Taking advantage - Signing up for fundraisers and then not paying!!!

For the last two years, our college has been holding fundraisers throughout the fall. For the cost of $300 (or for teams that agree $300 plus 1/2 cost of the blue) our team plays a double header at our facility against travel teams. As this was our first year with every single position on the field recruited (and next year we will be recruited top to bottom) this was SUCH an exciting year for this program.

Given this team is a Division II with an astoundingly meager budget, the girls must fund raise if they wish to travel to FL and play ball against some of the best DII programs in the nation - - a trip that last 5-6 days. So you can imagine the costs involve: Bus rental, hotel rooms x 6/7 nights, meals across that time period, etc. Yet the experience is such that the expense is well worth it.

So, our team holds fundraisers as this trip is certainly not within our budget.

These double headers do not net the team a lot of money -- $100 - $200 per double header, after the blue -- but the money earned tips us over the required amount for this trip. Money we have to PROVE to our athletic department we raised.

This year, we had a full schedule, plus 8 teams hoping that a spot would free up so they could participate. A great waiting list!

When we first put up our announcements, one of the first teams to contact us was Renzi's Challengers. As we were just starting to schedule teams, Adam was given nearly a blank calendar of dates from which to choose (we had a couple of black out dates due to team support commitments to the football team). Adam was provided the date and selected to play on Saturday October 6, at 1 pm and 3 pm.

Come 12:15 we were all becoming a bit nervous as we had not seen hide nor hair of the team and had not received a call. Since my daughter used to play pick up with Adam when her team was on hiatus, I had his cell phone number -- which I called numerous times and left messages on. The calls were not returned.

Parents were becoming antsy - afterall ,they had driven HOURS to support the team and yet it was beginning to look like all that time and gas was going to be spent to look at an empty field.

Finally, after much communication between the parents, we decided to look at showcase schedules and see if the Renzi Challenger's were playing elsewhere. Sure enough, there they were, playing up in Raleigh. A former Challenger's parent called Stewart, who confirmed Adam's team was definitely up there playing.

No call.

No cancellations.

No courtesy, whatsoever.

Parents that traveled a good distance to see the games. Old friends - some ex-Challenger parents - that came to watch and cheer us on, stunned that this organization would do this.

Two really irritated umpires, we had to take $200 out of our budget to pay for -- even though they never umpired a single game. It wasn't THEIR fault that the other team did not show.

So now, instead of increasing their fundraising budget by $100, the girls fell backwards $200.

I have personally emailed Adam and told him that I have always respected him and the RIGHT thing to do here is reimburse us the money.

Had he cancelled we had EIGHT other teams willing to come and play. Not only was this opportunity not given to us, this courtesy NOT extended...but it cost these girls $200 of what they had earned, and that was dead wrong.

I have not received a response from him...at all.

Any Challenger's "organization" email addresses are invalid, with mail bounced back.

So could it get worse? I mean in travel ball we seek to teach our children not only sportsmanship, but good ethics at well. Surely, it could not happen twice in a six week period. Right?

Wrong? Only this is even worse.

The NC Shockers, formally known as the EC Shockers, are headed by "manager" Thurman Pate. Thurman had asked repeatedly for the opportunity to play us in one of these scrimmages, along with a team out of the southern part of the state. Since we had left two days open for potential college tournaments, after scheduling one we found that we had a weekend available. So we proposed this: A three game day with The Shockers playing their choice of times (they selected 1 and 3) and the other team playing 11 and 1. We would play the first team at 11, they would play the Shockers at 1, and then we would play the last team at 3. Same cost $300, plus 1/2 the blue.

The other team honored their commitment paying the fee without question and had a great day.

On the other hand....

When Thurman arrived he stated he had the check for 1/2 the blue but "forgot" the $300 playing fee at the house and would have to send it when he got home that afternoon. Had I known this when it happened I would have told the coach not to let them play. I have had the grave misfortune of knowing Thurman for many years -- we would not be the first place he has "forgotten" to bring payment to (or to pay later). Given his history on the field as well of playing ineligible players (Sophomore in college players pretending to be 18 years of age) which has led to coaches of his team quitting because they refused to CHEAT, and his nasty habit of asking wonderful young girls to come play for him only to sit them on the bench or lie to them about where they would play (I know of a couple currently suffering this fate on his team and one young lady that was DI bound as a pitcher at 15, that he tore down to the point that she does not play at all any longer), I am also well aware that he is lacking of ethical behaviors. Compound this with his nasty habit of having players commit to school A, while he is still shopping them at school B, C and D...and what lesson are these girls being taught????

I know him well enough to know that he was pulling yet another fast one.

Seriously, you are coming to one place to play one set of games and you need TWO checks? C'mon now.

Needless to say, that check was NOT mailed when he stated it would be. Three weeks later, I contacted him to inform him we needed to be paid, and he stated that the check had been mailed almost 10 days ago now.

Yup, still nothing.

So now, as opposed to the first time, the girls played these games and did not receive the money they earned.

And just like the Challengers, where we have one of their players now playing for us, we also have one of his players playing for us as well.

How do you think this makes THESE girls feel? That their old teams have "ripped off" their new one?

Total cost to these girls from these two teams? $500.

I thought long and hard about posting this. Then I struggled over if I did post it, do I post names or do I not? I reached out for advice from someone on this board that I trust implicitly and was told "Post it, names and all.... so it does not happen to someone else."

So here it is.

Adam? Thurman? You need to honor your commitment. These girls kept THEIR word and you need to keep YOURS.

I know several girls that play for each of these teams. Their parents - who are not on this board - would be LIVID to know that a team their daughter was playing on was associating their daughter's with "ripping off" other girls who have lived in that dirt for half their lives for their dream and that their team's actions could cost these girls part of their dream - playing in FL this spring.

Honesty and courtesy goes a long way. Both are seriously lacking here, and you SHOULD be ashamed!

Anyone who wants to take a shot at me for being so open on this board -- be my guest. But before you do, if this was your daughter and she had worked her tail off to make a goal a reality and dishonesty is what kept that from happening -- would you stand up for THEM?

This entire team is my DAUGHTERS...and they deserve to be treated with respect and to be able to expect adults, coaches, to act with HONOR.

 

This is not a comment on the guilt or innocence of either coach.

I've been associated in some way, off and on, with the Challengers since they were started. The Challengers have helped many, many players achieve their dreams of playing at the collegiate level. The Challenger organization and all the good they have done should not be judged negatively by the actions of one individual.

I won't mention any names (it would be impossible, anyway) of all the great people who have coached and/or assisted with the many teams over the years. The only exception to that is because his name was mentioned in the rant. Although he wasn't blamed, some may regard the mention in a negative light.

Over the years (and there have been many) I have personally observed "Stewart" on more than many occasions use his own money to pay for facilities, pay for quality professional coaches to conduct training for the teams, to pay for meals for players who didn't have the money, to offer "scholarships" to players who otherwise couldn't afford to play. These weren't based on how valuable they were to the team, either.

As said, I'm not judging one way or the other as far as the individuals accused. I'm not aware of the organizational structures but I feel it would be in the best interest of the organizations to defend their names. Having said that, everyone should be aware of whether they're entering into an agreement with an organization, or an individual. And, therefore, to place the appropriate blame if things don't work out.

 

Let me clarify, then. Stewart had nothing to do with Adam's actions -- at all. I have also known many players that have played for Stewart's team and they have not told me anything negative about him.

This is solely about Adam. And like it or not, every coach for an organization is a reflection upon the organization as a whole. Stewart, as far as I know, is a positive reflection on the organization. Adam's, however, is clearly a negative reflection. Do I think the team Stewart runs or Stewart's reputation should be blacked by Adam's actions? Absolutely not.

At the same time, because I have heard Stewart is an upstanding guy...including from you right now...maybe he will encourage Adam to do right by THESE girls...and in all future actions.

 

Not just Stewart. I believe most Challengers, past and present, players, coaches, and parents, would encourage doing the right thing.

I hope everything works out good for your team. And thanks for standing up for them!

 

This morning our coach saw Thurman at the MB tournament and now has that money in hand.

I am very happy for the girls that they have gotten back a portion of what is owed to them.

Hopefully Adam steps up and also does the right thing!

I never felt good about writing this, but as my friend said... it needed to be said so it doesn't happen to other teams.

 

Dundee

Remember this movie "Crococile Dundee". Dundee said, "If there is a problem with someone in town. Go tell the bartender, he tells everyone in town. Its handled and then we have no more problem"

Seems like a easy fix.

 

Shockers X 2

Well guess what?? It seems Justsoftball's College team was not the only team duped by the Shockers. They pulled a complete no show at another DII school that does the same type of fundraiser, only this team is trying to raise enough funds to play in the new 2013 Leadoff Classic in Tucson (Where they have been invited and accepted to play).

As with Justsoftball we had parents that had driven as many as 4 hours to see the girls play. I personally left home before 04:00AM to watch my daughter play in her first home game of the fall season.

The Shockers had agreed to fill in for another NC team that had an emergency and found the Shockers to fill in. The coach had her team on the field ready to play and no Shockers. No phone calls, no emails, no texts, would not return or answer the coach's calls, texts, or emails either.

Luckily there were two other teams scheduled to play that day and the schedule was changed and moved up and these teams were very gracious to make adjustments.

I can't believe the audacity of these coaches, to pull these type of shenanigans, on colleges. When they are supposed to be assisting their girls fulfill their dreams of playing ball in college.

And this is not the first time I have been let down by Pate's Shockers. A couple of years ago I coached a pretty successful travel team and received a call from a local tournament director. She asked if there was any way I could have a team available on a Saturday morning for a couple of scrimmages to play a team from the eastern part of the state (that would be in the area for an event on Sunday). (This was during high school season). I contacted some of our girls and a few others that had coaches that would not mind the girls playing and put a team together. The director got umpires and a field and we arrived at the field for a beautiful Saturday morning of two scrimmages and Pate's shockers pulled a no show. No calls, texts, or any type of communication. Luckily the umps never charged the TD for the games. So it seems this is the way this team regularly conducts business. Crying shame for the girls.