How do you guys do it?

[Billybob622]

I don't know if this is the right place for, so please forgive me if it isn't.

Here's my question, how do you guys pay for summer baseball?

This year, funds have become insufficient this year, and yet summer baseball teams charge their fees.

Is there ways of comming up with money to pay for these fees if it is not there?

I know this may sound odd, but i don't wanna miss summer baseball this year.

[Jake Patterson]

I don't know if this is the right place for, so please forgive me if it isn't.

Here's my question, how do you guys pay for summer baseball?

This year, funds have become insufficient this year, and yet summer baseball teams charge their fees.

Is there ways of comming up with money to pay for these fees if it is not there?

I know this may sound odd, but i don't wanna miss summer baseball this year.

Our Little League charges $50.00 per person or $90.00 per family. Our Legion is $100.00 but some of that is refunded depending upon year and participation.

[TG Coach]

I don't know if this is the right place for, so please forgive me if it isn't.

Here's my question, how do you guys pay for summer baseball?

This year, funds have become insufficient this year, and yet summer baseball teams charge their fees.

Is there ways of comming up with money to pay for these fees if it is not there?

I know this may sound odd, but i don't wanna miss summer baseball this year.

If you're talking about travel find some sponsors. Our team was $475 per player after sponsor ships I found. One kid couldn't afford to play. I told his dad to find $475 in sponsors. He came back with more. He asked ten companies for $100. Several helped out. In turn we placed ads on our website.

[Ursa Major]

Jake, I assume he's talking about summer tournament/travel ball, as opposed to the regular spring Little League/Pony League organizations. Our (spring) league offers scholarships and to my knowledge has never turned anyone away.

On the other hand, summer ball is more of a regional business enterprise, so you don't have the community connections that would lend themselves to scholarships/discounts for teams that have members which can't afford entry fees. And, hopefully, some tournaments will arrange for host families to house players and coaches so that they're not stung by hotel costs.

TG's idea of selling sponsorships is a good one, but that is hard to arrange on a player-by-player basis (as you can't sell off the advertising rights to part of your uniform the way that NASCAR drivers do). Even if you could, there might be professionalism issues that could damage future interscholastic eligibility. And there's generally no broadly viewed web site on which you can "sell" advertising space to sponsors. Maybe you can get a sponsor or two who will be satisfied with advertising space on a banner that you carry to tournaments. But, it probably will be an act of pure charity by the sponsor -- if all of your tournament play is at least tweny miles away, an ad for "Judy's Manicure Salon" is not likely to bring in new business from the spectators of such a tournament.

[TL_Dad]

Just curious how much others are paying to play travel ball? Most of them around here are $900-$1500 a season.

Our travel team has fund raisers and sponsorships where half of what you make is applied to your fee.

[TG Coach]

it probably will be an act of pure charity by the sponsor

Bingo. It's serving the youth in the community.

[TG Coach]

Just curious how much others are paying to play travel ball? Most of them around here are $900-$1500 a season.

Our travel team has fund raisers and sponsorships where half of what you make is applied to your fee.

A lot of the cost of travel depends on how far the team travels. We play all but one of our tournaments close enough to be day trips. We do one road trip because it's fun and we see a different set of teams.

[TL_Dad]

A lot of the cost of travel depends on how far the team travels. We play all but one of our tournaments close enough to be day trips. We do one road trip because it's fun and we see a different set of teams.

Our travel and hotel costs are NOT covered by our team fee. All travel costs are extra. Our team was $1100 just to be on the team. Just wondering what others are paying.

We are going to some nice tournaments with lots of teams from other states. We are playing in two Perfect Game tournaments and a Pastime Tournament. We are playing in a total of 7 tournaments.

[TG Coach]

My son's 16U team is $500 (not including travel) for the summer. There will be ten tournaments. 3-4K is subsidized by the team sponsor.

[Billybob622]

well i hear that asking sponsors is the main thing to help. But how do i go about asking? Also, what will i give back in return? Things like advertising on the team website is something i do not have access to.

[Jake Patterson]

well i hear that asking sponsors is the main thing to help. But how do i go about asking? Also, what will i give back in return? Things like advertising on the team website is something i do not have access to.

Our Legion Team is sponsored by two corporate sponsors. When it is all said and done we usually need about $10,000 to run the program effectively. We publish a brochure and have them listed, so they get free advertising. We also mention them when we go on the radio... Both corporate sponsors are also big BB people. I would be happy to send you a copy of the brochure if you'd like. PM me your snail mail address.