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baseballdreams
18 Posts |
 Posted - 02/20/2012 : 09:37:13
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| I just have a real hard time understanding why tournaments that are played at public parks there is a gate fee to get in. It is a public park for for public use. I know this has been talked about on here before I do not recall the answer. |
Edited by - baseballdreams on 02/20/2012 09:41:56 |
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Dr. Old School
314 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 10:18:51
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Because the public park charges tournaments for use of the fields, typically.
The team gate fee is still the best balance for both the tournament and the fans. The director does not make as much as he would if he were getting individual gate fee, but he does not have to worry about having someone managing it all weekend. The parents benefit because they can bring as many people as they want and not have to pay additional. This is really important when you have to bring kids (above the "Free" age) or when Grand Parents want to come watch. |
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ecbpappi
244 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 10:25:26
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quote:
Originally posted by baseballdreams
I just have a real hard time understanding why tournaments that are played at public parks there is a gate fee to get in. It is a public park for for public use. I know this has been talked about on here before I do not recall the answer.
The money for the tournaments is in the gate, by the time you pay umps and field rental, gate money is pure profit. Now Cobb County won't let you collect gate fees and some others are like that too. |
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baseballdreams
18 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 10:31:44
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Because the public park charges tournaments for use of the fields, typically.
That’s what I thought the tournament fees covered $300.00 to $375.00. Per tournament.
I would like to invite friends and family to watch my son play. But I don’t knowing they’re going to have to pay to get in.
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Edited by - baseballdreams on 02/20/2012 10:45:53 |
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Jack-of-Diamonds
152 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:24:58
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As a team GM doing our tournament scheduling this is something I certainly keep an eye on.
Some TD's have no gate fees, or at least include them in the entry fee. Others have a team gate add-on and some charge individually at the park. I take this into consideration. A tournament with the gate included may appear more expensive at first glance, but actually be considerably less expensive than one with an add-on.
Gate fees are part of the game, but I really hate to be surprised. USSSA is where the problems with that tend to come up since there are quite a few TD's involved that each have their own system for managing gate fees (and sometimes different from one tourney to the next with the same TD).
It would be nice if U-Trip would insist on TD's specifying gates in their listings or forgo collecting one. We were in one tourney last Fall where the TD decided to add a team gate at the last minute after brackets were drawn. There was some "lively" conversation here on the forum regarding that, to say the least.
Teams should have a right to know all the terms before they enter a tournament, gate fees, refund policies, etc... |
Edited by - Jack-of-Diamonds on 02/20/2012 13:42:03 |
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sirlurker
187 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 07:28:14
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I know this subject has been beat to death in the past but something you got to realize also - in many cases the tournament fee, the gate fee and the concession fee go to three different organizations.
A lot of times the concession fees go to the park - the gate fees goes as fundraising for a team - and the TD only collects the tournament fees. This is just some cases of course but sometimes the TD is not collecting all the fees... |
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LLH
98 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 10:45:14
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I have not seen anyone say it but you might as well get used to gate fees. They have always been part of travel baseball. You will find if your son plays in high school or college you are going to pay to get into every game.
I don't like it, but unfortanely it has become part of the game. Yes you can make money off of tournaments, but it's not Rec Ball where you donate your time. |
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baseballdreams
18 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 17:42:40
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quote:
Originally posted by LLH
I have not seen anyone say it but you might as well get used to gate fees. They have always been part of travel baseball. You will find if your son plays in high school or college you are going to pay to get into every game.
I don't like it, but unfortanely it has become part of the game. Yes you can make money off of tournaments, but it's not Rec Ball where you donate your time.
To me gate fees are no different than luggage fees that airlines charge. Get them there and charge them more. it’s just wrong.
The team pays a tournament fee to play. Then we have to pay a separate fee to watch. Just charge it all up front. So we can invite friends and family to watch.
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EastsideBB
44 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2012 : 16:17:21
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I don't like gate fees but I have accepted them as the price we pay to see your kid play. I also know they are part of the fund raiser machine which I have benifit from in the past.
I do hate when my son's high school can not charge a gate fee because of the county they play in but we have to pay a gate fee at schools we play in our region located in other counties.
I also went to a cheerleading competition last month in College Park. $5 to park $15 to get in for a 5 min performance for which I had no idea what was going on. I hung around for 1/2 half hour afterwards just so I didn't feel cheated as much. |
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metsFan
63 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2012 : 23:23:52
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Pleasantly surprised to learn that ECB has changed their gate fees. Last year 6 and under were free, this year it was 12 and under.
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peashooter
297 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2012 : 11:33:53
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I like the gate fees over tournaments that take an Extra $150 for gate fees up front. That comes directly out of the team budget where the other $5 fees are like a tax and hit the parents versus the team budget.
ECB 12 and under is NOT free. At least not in the fall it wasn't. |
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Jack-of-Diamonds
152 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2012 : 14:48:12
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I hear ya' peashooter, but since that's not in the budget I made a deal with our parents from the get-go. Any time we have an advance team gate fee we ask the parents to pitch in for it, usually $10 per family. If there weren't a team gate most would be paying more than that anyway. Turns out they like it a lot and prefer those tournaments... $10 versus sometimes spending $50 to bring both parents, a sibling and a couple of grandparents for the weekend.
quote:
Originally posted by peashooter
I like the gate fees over tournaments that take an Extra $150 for gate fees up front. That comes directly out of the team budget where the other $5 fees are like a tax and hit the parents versus the team budget.
ECB 12 and under is NOT free. At least not in the fall it wasn't.
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bball-fan
89 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2012 : 14:52:57
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I understand gate fees, but 12 (or at least 10) and under should ALWAYS be free. They are not there to watch a game.
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2012 : 19:18:37
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quote:
Originally posted by bball-fan
I understand gate fees, but 12 (or at least 10) and under should ALWAYS be free. They are not there to watch a game.
Exactly, at a Super NIT last season my family was charged 10$ per day for my 8yr old nephew.....He could CARE LESS about what is going on.. |
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Gus Ball Still Wins
77 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2012 : 08:32:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
quote:
Originally posted by bball-fan
I understand gate fees, but 12 (or at least 10) and under should ALWAYS be free. They are not there to watch a game.
Exactly, at a Super NIT last season my family was charged 10$ per day for my 8yr old nephew.....He could CARE LESS about what is going on..
And he probably ate his weight in sno-cones:) (which would offset the gate fee if there was no charge for 12U) |
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Gate Fees?
