When does the fundraising STOP!!!!

[DUBLPLAY]

How much fundraising does one have to do to play travel ball? What are realistic travel ball organization costs? When do you say "enough is enough"?

 

[wow]

If you think travel ball is bad... Some high schools are P2P and fees are more than travel.. But that question is tough to answer as all teams play different schedules and have separate travel requirements. If you have a local team and don't do many overnights and no high profile turneys. Maybe around $550 to $650... If you're a playing a show case type schedule fees can be upward $1300+. Regarding fundraising I would think that's a good thing as it offsets your costs.. So the fundraising stops when fees are paid..

 

[daboss]

Never stops and never enough.

 

[Louuuuu]

Over the years, I've encountered a couple of teams where all the parents said "Enough fundraisers! We'll just write a check." (But those were in slightly better times...)

 

[maddball44]

Haven't done it in the past. However, this is the first team we've been on that does and it will help a lot. I will probably pay 1/3 of what I did last year (team fees). Plus it gets the team / families together in a setting that is not softball (we did night golf once). The key for me is stop selling candles and purses. Sell things that give the people a chance to win something back without too big of a financial commitment. We did one; $20.00 to get your name on a square for every Bengals game (like the super bowl). A chance to win $60.00 for $1.25 per game. We easily sold 200 squares.

 

[wvanalmsick]

Fundraising will stop when teams set their Team fee at the actual cost of tournaments, uniforms, equipment, and field rental. Add in the cost of the coach if you have an organization that pays its coaches.

Teams set low team fees as a recruiting tool. Some have low fees because they know no-better. Some teams have low fees and use fund-raising because of the economic times.

But, parents do tire of this and by 16U, they would just rather have the team tell them the actual costs and then write the check.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Yep I'd just write a check thank you..... Even mulch sale type things I don't use that mulch and would write a check anyway....

It never ends because after yours are finished playing, the neighbors kids that bought from you kids come knocking and you have to buy theirs too......

 

[DanMaz]

it ends... when you die.

 

[FastBat]

It ends...when is her 19th birthday?

 

[Westler33]

Never keep it on till they hang up their cleats lol.

 

[ApogeeDemon]

it ends... when you die.

that's great!

 

[coachmsd]

not even when your dead then they will have a fundraiser in your honor

 

[JoeA1010]

Unless you are playing for maybe Michigan or something, it doesn't end in college, either.

 

[changeup]

Surprised me with my first kid in college (D3) expected it with the2nd (D2). Didnt disappoint

 

[Dynamites16u]

if the player is part of the fundraising I like to believe they have more respect for the game.

 

[CARDS]

Our fees were always reasonable for what the ladies received from 10-13U so, doing a couple fundraisers paid for 75/80% of their ball with candle, candy, popcorn and working some REDS games.

After 13U the tournament cost doubled for the events we were in and we upgraded equipment/uniforms and I was not about to do year around fundraising like some teams do to cover the cost.
Now, I still had some parents that would fundraise on "their own" to offset some cost but most would just write a check because they too were tired of all the fundraising.

Then came college, Parent/ player dance, Monte Carlo/game night, DD seemed to have to work at the KFC Yum center every weekend. So like others said, It does not stop untill they stop playing...

 

[Centerville_FP]

It continues even in college!!!!

 

[HITTER23]

Alot of the players that played for me in the past consider their old travel coach a target with their college fundraising, everything from hit a thon pledging, apparel, etc to silver/gold/platinum pledging.

 

[yossarian]

Alot of the players that played for me in the past consider their old travel coach a target with their college fundraising, everything from hit a thon pledging, apparel, etc to silver/gold/platinum pledging.

My daughter hasn't played for you. I'll hit you up next month for Super Bowl Squares.

 

[yossarian]

I'm generally against it because I feel weird asking other people to help fund my kid's activities.

In my opinion, there's way too much asking going on for things that are luxuries or "wants". And social media is responsible for turning it up to 11. It feels like every time I go on Facebook, there's another friend with a GoFundMe for vacation or some crazy business she wants to start so she can avoid working like the rest of us. The charity should be left for those with needs, not wants.

Damn, it's hard to type up here on this soapbox.