weekend), and then every weekend all summer long? This year we are on a team that has gone to one fall exposure tournament and will play one indoor tournament this winter. They do hit it hard when the girls get done with HS ball in June through nationals in July. Less tournaments, less travel costs, and reasonable team fees.

[Demonboy]

I see no problem with that. Hotel fees are part of the necessary costs that have to
be paid in order for the player to participate in the program. Paying hotel costs are ABOSLUTELY part of supporting a player or program.

[Tucson]

It depends on how the mother is going about collecting the funds. If she is telling the shop owner that the donation goes to a not for profit, then she is in the wrong.

Is she is saying it is for my DD to play softball and you are sponsoring her, then OK.

Also, I don't mind the kids in uniform asking for a donation. Fire departments are doing it right now. I can't stand to buy one more box of cookies or the popcorn that the Boy Scouts sell. I would rather hand them $5.00.

Yes, I always did the buy outs, too. Sometimes with 3 kids, I would have all 3 selling something. I know in HS, my boys just started paying for the savers cards or t-shirts themselves, rather than ask someone to buy them.

[MTR]

I see no problem with that. Hotel fees are part of the necessary costs that have to
be paid in order for the player to participate in the program. Paying hotel costs are ABOSLUTELY part of supporting a player or program.

Of the player and coaches? Yes. Of the player's family? No.

[coolstuff]

It depends on how the mother is going about collecting the funds. If she is telling the shop owner that the donation goes to a not for profit, then she is in the wrong.

The parents were given sample letters to give to businesses (most require one). The letter asked for sponsorship of the team, and how the businesses name would appear on a banner, t-shirt, website, etc. No mention of how the money would actually be applied. However, we were told verbally and in writing that the money would be applied toward our individual team fees.

Some reading this may have no problem with that approach. It makes me uncomfortable and I won't solicit money knowing that it's directly helping my wallet. If it's helping me out by subsidizing the fees for all families, I have no problem with that.

And I know many small business owners who have let me know of the flood of requests they get to sponsor this team and that team.

I know I said I hate fundraising, but we did the car wash coupons a couple of times. It's one that I can tolerate.

[Demonboy]

We are mixing subjects. I was responding to a parent and player going out, on their own getting sponsorship for THAT PLAYER. That is not to a non profit or an organization.

If she was seeking team donations, that's a different matter.

[Demonboy]

Lets flipthis around. What about the guns for hire? The parents looking for that free ride. That stud catcher, short stop or pitcher who's parents cant afford the dues and some how they are unable to attend the fundraising events but she always seems to be starting every tourney/friendly & batting at the top? And you always see the manager of the team in the crowd after a game kissing butt & smoozing the parents. That drives me nuts...
I guess the moral of the story is if your DD falls in to that stud catagory there are more than a few teams out there who have parents of other players who will cover the cost without even knowing.
You can spot them out. You will see a girl on one team for a friendly, then on another team for a tourney, and then another team at nationals. "Jersey collecters"

That's how it is in life. The people out there that are more talented than you or me get better offers/pay/perks. Sports, like life, is not fair. Great players will have opportunities that their peers will not.

[Empire United]

I think it would be nice to give out shirts to those parents that have the team logo on the front a "FREE LOADER" on the back.