ASA Teams who DO NOT give families a BUDGET

[Skarp]

Not only do I not care about a team budget, I don't care how much (or even whether) any other family or player is paying. There are precisely two data points that concern me: how much I have to pay, and the value that my daughter receives in return. If value equals or exceeds price, I don't care if the coaches are partying it up with coke whores on my dime. It's entirely irrelevant.

I consider myself and my daughter fortunate that there are so many people willing to devote their own time and money so that she can play and improve at the sport she loves. None of us are entitled to that. These guys/gals invest countless hours into coaching and running their teams. Apply your own hourly rate to that time, and then ask yourself if you are really getting screwed because you can't figure out where the $500 in car wash proceeds went.

[lombardisoftball]

It’s really interesting that no one is willing to disclose the names of the teams who give budgets or do not give budgets (so much for helping each other out)!
Dues are only the tip of the iceberg, what about the Fundraiser Money; Golf Tournaments, Hosting Tourneys, Car Washes etc.?
Again, when you put a pencil to it and calculate the hours spent by some of these coaches/managers, they should be compensated, why be so secretive about it?

OK, aside from the elite teams, which the monthly dues, what ever they are, are cheap, when compared to the possible college offers your kid will get by being on them, that I get, but what about the not so elite teams, who don't give budgets? Seems like grown adults would stand up and say something, yet they don’t. Actually, they will and do complain, just not to anyone who is involved or responsible. They instead will complain to other families, and friends – all the while hoping that this complaining doesn’t get back to the organizational head (aka, guy cashing their checks). They act like little baby sheep, following each other to slaughter.

After reading your responses, it’s really very simple to understand why some of these "One Guy at the top, multi team organizations” have so many teams under them.
Lots of fundraisers and dues coming in from all the teams, and NO accountability to people paying them and you “pay-ers” don’t care, Makes a lot of sense!

Baaaaaaaa! (sheep sound)

[ontheblack]

Baaaaaaaa! (sheep sound)

nah, its more of an "Eyes wide open" attitude. Before you commit to a team, if financial accountability is important to you, then ask if and when you will get that accountability. If you dont like the answer, you still have choices:

1. Move on to a team that works for you
2. Accept it and commit, then cut the checks when asked and enjoy watching your DD play.

[Skarp]

After reading your responses, it’s really very simple to understand why some of these "One Guy at the top, multi team organizations” have so many teams under them.
Lots of fundraisers and dues coming in from all the teams, and NO accountability to people paying them and you “pay-ers” don’t care, Makes a lot of sense!

Baaaaaaaa! (sheep sound)

Since you're the one asking for information, how about you tell us baby sheep why you need it. Why exactly do you care how much money some guy at the top of a softball organization is making?

While you're at it, explain to us why you're more qualified than we are to make financial choices with our money. I mean hey, I could use the advice--one less thing to worry about 'n all--but I hope you understand if I want just a little more info about your qualifications. Does your reflection resemble a burning bush, or what?

[dodgerblue]

It’s really interesting that no one is willing to disclose the names of the teams who give budgets or do not give budgets (so much for helping each other out)!
Dues are only the tip of the iceberg, what about the Fundraiser Money; Golf Tournaments, Hosting Tourneys, Car Washes etc.?
Again, when you put a pencil to it and calculate the hours spent by some of these coaches/managers, they should be compensated, why be so secretive about it?

OK, aside from the elite teams, which the monthly dues, what ever they are, are cheap, when compared to the possible college offers your kid will get by being on them, that I get, but what about the not so elite teams, who don't give budgets? Seems like grown adults would stand up and say something, yet they don’t. Actually, they will and do complain, just not to anyone who is involved or responsible. They instead will complain to other families, and friends – all the while hoping that this complaining doesn’t get back to the organizational head (aka, guy cashing their checks). They act like little baby sheep, following each other to slaughter.

After reading your responses, it’s really very simple to understand why some of these "One Guy at the top, multi team organizations” have so many teams under them.
Lots of fundraisers and dues coming in from all the teams, and NO accountability to people paying them and you “pay-ers” don’t care, Makes a lot of sense!

Baaaaaaaa! (sheep sound)

Go for it and ask for the team budget but be careful what you wish for your own DD might be the only one that suffers in all of this.

[lombardisoftball]

Skarp, please endorse the back and forward your paycheck to: im2scaredtoopenmymouth.com, and by doing so, your DD will get exposure ( I promise - but don't ask what I'm spending it on, just keep sending those checks).
Oh, and come over on weekends and wash my car, i will credit it towards your monthly dues.

Baaaaa

[Skarp]

Skarp, please endorse the back and forward your paycheck to: im2scaredtoopenmymouth.com, and by doing so, your DD will get exposure ( I promise - but don't ask what I'm spending it on, just keep sending those checks).
Oh, and come over on weekends and wash my car, i will credit it towards your monthly dues.

Baaaaa

Yeah, I read something similar on I'm2stupid2differentiatebetweenimportantandutterlyirrelevantconsiderations.com, but thought you might have something more profound to offer.

Maybe I would be too scared to open my mouth, if the thought of doing so had ever even occurred to me. It hasn't. Because I don't give a rat's ass how much anybody else is making. If they're giving me good value, more power to 'em. I hope they make a fortune. And it strikes me that anyone who is concerned about such things, rather than whether they have their own kid in the right spot for a personally acceptable price, is a grade-A jagoff.

[arkansassoftball]

My DD plays for one of the better organizations in our Region. They had all of their 2010 class sign Div 1 and already 6 of 7 from the 2011 class has verballed Div 1 and several of the 2012s have offers. We get into all the major exposure tournaments and on the main fields. Most of the athletes have received between 75-100% scholarships, thats an average of $75,000-150,000 over 5 years. We pay around $1,600 per year in dues and do not have to do any fund raisers. The dues include all uniforms, helmets, tournament fees, umpire fees, 90 days with a professional strength trainer, indoor practice facilities, practice fields, and covers all the misc expenses and all the NON-PARENT Coaches travel expenses and pays the NON-PARENT Coaches a little bit for their time. I agreed to pay the dues at tryouts and could care less where that money goes after that because I know my daughter had a lot more opportunities to be recruited then she would have had with any other team in our Region. Just FYI, she received 75% from a Top 25 Program!! The dues was a GREAT Investment!!

[NumeroUno]

A couple years back a team one of my DD's was playing on had a parent start complaining about where all the money was right before nationals. So the head cheese in the organization had the team admin do a entire year budget down to the penny. They realized them that the coach had bought balls, tee, nets etc and not charged the team. There were other expenses that had not been recorded. The team had asked for a couple hundred dollars from each player a few weeks before nationals, after the budget was done the parents all owed almost 500.

I am not sure if the concerned parent got his butt kicked or not but if he didn't he should have.

The team ended up not charging them the extra money after all.

[Scoop n K]

Uno:

That's exactly the point! These people SHOULD ask if they are concerned. If , as in Skarps case, they don't care because they feel they are getting their dimes worth, awesome! If, on the other hand, a parent wants to know, they shouldn't be afraid to ask. I welcome people asking me, because, as in the case you described, they would see that my coaches and I put an awful lot of our own personal funds into it than any of the parents do. They then could decide if they want that "Bill" added to their dues. I bet they'd stop with the inquiry.