WHAT???? I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE!!!!

That sounds like about $35,000 for entry fees and roughly $15,000 gate fees. I believe that would be on the low side. That doesn't include concessions. I'm only including 18U.

The $10 gate fee at the HS playoffs is mandated by the NCHSAA. No matter where you played, that would be the same gate fee.

 

You are absolutely right. Anybody that thinks they want you to stay in a certain hotel because they want to do you a favor is living in a dream world. I got my information from more than one source.

 

PONY Hotel story

Many years ago my DD 16U team was playing PONY Nationals in Raleigh. Since our team was based in Greenville they drove back and forth but I chose to stay as my DD pitched virtually every inning for the team and simply needed a place with AC to rest. I made reservations online at a chain where I earned points using a discount program. It was about $30/night cheaper than the "team rate" at the same hotel. The manager happened to see her bat bag and explained that if she reported me that our team would forfeit out of the tournament. I basically told her she was full of ..it. We stayed at my rate and never heard anything more about it. Fact is that these hotel booking directives amount to price fixing, especially in today's travel market where hotels are struggling to fill rooms.

 

It was this way at the Rising Stars also. If the team did not stay at an "official" tournament hotel, the team was kicked out of the tournament.

With the price of gas, this will be one more thing to consider what tournaments you attend. Think I will be packing my lunch with me to offset the gate fee... too bad for the restaurants...

 

The same thing happened to us in Statesville last year. Part of the team told them they were with softball and part just rented rooms on their own. Some of the people asked why they had to pay more than others and the manager came to our room and told us we owed him more money so he could give NSA their cut.

 

I also think the reason the NSA guys ask about the number hotel rooms booked by teams is, so when next year the parks & Rec. dept.s want to go up on their park rental fees, the tournament directors will have something to fight back with. Softball people DO spend a lot of money in and around the parks and sometimes the parks & rec. folks need reminding of that fact.

Nice made up "feel good" story, but unfortunately it is just that, a story to hide a dirty little secret. Folks, these directors are not having tournaments out of the goodness of their hearts, or to help the girls, or just to see the girls have fun. They are doing it to make money. If they can figure out how to cash in on the places you eat they'll do that too.

 

Tournaments Fees

Anyone that thinks that the people that put on these tournaments don't come away with a pocket full of money is fooling themselves. I have been involved with these tournaments for over 25 years and let me say this, how is it that the rights to a tournament can be sold to another organization if there weren't a lot of profit in it? When I was an officer with PONY, the Director of PONY cleared about $40,000 off of the National Tournaments in Va. and NC that were held one week apart from each other. I know that most people think that the majority of the money goes to park rental, hotels, umpires, but that's just not true. Organizers have "COMP" deals with the local hotels to supply a certain number of free rooms because of all of the teams that are coming in to play. Also, after a tournament is held in a certain city for several years, partnership arrangements are generally made with the park and rec. When we were in Columbia this year for the Dynamites Classic, we as officials stayed at a "High-priced" hotel, (rooms were comp'd) because of the teams that were there. Non of these people are going to lose money. Take that to the bank.

 

the cost

New Cleats $90.00
New Bat $200.00
Players Fees $400.00
Gate Fees $100.00
Hotels $1000.00
Gas $1000.00
(could go on and on about the price)

Price of watching my daughter play the sport she absolutely loves.

PRICELESS!

We sacrafice a lot for our kids thats a fact. Of course the powers that be are going to make money. Thats the business they are in.

Swim meets, band competitions, cheerleading competitions all big business, all money makers for those at the top.

Expensive Yes. Worth it YES!

 

As I recall that is kind of what was said.