Wow...This is a subject I could write on for hours. I will try to keep my points as on topic and brief as possible.
In the last 5-7 years, elite youth sports have transitioned from a Win At All Costs philosophy to a Get Recruited At All Costs philosophy. Inherent in this shift is that elite youth sports such as high level travel softball have become a business transaction in which parent (buyer) pays money to a travel organization (service provider) to help their child earn a scholarship (future income). Organizations theoretically help their players earn scholarships through player development, exposure and supposed college coach/organization head recruiting negotiations.
I have seen first-hand the power that an organization's name and "branding" can have in a player's ability to get exposure at showcases and tournaments. Go to a tournament like Scenic City, and it is very clear that certain organizations get placed in prime locations that typically get the most college coaches. Other less known organizations have their teams playing on fringe fields far away from the main complex. These placements in Super pools and on prime time fields do not happen by accident and in fact there are some back room dealings well above my pay grade ($0 per hour) that help make things happen for organizations at these big tournaments. For this and many other reasons, then, there IS a true VALUE to being part of the right fastpitch organization when you are living in this Get Recruited world.
With this in mind, I have a very hard time reconciling the notion that a fastpitch organization head should LOSE money to help a player MAKE money. Remember: if you aren't making money, you are losing money as it is almost impossible to truly get to a financial position where you are breaking even.
Bear in mind, that probably no one in the entire country (yes, including the California teams) makes a living off of their travel organization. Those very few (fraction of a percent) who are able to make a living off of travel youth softball do it through a combination of personal instructing, running tournaments, running camps, doing recruiting videos and licensing from spirit wear and perhaps a cut off of players fees. None...ZERO...of the people I have known across the country who make money in this sport have made it from solely being the head of an organization.
A plug for my fellow coaches: Also have sympathy to the fact that almost all travel coaches LOSE significant money helping your daughters on their journey. At any given tournament, you can look around and find people who are making more money than the coaches: Concession stand people, park administrators, umpires, the headband/bow seller, and more.
Back on track... In this current climate, I absolutely think that travel organization heads should be able to make money from their position. I also DEFINITELY think coaches should make money as well. After all, we have no problem paying hitting instructors, pitching instructors, etc. A hitting instructor gives you an hour of his or her time. A travel coach gives you his entire weekend (maybe four or five days) with infinitely more stress, travel, responsibility and personal accountability.
This is all the product of the current travel softball world we have created. My advice to anyone looking to make money off of softball: Do anything BUT be a travel softball coach or travel organization head. You will almost assuredly lose money in the long run not to mention damage relationships in your personal life and run your car into the ground.