| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| DecaturDad |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 17:04:41
We are playing in a tournament this week. Out of the 12 teams in our age group, four of us will have one pool game Friday night, and the second pool game on Saturday. So, not only do we have to spend an extra two plus hours in the car on Friday evening, we get to pay the gate fee each day. I completely understand that tournaments are here to make money, but why add addition costs to teams that get stuck with the bad draw on the schedule?
I will now get off my soapbox 
|
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Card6 |
Posted - 05/31/2012 : 07:46:06
You said it about little Johnny. Parents have to face the facts around 13. He is no more than average. Just look at how much the posting dies after 12 & 13. Your foolish to pay this kind of money if you dont think your kid has a chance for a college ride.
quote:
Originally posted by peashooter
Guys, calm down on the gate fees etc...
If you have no money and your kid is a stud, I can guarantee you, that they can find a major team to play on for free. Problem is Johnny may not be as good as mom and dad think.
The Friday game thing probably has more to do with field time and field slots than the tournament host trying to hose you.
|
| eastcobbkreskin |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 23:27:24
Wow Peashooter, you seem a little a edgy with regard to this subject, you were the one assuming the stud gets paid for by the major team almost as if you were accusing many of the major teams of paying for players, and your right I did not know the answer, only a hunch, however, I believe most head coaches put in lots of time and (money). I am sure there are many coaches in the same boat as you with regard to coaching and paying for their son and team. I commend you for coaching and putting in the time with the kids, but don't accuse others of paying for players when you admit you have your own team with "cool" parents helping to pay for kids to play for your team.
peashooter
171 Posts
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 12:21:51
Guys, calm down on the gate fees etc...
If you have no money and your kid is a stud, I can guarantee you, that they can find a major team to play on for free. Problem is Johnny may not be as good as mom and dad think. |
| peashooter |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 21:55:29
I have put in over $500 of my personal money above 100% of the team fees I pay for my son to play on the team. And yes, I have kids who I reduced fees for. Also, I have cool parents who have also donated money to the team. Let's see what else...oh yea my team fees were $1000 + $300 for 3 awesome uniforms per kid, and we played almost every weekend. Cooperstown was on top of the $1000 fee.
Oh yea we played in 4 tournaments in the fall for the under the same budget.
A smart person once said, don't ask questions in which you DON'T know the answer too!
We also had enough money to buy 4 team shirts per kid for the trip to Cooperstown. |
| eastcobbkreskin |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 15:24:55
Peashooter, How many players you paying for this season?
quote:
Originally posted by peashooter
Guys, calm down on the gate fees etc...
If you have no money and your kid is a stud, I can guarantee you, that they can find a major team to play on for free. Problem is Johnny may not be as good as mom and dad think.
The Friday game thing probably has more to do with field time and field slots than the tournament host trying to hose you.
|
| Canton Chargers |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 14:30:55
Like a few mentioned, there are teams like mine that fund raise a lot and we play a typical $2000 per kid season for less than $200 per kid. Includes expenses to end of year tourney. I have always felt as a coach that wants quality kids to progress in levels, that I need to do more than coach, whether by delegating duties or doing it myself (most likely myself). LOL
I host a lot of tourneys at my park as I am the park director, but all the tourneys I host are optioned to all my parents to do concessions and dragging fields, etc.. The ones that volunteer basically play for free for my team which include pretty much all the parents expenses other than gas and eating out. We play 70 plus games, are pretty well dressed and party hard with the kids when time allows us (white water, six flags, etc...)
I usually pay a team gate fee through our account when director gives the option and they mostly all do.
As the TD, I always charge a team gate fee incorporated in the tourney fee, as I know it usually helps the parents out. There are some fields that gouge a bit in prices, but it is what it is. That being said,like someone said above, if your kid has the goods to play on some of the higher level teams, coaches will find a way to help you and your kid out with whatever siuation you may have. It's the way of the world and always will be.
If the coaches and parents work together, they usually get the job done. Every coach is different with their time and committment, as are the parents. Some are better at some things than others, but if costs are prohibiting kids from playing ball, that is sad as I know it happens. I make it my duty to make sure that never happens on my teams, but again, some coaches do not have the time and cannot committ as much as others.
Good luck with your season and seasons to come.
Bring it!!!
|
| peashooter |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 12:21:51
Guys, calm down on the gate fees etc...
If you have no money and your kid is a stud, I can guarantee you, that they can find a major team to play on for free. Problem is Johnny may not be as good as mom and dad think.
The Friday game thing probably has more to do with field time and field slots than the tournament host trying to hose you. |
| hhj2575 |
Posted - 05/30/2012 : 08:29:52
We had same issue this weekend. We had to play one Friday night game and one Saturday game. It was not needed. We could have played both games on Saturday easy. It was just about the money in my opinion. |
| Strike 2 |
Posted - 05/18/2011 : 00:37:39
The most famous 8am org. TC. Won't play it. |
| wareagle |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 13:13:38
Baserunner:
I see your point and it is well taken. However, I have seen people step up and help out with expenses on numerous occasions, and not just for the elite kids. Where there is a will there is a way. I see far more families not playing because of the time committment, than money.
One answer to the problem of cost could be to play less tournaments and have more weekend practices/ scrimmages. The kids get more instruction and reps in this situation, costs less, and requires less time commitment.(Not as many trophies though)
If I am not mistaken I think Tim Nichols w/ Peach State Diamond Sports in South GA has gone to more Saturday only tournaments, Which could help in the case of smaller tournaments as well. |
| baserunner |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 12:33:32
quote:
Originally posted by wareagle
quote:
If ability to pay the ever rising costs and fees become the determining factor for playing travel ball what happens to the competition? Kinda narrows the competitive pool of candidates at some cost point?
I would bet that not many great players are missing out because of money. If The kid is good enough and really wants to play , I have seen many generous teams and or "sponsors" help out.
Trust me many kids are missing out. The average cost for for a rec team runs $150-200 per season. How many of us pay 10 times that or more to play on a quality travel team. That's not even counting travel expenses, hotels, food, equiptment, etc. Heck gate fees (the original topic of this discussion) hardly even matter when you factor in how much we're spending on everything else.
I personally know several talented kids over the years who could play high majors from 11U on up but were never given the opportunity because their parents were in so much debt, or just live paycheck to paycheck. Think about how many kids you've seen playing on good AAA/majors teams and end up right back at the rec park after a year. It's not always because they weren't good enough, or they didn't like the coach/team. Not everyone will tell you the truth, but I would bet most of the time money is the primary factor. |
| bballman |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 12:04:58
It is what it is. The older you get, the more it costs, so you really need get used to it or you will be miserable for a long, long time. Wait till you get to 15 and start playing in the WWBA tournements. Tournament costs $1750 to enter. Then it is $10 per day per person to get in to the game. The teams play one game per day for 6 days. Do the math. You can buy a weeklong pass for like $45. If you play in multiple age groups, say your 15u team plays in the 15 and 16 tournaments, that's two weeks worth of it. At 16, we played in the 16, 17 and 18 under age group. It cost a fortune, but like I said, it is what it is. It's not going to go away. There will always be enough families willing to pay the money. |
| UGA12 |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 10:16:42
How about the rain coming in tonight? I bet they play until the lightening nealry hits the concession stand to avoid refunding the tournament fee. |
| Stinger44 |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 09:32:45
quote:
Originally posted by wareagle
quote:
If ability to pay the ever rising costs and fees become the determining factor for playing travel ball what happens to the competition? Kinda narrows the competitive pool of candidates at some cost point?
I would bet that not many great players are missing out because of money. If The kid is good enough and really wants to play , I have seen many generous teams and or "sponsors" help out.
While it is true that Travel Ball is optional and a choice TD's will and should have to look at ways to make it more affordable if they want to survive. Unnecessary Friday games is one that coaches and parents will remember and look at when deciding how to allocate precious team resources. |
| bball99 |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 08:42:58
Wow! Some people just can never be happy! waaaa . . . . . |
| wareagle |
Posted - 05/13/2011 : 07:57:02
quote:
If ability to pay the ever rising costs and fees become the determining factor for playing travel ball what happens to the competition? Kinda narrows the competitive pool of candidates at some cost point?
I would bet that not many great players are missing out because of money. If The kid is good enough and really wants to play , I have seen many generous teams and or "sponsors" help out. |
| biggin |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 16:34:56
Decaturdad,were not playin friday nt. I don't no why since our team is from mcdonough and 3 teams are havin to drive 1 hour or more to play heck the ga redbirds prob more like 2 hours. |
| DecaturDad |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 15:11:48
quote:
Originally posted by biggin
Decaturda-we are also playin same tournement with yall this weekend. My problem is that there is no reason to play friday nt with 12 teams and 2 fields available no need. The only difference would be championship would be played at 7. Also if you have ever tried to battle traffic in henry co on friday evening not fun. You might advise your parents to come down hwy 155 to avoid traffic. Good luck this weekend.
Thanks Biggin,
I am NOT looking forward to the drive. When we signed up, it stated max 8 teams. That meant no Friday night to me. By the way, what field are you on friday night? We are on field 2. Stop by and sat hi. |
| in_the_know |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 15:05:02
It's not just travel ball. There's not a high school out there that isn't charging admission for you to watch your son play baseball on his high school team. That's on top of paying your "dues", doing your fundraisers, joining the booster club, etc., etc.
As to your last statement, you can always invite the top teams to play your own round robin and pay umpires and field fees yourself. You choose to enter tournaments. You can still arrange to play the best competition on your own without handing out a piece of plastic on a Sunday.
I'm not insensitive to the topic (as my "is it that big of a deal" comment might lend you to believe), but the reality is that it isn't cheap and coming up with the money to do it comes with the territory as an earlier poster mentioned. Will money exclude some people from being able to participate? Sure. There are alot of good ball players out there today who aren't playing travel ball because their parents aren't willing to pay.
Now if your team is ALWAYS the one playing the extra night and the same TD is doing the scheduling each time, then request to have both pool games on Saturday. Just realize that you lose the benefits mentioned earlier with regard to an extra day to spread your energey across.
quote:
Originally posted by Scorekeeper
But when travel ball becomes about money and starts to be cost prohibitive to many players.......... is it really competitive travel ball being played?
If ability to pay the ever rising costs and fees become the determining factor for playing travel ball what happens to the competition? Kinda narrows the competitive pool of candidates at some cost point?
Is travel ball about having the free money to play? Or is travel ball about getting the top competition together to play each other weekly?
The 'oh well, its expensive, stay in rec ball if you can't afford it' mentality doesn't lend itself to the best competition on the field. Money doesn't buy baseball talent, but money sure can narrow the talent field down.
I want my team to play the best talent out there, not just the best that had deeper pockets.
|
| mrbama31 |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 14:58:09
Travel Baseball has fees. It is a business. The directors do this to make money and I am sure that most enjoy their full time/ part time job but not well enough to do it for free.
If you don't like it or don't feel it is fair....Then don't go and or participate. But when you freely participate and then moan and groan about it...Well I'll just say your probably not going to get a lot of understanding.
|
| Scorekeeper |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 14:26:33
<<<Travel sports are an upgrade, not a necessity.>>>
With the baseball disaster that many rec leagues have become, I'd say travel ball is an absolute necessity for any truly talented player.
You can't expand and grow your talent while playing with clowns who can't catch a ball or throw it across the field or do any more hitting than rolling it around the infield. |
| Scorekeeper |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 14:18:51
But when travel ball becomes about money and starts to be cost prohibitive to many players.......... is it really competitive travel ball being played?
If ability to pay the ever rising costs and fees become the determining factor for playing travel ball what happens to the competition? Kinda narrows the competitive pool of candidates at some cost point?
Is travel ball about having the free money to play? Or is travel ball about getting the top competition together to play each other weekly?
The 'oh well, its expensive, stay in rec ball if you can't afford it' mentality doesn't lend itself to the best competition on the field. Money doesn't buy baseball talent, but money sure can narrow the talent field down.
I want my team to play the best talent out there, not just the best that had deeper pockets. |
| Hurricane |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 13:58:20
It has gotten bad in all sports. A year ago my son was playing rec basketball and we had to pay every time he played just to watch him play. Can you imagine rec baseball parks charging for rec games. That is exactly what we did. We left that park by the way and wont be back. I heard they are struggling to keep the basketball going now. |
| biggin |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 13:43:50
Decaturda-we are also playin same tournement with yall this weekend. My problem is that there is no reason to play friday nt with 12 teams and 2 fields available no need. The only difference would be championship would be played at 7. Also if you have ever tried to battle traffic in henry co on friday evening not fun. You might advise your parents to come down hwy 155 to avoid traffic. Good luck this weekend. |
| nwgadad |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 12:57:50
Some of the games have had cheerleading, so should we be happy that we got in for less? 
quote:
Originally posted by bball99
Have you ever paid to enter a cheerleading competition? It's $80-125 to enter per girl, then $15-25 to get in the door per person. The routine lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Most competitions are 2 days, so that is $30-50 person just to watch for 5 minutes. Want to complain about $$, try cheerleading . . . If $$ is a big deal and tight for people then travel sports of any kind are not for them. Travel sports are an upgrade, not a necessity.
|
| bball99 |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 12:43:03
Have you ever paid to enter a cheerleading competition? It's $80-125 to enter per girl, then $15-25 to get in the door per person. The routine lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Most competitions are 2 days, so that is $30-50 person just to watch for 5 minutes. Want to complain about $$, try cheerleading . . . If $$ is a big deal and tight for people then travel sports of any kind are not for them. Travel sports are an upgrade, not a necessity. |
