| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Hurricane |
Posted - 12/22/2009 : 08:43:08
When is someone going to step up and do a team without all the fancy uniforms and matching bat bags and helmets. When we used to play we would spray paint the helmets before the season, get 2 different colored cotton t-shirts and put a logo on the front and a heat seal a number on the back. Get a ajustable hat for less than $10.00. Grab a glove and go play. No contracts and matching cleats, wear the ones your brother wore and passed down. If your team is good people wont remember your uniform but the name you used when you beat them. Maybe I am old school, but I think other than tournaments this stuff is a waste of money. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 16:21:51
papa,
You are right, not that long ago, you expected teams to host tournaments for fundraisers and expected them to play in yours. It was a good arrangement. Now it seems that some teams (I actually had one tell me directly for one tournament I was hosting) don't want to play in a tournament hosted by a particular team because they don't want to contribute to that team. I mean "Really? Really?" |
| bballman |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 12:29:19
quote:
Originally posted by Alter-Ego
bballman,
That sounds like a logical budget. Looks like it will be around $1500 - $1800 per family once the Perfect Game entry fee adjustments are made, along with adding in the registration fee for your 4 out of town tournaments and the coaches expenses for the World Series tournament (which I would assume would be a week-long tournament).
This seems to be in line with many other budgets, and as people can see, even with a conservative budget, it still adds up.
You could take a lot of expense out by not having paid coaches but, most likely, that would change the level of instruction the kids are getting.
Thanks for posting this representation.
Yeah, there is really not much pork in the budget. It does add up. As someone else mentioned, we do have batting helmets, but do not have matching bat bags. As for the paid coaches, the head coach does it for free and does not have a kid on the team. The other three have done it for a number of years with no pay and the head coach decided it was time for them to get something out of it. No one on the team had a problem with that. Considering what they do, it is really not a lot of money. We do about 10 Sunday workouts and probably 4 or 5 games in the fall, two workouts a week in January preparing for HS tryouts and then play from May through July pretty much every weekend. At lot of time for around $2000 per coach. |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 11:11:32
When Papa was back in his prime he played softball all over the Southeast playing in some of the biggest tournaments in the nation and knew that the grandkids playing travel ball would be a large expense that we would have to budget for.
Back in our day and I wish that more of the teams that travel extensively would try it out. Each team would pick a weekend to host a tournament and all the other teams would do the same and we would play in their tournament and they would play in ours. This worked out well as each team could raise some money and sometimes even help with expenses.
This cuts out the tournament directors and you must have a local park to accomodate the tournament but most of the counties cooperated with us back when we threw the tournaments. Just an idea on how to raise some money. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 09:54:53
bballman,
That sounds like a logical budget. Looks like it will be around $1500 - $1800 per family once the Perfect Game entry fee adjustments are made, along with adding in the registration fee for your 4 out of town tournaments and the coaches expenses for the World Series tournament (which I would assume would be a week-long tournament).
This seems to be in line with many other budgets, and as people can see, even with a conservative budget, it still adds up.
You could take a lot of expense out by not having paid coaches but, most likely, that would change the level of instruction the kids are getting.
Thanks for posting this representation. |
| BBmaniac |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 08:56:06
The sanity check is coming. Most teams 15U and older prioritize the Perfect Game tournaments to start the showcasing of their players. In 2009 the tourney fee for 16U was $1,500 and the fee for 17U was $1,750.....From 15U up team bat bags and batting helmets (as an example) are no longer a priority.....Say what you want, kids love having nice uniforms and parents love seeing their kids look good. These things are not a necessity but for those teams/parents that can afford them have at it. There is nothing wrong with either philosophy. |
| bballman |
Posted - 01/11/2010 : 15:56:02
Here is our budget for a 16u team this year. Total cost $1332 per player. This does not include travel expenses for out of town tournaments. May be a little more money than stated as well. Coach estimated $1200 per tournament for WWBA at East Cobb. Cost is more like $1700 each (we're playing in 3). Anyway, here you go. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
USSSA Insurance 195.00
UNIFORMS 18 x 280 5,040.00
Estimate Cost 280.00
JERSEY - Three
HAT - One
BELT
T SHIRTS - Two
Shorts - One
Pants - Two
TOURNAMENTS 6,100.00
5 X 500 2,500.00
3 x 1200 (Perfect Game) 3,600.00
3 - Out of town tournaments/TBD
World Series TBD
CATCHER'S GEAR 267.00
1 SET $91 91.00
2 MASKS X $88 176.00
UMPIRES 600.00
6 GAMES (EST) X $100
BASEBALLS 540.00
12 DOZEN X $45
Travel Costs (For coaches) 3,040.00
6 Nights x 4 rooms 2,160.00
24 total rooms x $90 avg
Food 6 days x $80 avg
($20 per coach) 480.00
Gas 400.00
Indoor cage time 700.00
28 hours x 25
Coaches 6,500.00
( 3 coaches) Frank ,Todd, Billy
MISC 1,000.00
TOTAL 23,982.00
$1332 per Family
Payable in one lump sum or:
On or before October 20, 2009 $500.00
On or before November 20, 2009 $208.00
On or before December 20, 2009 $208.00
On or before January 20, 2010 $208.00
On or before February 20, 2010 $208.00
Total $1,332.00
|
| JCB |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 18:33:22
Alter -
Thanks for hosting that 8 team tournament - we had a blast, the weather was balmy, played 3-4 tight games, and won a squeaker in the final. Best part was that we had ECB to ourselves - its was unique to be the only one using the park when it is SAT/SUN and it Sunny and 60 degress. |
| bballman |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 12:16:14
quote:
Originally posted by homerunking
quote:
Originally posted by Hurricane
When is someone going to step up and do a team without all the fancy uniforms and matching bat bags and helmets. When we used to play we would spray paint the helmets before the season, get 2 different colored cotton t-shirts and put a logo on the front and a heat seal a number on the back. Get a ajustable hat for less than $10.00. Grab a glove and go play. No contracts and matching cleats, wear the ones your brother wore and passed down. If your team is good people wont remember your uniform but the name you used when you beat them. Maybe I am old school, but I think other than tournaments this stuff is a waste of money.
When is someone going to STOP charging an arm and a leg to play in tournaments..400 dollars for a tournament.. EVEYONE wants a piece of the PIE...MONEY MONEY MONEY..
All I can say is enjoy it while you can. As someone else mentioned, as you get older, they get more expensive. Perfect Game (WWBA) Tournaments run over $1500. Just to have your son go to a Perfect Game Showcase is $595. For one person. If you stay in the travel ball scene, it keeps costing more and more. At 16u, we would kill for a tournament we could get into for $400.
As much ECB bashing as there is, be thankful that we have it here in our backyard. (And I am not involved in any EC teams) At least those of us that live in the Metro-Atlanta area. We go to the WWBA events in July and there are teams from all over the country that attend these. For us, they are right down the road. There are between 150 and 200 teams that attend these between 15 and 18. That is 150 to 200 teams for each age group. Imagine coming to one of these from Maine or NJ or Wisconsin or where ever. I think 48 states were represented in these tournaments last year. They contracted with 20 or 25 local high schools to accomodate the events. Really is unbelievable!! |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 11:43:19
homerunking,
Probably as soon as the umpires decide to reduce their cost back down to the way it was 4 or 5 years ago, and as soon as parks go back to not charging directors for use of the fields.
Before any umpires get upset, to their defense, their expenses have gone up too, not to mention, how many of us want to work for wages we got 5 years ago.
As for the parks charging; they are getting less and less taxpayer funding for field maintenance and upkeep. Not to mention leagues are getting smaller and smaller, so the funds coming in that way are less too.
Not to mention no one wants to put on a tournament just for the sake of putting one on. I have put on several and whatever money you make from them nowhere near covers all you go through to get it in. I TD's one last spring, that ended up having only 8 teams in it. I would have been better off cancelling the tournament but did not want to do so, because, to me, it was worth it to watch the teams have fun and have a good tournament to play in. If I had charged any less for the tournament, I would have had to pull money out of our pocket to cover all the expenses.
I am just saying, it is not that the input costs are the same as they were 5 years ago so you can't charge entry fees like it's 2005.
Same for buying a car, house, boat, bat, glove, etc. |
| homerunking |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 10:49:37
quote:
Originally posted by Hurricane
When is someone going to step up and do a team without all the fancy uniforms and matching bat bags and helmets. When we used to play we would spray paint the helmets before the season, get 2 different colored cotton t-shirts and put a logo on the front and a heat seal a number on the back. Get a ajustable hat for less than $10.00. Grab a glove and go play. No contracts and matching cleats, wear the ones your brother wore and passed down. If your team is good people wont remember your uniform but the name you used when you beat them. Maybe I am old school, but I think other than tournaments this stuff is a waste of money.
When is someone going to STOP charging an arm and a leg to play in tournaments..400 dollars for a tournament.. EVEYONE wants a piece of the PIE...MONEY MONEY MONEY.. |
| sportsmom13 |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 22:12:47
WOW!!! I am glad I am not the wife of 10BB!!! We go to our son's tournament as a family because we are all in this together and we all make the sacrafice for my 13 year old to play a game that he loves and become a better player. I don't want to miss any of those great memories he is creating out there on the baseball field.
Maybe your team should look at playing more local games so you won't have to pay so much money for hotels!! |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 21:30:02
Alter-Ego said:
So I will just have to work until I am 80, but other than that......
Thanks for the laugh! The sense of humor some of you have really adds a lot to this forum. |
| JCB |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 19:03:15
Alter Ego -
We only do travel ball to see the women behind, I mean in front of the men. Without your wife and daughter, watching an Astros game would be downright boring, plus between the three of you, most all my questions get answered.
My wife just doesn't come to many games (misses 90%) because she and my daughter hate the down time - then when she came last year she gave me grief for not playing our son more. She was the worst parent in terms of complaining on the team - I kid you not. She figures if she is going to drive all the way to ECB, then her son better be front and center. She told me that other mom's were really upset with me last year too - even more than the dads. Mom's figured that sense they could not be at all the games, that we should make sure their kid played (pitched, batted 4th, also lead off, and played SS) when they could make it....
I wonder if playing time makes some parents think twice about all the cost for travel ball??? |
| gasbag |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 18:51:01
I agree that private lessons were costing me a considerable amount of spinach $$$...my solution, I go watch the private instructors teach their students / athletes and then I review one on one with my kid...takes more of my time to learn some of the nuances but once you find some good fundamental instructors, just sit on the sidelines and take some notes ! I'm not too proud to tell you I can't afford private lessons in this economy and I need better instruction as my kid has grown beyond my level of coaching so I do what every good coach and parent does, research, educate and copy what the pros instructors do ! So far it's worked really well. I will also say that as he has climbed up the travel ball ladder, his coaches have become better and better and much more insightful and better instructors to him. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 15:12:41
proball is right. I will pay as much for private lessons as I do on paying the team fee. The variable is the out-of-town expenses for tournaments in the season.
I could choose to not do lessons, but he would not be learning the things he is. If he was not interested in learning I would not do it.
So I will just have to work until I am 80, but other than that...... |
| proball |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 11:38:03
Nobody forces the cost on any parents who wants their child to play travel ball. Most of cost goes to training the child when they reach a certain age to reach the next level. If want to play with the big dogs then it cost. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/27/2009 : 21:57:33
If a team is AA or AAA level, there are plenty of teams as good as, or better than, your own to play in the ATL metro area. No need to travel and increase cost. Only if your team is Major level do you have to lay out more. Its a nice problem to have, but there are only maybe 10 11U teams out of 200+ that have it.
Teams can always find Open class tourneys in USSSA and other orgs, or they can play up in age. ~190 out of ~200 can economize if they want.
We had no problems finding tough teams to play right here at home.
|
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/27/2009 : 20:49:58
Hey JCB, you know my wife. How would you like to be around the discussion that recommended she and my daughter stay at home to help save money.
How do you think that discussion would go?
Probably similar to the discussion with David and PCV.
 |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 20:07:11
Papa,
Hopefully some teams will take you up on your offer and come visit the nice fields up there.
The problem with up North is, except for your team, there have not been any other really strong teams out of the N GA/Chattanooga area.
Mostly the AAA teams travel up there looking for tournaments out of the headlights of the Major teams. Honestly, if I was a tournament director up there, I would be using that to my advantage and trying to market some of the best AAA tournaments in the TN/GA area. There are a lot more AAA teams than Major anyway.
Just look at the Mazzone Tournament each year. It is not by accident that the Mazzone has 32 teams entered each year, and probably another 10 on a waiting list. |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 16:48:06
sirlurker is right on the money about going to where the competition is. I hope beyond hope that since this forum has at least brought some attention to a couple of nice northern venues that at least a couple of major tournaments can be held in the North Georgia area. Papa will offer you a challenge. Since you haven't beaten us much at East Cobb how about coming north and trying your luck. Since most of our major wins have come in the greater Atlanta area we most likely are considered the home team there. They don't hardly know the Bandits in the north georgia area except what they read in the papers. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 19:35:07
Currently scheduled, our 14U team is only planning on traveling out of town to the Elite WS in Orlando. Everything else will be local.
The hard part is if you are out on the fringe of the tourament locations and have to spend the night when traveling, just to get to tournaments weekend after weekend. |
| sirlurker |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 13:25:47
I agree with baseball papa on the fact to play the big dogs you usually gotta travel...we love Heritage Park and Jack Mattox and the new North Floyd Park in Rome...but the major teams and major tournaments are not there..they are elsewhere...so if you want to go major you gotta travel...and the group of boys we have love to travel and play in big tournaments...not knocking league play but the boys love tournament play as much if not more so than league play..my boy likes nothing more than playing against a new team he hasn't play before especially if they are highly ranked....playing the same teams two or more times in a league has less appeal...both ways work and both ways are needed...just some like one and some like the other...Baseball is great however you like to play it... |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 20:32:45
moser makes a very solid point about staying as close as you can to home. But this only works if you can find the competition you need to be pushed to the next level. No team can get better by playing in a lower level division. You must travel to the teams as good or better than you if you really are looking to better the team.
The Bandits would love to stay at Heritage Park in Dalton and Jack Mattox in Ringgold or East Brainerd in Chattanooga as we would not need a hotel room and would eliminate 60% off parents expenses. But if we stay home we cannot find the Sandtowns, the Cougars, the Chili Dogs, the Jaguars, Titans, Team Georgia's, Stars, Express, Scorpions, Colt 45's, and all the other teams that push us to be better.
I think as moser and his team improve and get better and better that they will find that they have to travel further and further to find the teams that will push them the next level and then further to get to the next level.
|
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 16:52:43
12UCoach said: Only real way to cut costs is to take the "travel" out of "travel team".
That's what we did. We played in 12 tourneys, and only our end-of-season World Series required an overnight stay. Playing in a travel team league like NWBA, and playing scrimmages, also reduces cost.
When teams play in a league and some scrimmages, the tourneys retain more of their luster in the boys' minds eye. If all you do is play tourneys, the magic wears off faster.
|
| Injun Chief |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 13:28:31
Since most of you are younger ... i've got bad news for you ... it's getting more expensive as you get older !!
I have a 17/U team .... our annual budget is $ 30,000 !! |
|
|
