cdrumm4448 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 My ds and dd are both playing baseball for the town we live in. I paid $300 for the two of them. My ds's coach has been having indoor practices at a batting cage and also the park district gym, since we can't get outside to practice. My husband came home from a practice today and told me the coach was collecting money to pay for the facility. Nowhere in the e-mails the coach has sent is there any mention of additional monies to be paid, or that the practices are optional. Is this common practice? I'm a little bothered by it since I thought I had paid everything I owed. Now, each practice will be another $10 and the coach has 6 indoor practices scheduled. I thought I would ask here and see if this is common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extendedforecast Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 This doesn't seem right to me. My DDs' coaches asked in advance if we were willing to pay extra for time at an indoor facility to practice batting. Since it was only $25 for 5 weeks, we decided to go ahead and participate. I would call the league and ask one of the board members if this is typical. $150 per child is a little pricey, IMO, and to have to pay an extra $10 per practice is too much. Edited to add: Could the coach have brought this up with the parents at one of the practices? That has happened on one of my girls' teams, but the coach did follow up with an email to remind the parents. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 That is common in our experience w/3 boys on baseball teams over the past 7 yrs. or so. If the $300 is just the registration fee for 2 kids, that's high for our area for those ages, but the extra money for indoor practices is the norm. It sounds like your coach just didn't communicate well. Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 That's not the norm for rec ball in our area, and we have participated in two different leagues. Rec ball practices on the fields, and if there's inclement weather, that's just a loss of a practice day. I don't think it's right at all, since Rec ball is supposed to be a equal type situation, and children can be coming from all types of financial backgrounds. There definately should have been some prior communication before asking children to attend and pay. I bet other parents have the same feelings as you, it just takes one person to speak up before the others will. Now with our DS11's travel team, this is the norm. But we knew that BEFORE signing up, so no surprises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollies73 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Wow! Our local sports cost between $25 and $60 a child. I'd be furious if I paid $300 and was asked for fork over more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Wow! Our local sports cost between $25 and $60 a child. I'd be furious if I paid $300 and was asked for fork over more. :iagree: Furious and incredulous! I pay $55 per dc and that covers everything (pants, t-shirt, hat, practices, games, and the medal or trophy). The only thing that costs extra is pictures (which we usually get for free anyway because DH coaches). Edited February 28, 2010 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 That reg. fee is steep! We pay $75 which includes the hat and shirt. I coached soccer and had indoor practices for a season. It cost $65/hr to rent the field. I did however ask the parents if they were willing before I scheduled them. I'm wondering if something was lost in translation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 For a rec league that is not common practice and I think it would be considered "over the top". I agree that the initial registration fee is steep but it is what we pay so it is not unheard of. Now for our travel teams that is the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pongo Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We pay $95 for the season. If a facility is acquired for indoor, that is an additional fee. My ALL outdoor practice are free because we our town has 3 ball fields and 4 batting/pitching cages. We have always gotten an email before hand to see who can make it, and how much the additional fee is, and no it's not mandatory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Is it Little League or a Select/Travel team? I'd say for LL that isn't normal and $300 for 2 kids is steep in my opinion. We just signed up 2 of our boys and it was only $110. We have paid for batting cages when my son has been on travel teams and we have had to pay tournament fees etc, but with LL it is all supposed to be included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrsjamiesouth Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Basball costs a lot more than Soccer, so you can't compare those prices. We pay $115 for the season and then they do charge extra for uniform, batting cages and trophies. Our batting cages were a lot cheaper than $10 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Another reason your fees might be higher is that your team doesn't have a sponsor. In dd's fast pitch softball league, you pay $100 for teeball, but if your team doesn't get a sponsor you have to pay an additional $25. Your league might not do sponsorships so the registration would be more. Since we live in a (usually) warmer climate, kids can practice outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Wow! Our local sports cost between $25 and $60 a child. I'd be furious if I paid $300 and was asked for fork over more. :iagree: My jaw dropped when I read $300. Holy smokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdrumm4448 Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 This is not a travelling team, and we do have a sponsor. I have been to every practice except the last one, which my husband went to, and nothing has ever been mentioned about additional fees. Also, my ds played for the same outfit 2 years ago, we did use the batting cages occasionally to practice, and there was never an additional fee. I don't want to seem like a B*tch, but I don't like feeling like I'm being taken advantage of. My husband told me not to rock the boat, but it doesn't hurt to ask. We have another practice Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niffercoo Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 My ds and dd are both playing baseball for the town we live in. I paid $300 for the two of them. My ds's coach has been having indoor practices at a batting cage and also the park district gym, since we can't get outside to practice. My husband came home from a practice today and told me the coach was collecting money to pay for the facility. Nowhere in the e-mails the coach has sent is there any mention of additional monies to be paid, or that the practices are optional. Is this common practice? I'm a little bothered by it since I thought I had paid everything I owed. Now, each practice will be another $10 and the coach has 6 indoor practices scheduled. I thought I would ask here and see if this is common. Yeah, that's how it works here. My son plays in a church rec league and it costs $130, and this year we were informed that if they want trophies/end of season party it will be an additional cost. We do the batting cages practices as well, for an additional cost paid to the coach or directly to the batting cage. It's still cheaper than my daughters' dance classes and recital! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niffercoo Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Wow! Our local sports cost between $25 and $60 a child. I'd be furious if I paid $300 and was asked for fork over more. Is the $25-$60 for the entire season?? That's amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Well, it's all based on area, I guess. Around here, we have played soccer, baseball (many seasons), basketball, flag football, and tackle football, and it's always in the $115-150 range, per child. Depending on the league, it normally covers everything, uniforms, trophies, etc. Occasionally we have had to pay extra for end of season trophies, usually in the $10 range. The $300 for two children doesn't blow my mind, but the non-optional practice at a batting facility, with extra fees does not sit well with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 As a dad who has 3 baseball players, I can add some perspective on this issue. I coach 2 of their teams in addition to being the president of our baseball association. Our baseball association charges $95.00 for the first child and discounts each child after that. This fee is for 8 and older "regular" baseball and doesn't include uniforms. We charge $40 for T-ball and machine pitch and supply shirt and cap for each player. This year we reduced our team fee to $750 in an effort to generate more interest. That's for a minimum of 12 players who sign up together as a team. From a coach's perspective, I think the coach didn't communicate his plans very well. I let my parents know a general total cost I anticipate when we sign up, especially if they're new to the team. One of my sons (13) plays on a team with a $120 per player registration, $120 uniforms, 4 tournaments at $20 - 25 each and practice facilities fees between $50 and 100. However, I knew this when we signed up to play on this team. It is a select AA level team that will play 16 league games and 15 - 20 tournament games. Broken down, that works out to between $10 and 15 per game. On the other side of the coin, one of my other sons (10) plays on a purely recreational team that I coach. Fees for a new player on that team would run around $150 total including uniform and a couple indoor sessions. For a 12 game season, it also ends up being $10 - 15 per game. However, I get the registration free since I'm on the association board. My son can wear all his uniform pieces from last year, so my cost for him this year will be minimal. I do put in a lot of time with the association, but my actual out-of-pocket dollars will be low. My oldest son (15) has been invited to play on his legion team. It will cost $300 - 350 for approximately 35 games. However, it will involve much more local travel than the teams his brothers play on will. Again, it will work out to be between $10 and 15 per game including the travel costs. All that being said, I think your best bet would be to ask the coach if there are any more expenses that will be incurred while playing on that team. I know as a coach I would want to know if there were issues like this behind the scenes. The only thing I would request as a coach is that this discussion be held some other time than during a game. I had a parent approach me once during a game to discuss the playing time that her son was getting. This caused some friction because I wasn't open to discussing it while the game was being played. For those with the really cheap fees, is this for baseball that is supported by a city or municipality? My association is a private fully self-supporting 401c3 organization. There's no way we could offer that much for so little. We barely survive with the fees we charge. We're always one catastrophe away from financial ruin. We've been blessed with volunteers who can perform a lot of the service we would otherwise have to pay someone else to do. If your children's activities are subsidized by your local government, count yourself as lucky financially. There's not much of that where I live. Ultimately, I think this issue, like many others, comes down to communication. I think your best bet would be to ask the coach about other expenses that might come up during the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I would be disappointed that the cost hadn't been clearly communicated and I'd say that. But if it's not a true financial burden, then I'd just pay it. Now, if you have trouble with that money, I'd ask for some sort of help with it as it wasn't budgeted for your family. Little League around here if cheap compared to many of you! We just paid $180 for two kids. That includes everything - uniforms, practices, and $2.25/game for concessions. Now, my 12 yo plays on a travel team in addition to his Little League team. We paid $100 for the practice time at an indoor place. I think there are 10 weeks of practice. This team has a sponsor, so uniforms are free. We just have to get him to the tournaments!! But, this is a different team and not affiliated with Little League at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We've had coaches do this, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaylk in tx Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 fee is right about what we pay for 8U rec ball here (spring tx). trophies, names on jerseys all extra $. to rent an indoor facility around here is about $45-55 per hour so if you rent it for 2 hours that's about $10 a kid. and just wanted to add that I'd rather pay some extra $ so the kids get practices in inclement weather than to not practice and therefore not have their skills progress during the season. but we're baseball (and swimming) fanatics here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We've done baseball 2 seasons a year for 10 years in large metropolitan areas (Houston, Phoenix). Spring Season is $150 for the first child with a slight sibling discount. Most Coaches arrange at least a few practices at a cage due to weather or specialized training needs. It's "expected" that the parents chip in. It can really add up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Baseball is $150 here, plus $100 more if you don't work a snack-bar shift, plus every team has to find a "sponsor" or be communally responsible for $750 more, plus buying each kid a batting helmet, pants, undershirts, soft cups and colored socks. Not to mention normal expenses like gloves and bats, and balls. The good news is our fields are BEAUTIFUL. And we can practice outdoors. Play ball! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) That's not the norm in our area. The kids pay $45 registration fee and have to sell a bunch of raffle tickets to make up the difference. All of our practices are outside at school/city owned fields. We've never had to pay extra. Edited February 28, 2010 by jujsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalypso Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I have 2 playing on Little League and the cost was $180 total to sign up. That fee includes a shirt and hat. We buy pants, belt, and socks. A couple of years ago we did have a coach arrange 2 practices at a batting cage, but they were optional practices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I paid $75 registration and that includes -hat, socks, pants, and a jersey. Of course, we are in the south, so no indoor practice is needed! (Don't get me started on the cost of bats, though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We are starting our first season of T-Ball with 5yo ds. It's only $85 we were told..... Well, that doesn't sound too bad.... Plus, pants, socks, belt, shirt with sleeves, cleats, mitt, bat, helmet, and cup (if I would like grandkids.) BTW all of the experienced parents say you need 2 or more of all the clothing items with 2 practices and 2 games/ week. Plus each player must have a parent signed up for some commmittee, a parent willing to take some shifts in the "snack shack" and you have to sign up for a snack rotation. And then there is a fundraiser. Each player is expected to sell $100 worth of candy. If your child doesn't sell $100 worth of candy you will have to make up the difference. Alternatively, you may fork over $50 to opt-out of the fundraiser. It was worth it to me to not have $100 worth of candy in my house. I figure I am saving my wallet some $$ & my hiney some ##. So a bajillion dollars later we are signed up for T-ball. He will learn the joys of playing on a team and good sportsmanship, right? When we talked about good sportsmanship we discussed that it is not considered good sportsmanship to cry hysterically after a loss. To which my son replied, "Is it Ok to cry in the car if you lose?" It might be a long season... Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 We just signed up ds10 for $95 - they supply a hat and t-shirt only. We sell raffle tickets and work the snack stand. Ours is an independent Cal Ripken organization. His team does do an (optional) indoor practice for an extra cost - $175 for 12, one hour sessions. This is all very "cheap", compared to the thousands we spend on ds13, whose baseball team travels the country! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Play ball! l Amen!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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