Fee charged for tryout

[CARDS]

I could see smaller organizations or an individual team needing to charge to cover expenses. Its been 5 years since I was involved with getting tryouts together but I am sure like tournaments the cost has gone up.
In our organization we had teams in each age group (sometimes two) most years 8 teams that all shared to cover the tryout expenses.
All day field rental was $50 per field and we would set up 3 fields.=$150 x 3 weekends. Now we did not skimp, our facilities had restrooms, well kept fenced fields and the TWP. would drag fields every morning and make sure we had electric for the pitching machines. Each team brought a case of water, large bag of ice. Other expenses included tryout forms, signs, player badges, I would also add a insurance rider for $140 in case of an accident same as a camp or clinic would have. Rob, Les or Kavin may remember or chime in with additional cost I did not mention but as you can see its not cheap to put on a quality tryout.

 

[FastBat]

Well, I stand corrected! Because, that's exactly what I'm talking about, lol! Well, almost what I'm talking about because I've never seen a pyramid that high! And a standing back handspring into a back tuck?!? How do you teach that to a high school kid to do that?!? They probably brought those skills onto the team, I would think. And the jumps, involved the entire team...that video was shocking!

I loved when they asked why are you so good? Because we work harder!

That was unbelievably cool! Thank you!

BTW, who in the heck would let their kid be that high up on a pyramid? I bet the parents and family members were so proud she was at the top of it? But, I guess compared to riding in the back of an open pick up truck to DQ, being up there would be less dangerous?

And what about the girls at the bottom of the pyramid? That was not that many girls holding all those other girls. They were all so little. Lol, I'll be sharing this with my cheer people! Thanks!

 

[manitoudan]

I entered HS as freshman with 8 of those girls that squad , at that time in 1981 I think Greenup had won a 2-3 national championships . They won 4 straight from 81-84 and since then have won dozens of titles . They even have a book about them . . All good friends of mine .. In Ky being a GC cheerleader is like playing for the Bandits . You are the cream of the crop .. several gymnastics studios across the county start training them at the earliest of ages and girls grow up wanting to cheer at GC .

 

[Stupid Jim]

all I had to see was PGF and knew that is a bulls#!& money grab, pay to try out what a load of crap

 

[Jamie Wolff]

About 6-8 years ago we played a team out of Florida, the Tampa Mustangs. They charged $100 and they had over 32 kids tryout for just 2nd base! Not saying it is right or wrong just saying that it probably won't fly in Ohio where if your not happy, you back up your bags and go to a new team, or go out and start your own team...

 

[LiveLovePitch]

Wow! Who knew there could be so much negativity regarding a $10 fee? I would first like to address that I’m completely baffled by how the comment “serious and committed players” (or what was technically said “serious players who want to make a serious commitment”) was transformed into “talented” players? Nowhere in the comment, regarding what the $10 fee was for, did Nick Gressman say “talented”. Travel softball is NOT for everyone! It is a serious commitment of not just money but time as well. To me this organization regardless of size is trying to not waste time (the organizations time, the coach’s time or the player’s time). Why does charging a fee have to be a negative thing? $10 to weed out players whose parents would more than likely cause problems during the season – well worth it! $10 to weed out players that aren’t as committed to this sport as I, and my daughter, are – well worth it! $10 to have one of the top names in softball in our area teach my daughter the sport of softball – well worth it! Knowing what a tryout entails makes spending the $10 well worth it too! Some of you won’t agree with my logic – and that’s ok! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But to bad mouth a person or an organization (that you obviously know nothing about) for wanting dedicated players and parents is juvenile! If you don’t like the fee don’t try out for that team! It’s that simple! All you’ve done at this point is given Buckeye Charge advertising! Good or bad people are now talking about and researching them! From what I’ve learned in the research I’ve done is that Buckeye Charge is a fairly new organization. They have a community service program (sponsorship) that is amazing! Back in my day we had to find our own sponsors, which was not always an easy task. The community service aspect of this program allows each girl to do 40 hours of community service at $10 per hour which would take $400 off the annual team fees (which would make them one of the cheapest teams in our area to play for). Community service teaches young girls about giving to others, a sense of community, also how good they truly have it (have any of you ever volunteered at a Food Bank or a homeless shelter – its humbling to say the least)! Not every team has won 1st place in every tournament (or gone to Nationals, etc.) – but what organization can say EVERY team within their organization has placed 1st in EVERY tournament - that alone does not make an organization better or worse than another (coaching staff, parent involvement, what the organization stands for, etc. are just as important as placing first and/or going to Nationals in my opinion). This entire thread has sparked my interests enough to take my daughter to see what this organization is about!

 

[manitoudan]

^^ Travel softball isnt for everyone ? Since when ? Every dad with a minivan starts a team when Lil Suz' isnt playing SS and or batting 1 , 2 or 3 . If reading this thread honestly causes a single soul to say " Oh yeah I'm really drawn to that org because they charge a tryout fee " when 90 % of the other 16,543 orgs in Ohio don't then I question your sanity .. and welcome to OFC LLP , its a fun place .

 

[LiveLovePitch]

^^“Travel softball isn’t for everyone” as in- not everyone can afford travel softball; not everyone likes the competitiveness of a travel team; not all girls are able to play at the level needed for a true travel team; not everyone is willing/able to allow their children to be coached at the level of a travel softball player! As for your “Every dad with a minivan” comment – that is NOT what I consider to be a travel team! That is Joe Blow Softball Dad who’s mad his mediocre daughter isn’t getting enough playing time or playing the positions he thinks she should so he starts a REC team and calls it a travel team (that is something entirely different altogether)! A “Travel Softball Team” is a step up from a Rec team – it can be a small step or a huge step depending on the organization! It’s up to the parent and child as to what level of travel they are willing to play! What draws me to the organization is all the hype regarding the fee (not necessarily the fee itself) and the comments commending the President of that organization, as well as, what she does for young girls in my area! To me she has an organization that interests me because I like what she and the organization seem to stand for – so for me (it doesn’t have to be for you, as you are free to choose whatever you like) I’m willing to fork over $10 to see if this organization can not only teach and enhance my daughter's knowledge of the sport she loves to play but can also teach her character skills, life skills, give her a sense of the community she lives in, teach her how to see things from another perspective, etc., that being said, as I said (many times) in my prior post the things I state are my opinions, I don’t need your (or anyone’s) validation of them nor do you have to agree with them! This conversation is truly as simple as, if you don’t agree with the fee don’t go – it's your choice!

 

[manitoudan]

Great reply . But board rules state only 10 ! can be used in any one response . I'll have to report you to the mods for possible suspension. . And I deeply appreciate your explanation of what real travel ball is ! ! ! ! ! !!! !!!! is that 9 ? I'm just playin' with ya . This board can be so mundane at times .

 

[number5]

$10 to weed out players whose parents would more than likely cause problems during the season – well worth it! $10 to weed out players that aren’t as committed to this sport as I, and my daughter, are – well worth it!

You had me on your side right up until you wrote this comment. Seems to me you are painting with a broad brush.

 

[LiveLovePitch]

You had me on your side right up until you wrote this comment. Seems to me you are painting with a wide brush.

You are very right $10 won’t necessarily weed out uncommitted players or unruly (for lack of a better word) parents (honestly I think we can all be unruly sometimes when it comes to our children). I guess I’m just saying having potential players pay a fee, in my opinion, isn’t a bad a thing. I’m sure it will deter some players from coming (some good players and some not so good players I’m sure). I just feel my time is precious to me (as I’m sure it is to everyone) I seem to have very little of it anymore and I think paying a fee will help not waste my time during tryouts (as it will deter some from coming). Paying a fee will not discourage me from trying out for any organization (again my opinion), especially once I researched and figured out Buckeye Charge seems to have some good values that I already try to instill in all my children. To have a sports organization back me up is just icing on the cake!

 

[22dad]

I look at it this way. If my current org asked for $10 to help cover tryout costs, I'd pay it because I know it's where my Dd wants to be. If 1 of the teams recruiting her charged. Nah!