What's wrong with America

[hornadylnl]

I had to go to a parents' meeting for my daughter's softball team. They brought up the finances and said the budget for the season was $11,000. We're talking less than 50 girls across 3 age groups. The town's teams have a board and according to the teams' "lawyer", they now have to have a separate committee from the board to maintain their 501c3 status.

It's freaking kids playing softball.

 

[rockhopper46038]

 

[remman]

Is it a travel team?

 

[jsharmon7]

I remember when I was in little league the biggest expense was buying new shirts for the all-star teams at the end of the year. Now I see kids having team practices over the winter at indoor battings cages, professional lessons, matching uniforms down to the bat bags with their names embroidered on them, etc. And you couldn't pay me enough to umpire those travel ball games, those parents are rabid. It's a sad, sad state.

 

[hornadylnl]

No, this isn't a travel team. It's 8 & unders, 10 & unders, and 12 & unders. We may have some games that are up to an hour away within our league but not all over creation.

And so far, the parents have not been rabid in the 2 years she's played. Most everyone cheers for both teams when the girls make a good hit or play. I know I do.

 

[hornadylnl]

There are some things that cost money most wouldn't think of such as paying the umpires, etc. Also, I think that budget covers some of the field upkeep, etc. But $11,000? This is a small town we're talking about here.

 

[hopper68]

How much is insurance on grounds and players?

 

[Ebux]

My son played in a small town league for a couple years and I was amazed at how some of the parents would show their a$$ over a call in tee ball. It wasn't teaching the kids any values whatsoever. I hate to admit it but when my boy said he didn't want to sign up again I was a bit relieved.

 

[hornadylnl]

How much is insurance on grounds and players?

I'm sure that's a sizeable chunk of it. When did we as a nation send our kids out to play sports and then sue or demand the league pay for any injuries?

 

[hornadylnl]

My son played in a small town league for a couple years and I was amazed at how some of the parents would show their a$$ over a call in tee ball. It wasn't teaching the kids any values whatsoever. I hate to admit it but when my boy said he didn't want to sign up again I was a bit relieved.

So far, I've been really impressed with the atmosphere of these games. The parents have been good on all sides. If it rises to the point of ridiculousness, my daughter won't be back the next year.

 

[slimplmbr]

Sports for kids is starting to get really expensive. My nephew, 11, played on a travel team and it cost around $1800 just to be on the team. Not to mention he had to provide his own catcher gear. I coached him when he was in little league and some of the parents acted like fools, it took a lot of the enjoyment out of coaching the kids.

 

[DaveL]

I have raised nine children. All of them played sports. I coached for 22 years. I will make three comments:
1. From the baseball team (all-stars from a 5A high school) that was put together in the 5th grade, only two players played HS baseball. And that includes the new players that were added over the years. Yes, this was not a strong class, but still. There was a TON of money spent for not a lot of gain. A HS basketball coach once told me that if he could get three great players from each class, he could have a string of great seasons. We have three MS ... so, including MS B-teams, that was about 48 boys playing MS basketball to three or four playing HS varsity. Just something to ponder.
2. I have urged my kids and they have all bought-in on keeping their kids in the "rec" programs. I regret spending time playing baseball/softball/soccer and missing vacations or other family-fun things ... like treehouses and creeking.
3. All of my kids vote for the vacations in National Parks and the trips to the creek fishing, etc as the most fun they had growing up ... and some mention it would have been more fun doing those things rather than always playing sports. I know all your kids friends are playing and they would be bored if they don't play, but I would still not do it if I could do it over again.

I think you are saying this is a rec program, and I have no wisdom toward the finances. I do know that the electricity for the lights used to be paid by the township, but now it's charged to the league (consider that when you drive by at 10:00 and some team is out practicing). The mowing used to be done for free. Changing the light bulbs on the towers used to be free. Using the land used to be free. As local government finances got tighter, these were easy expenses to shift over to the users. Wait until basketball comes into consideration. Gym rental (with a janitor) is HUGE.

 

[DRob]

Good on your league

I can't imagine what all the expenses are but I'm glad to hear non-travel leagues still are thriving somewhere. A couple of my grandsons have been playing "travel ball" for several years now. That's where the expenses and parental attitudes get out of control. One of the boys was recruited to pitch on a U14 team last fall. The told my son it would be $1500 up front. He told the guy he had clearly called the wrong number. Tack on travel expenses and it gets ridiculous. Sadly, a lot of the better players have abandoned Little League for travel teams which practice virtually year round.

By the way, the same grandson is umpiring in the local league. In his second season he'll be making $20 a game! Umpiring youth leagues used to be a volunteer "opportunity".

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

When i played little league .... maybe 20 years ago,, it was a one time fee of maybe $150 or so

 

[churchmouse]

We did all the sports available with our kids. Saw all levels of parental involvement. I coached and helped coach on all the teams with the son and the wife did the daughters teams at any level of involvement required. It was a life's experience for us all and taught me as much as the kids about life. I still see some of the kids from time to time and they cherish those memory's as well./ I did have some run ins with idiots, that is unfortunatly a part of it. Still, I would trade non of it. Great times.

 

[wrigleycub]

Only reading the title and not giving the thread a look........ The greatest generation had kids! Those kids became the opposite of the parents =ing the worst generation. They believed in everthing their parents didn't, thus causing braw burnings to paricipation trophies. Now we are left with, well.........you see it.