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Quote:
Random thought......
Did you ever notice when weather effects a club tournament, the number of people clamoring for refunds and kvetching about why they cancelled, etc?
This is HS.....and haven't heard one person crying about money or (mis) management. Cool.....can the same grace be extended to club?
GREAT observation. Mine is that it is a privilege to play high school ball, and often clubs/parents/kids think that you are privileged to play club ball. Humility and thankfulness v. look at me. It all boils down to the people involved, and there are just more people (players) who are thankful and delighted at the high school and junior varsity level than at club. Plus high school is sorta free so parents don't feel like you owe them back.
We have five kids who tried out for our JV who have never played soccer. We announced we would keep everyone who tried out in 9th and 10th grade for our first year JV program. These five kids have come to every practice, come to every scrimmage, come to every game. They sit in the stands together, are now a part of our program, and have never even put a uniform on yet. Can you imagine that in club?
It is a privilege to coach or play high school soccer. It is not a right.
Last edited by Retired, Old, and Happy; 03/01/09 02:33 PM.
Retired, Old, Happy, and off into the sunset
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Coach
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Yeah, overall, it's a significantly different mentality between the high school crowd and the "pay to play" crowd. I'm sure part of it is because most high school programs get their tournament fees and transportation costs out of the athletic program budget (or from fundraising, which still passes through the school account) rather than collecting tournament fees straight from the players/parents pockets, as many clubs do--not to mention the majority of high school tournament team fees are a fraction of most club tournament costs. It's a little different feel than "I just handed you a check for all this money, drove my daughter/son all this way, and got nothing." ROH makes a great point, though...high school ball is a service provided for the players at a comparatively minimal expense, and I would say there is a higher percentage of players who are simply grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to come out and do what they love doing. I'm a little jealous, though...great story about the 5 who never played before, stuck with the team, and sit in the stands together even though they haven't put on a uniform... Here, they'd not only be suited up, but might be starters. 
I've got good news and bad news...
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Yeah, overall, it's a significantly different mentality between the high school crowd and the "pay to play" crowd. I'm sure part of it is because most high school programs get their tournament fees and transportation costs out of the athletic program budget (or from fundraising, which still passes through the school account) rather than collecting tournament fees straight from the players/parents pockets, as many clubs do--not to mention the majority of high school tournament team fees are a fraction of most club tournament costs. It's a little different feel than "I just handed you a check for all this money, drove my daughter/son all this way, and got nothing."
ROH makes a great point, though...high school ball is a service provided for the players at a comparatively minimal expense, and I would say there is a higher percentage of players who are simply grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to come out and do what they love doing.
I'm a little jealous, though...great story about the 5 who never played before, stuck with the team, and sit in the stands together even though they haven't put on a uniform...
Here, they'd not only be suited up, but might be starters.
Last year we started five of those! Loved them all!
Retired, Old, Happy, and off into the sunset
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We have two kids whose parents make them try out for a sport every season. They have never made a team. When they came to the first day of JV tryouts, and I told everyone that every kid who tried out for JV would make it, and that our goal for this year for JV was "participation", they said, "You mean we made the team?" My "yes" was greeted by "Mom is not going to believe this!"
If you can't smile when this happens, you are dead. Those two kids are going to do something in life, soccer, or something I guarantee.
Find a way for it to work, instead of finding a way for it not to work. It's for the kids, not the coaches and parents, after all.
More WE, less me.
Retired, Old, Happy, and off into the sunset
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hat-trick
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I am a member of the club crowd and high school crowd also...I paid a good bit of money for the tourney that just got cancelled..I traveled out of state and I am sitting in this hotel room eating room service watching it rain...High school ball..Tourney cost me nothing and the bus is taking my child there and I can go or wait it looks like rain..I think I will stay home..PRICELESS..I think the bottom line is that everyone tries to get the tourneys in but if mother nature throws you a raw deal then shrug your shoulders and move on and be grateful that your child has the opportunity to play in such events..
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Yep...winning is great, don't get me wrong, and a coach has a responsibility to run a program that give the whole team opportunities to be successful. At the same time, though, at some point, you have to take into account what the team can do for the players, not just what the players can do for the team. I don't think we've ever been hurt in the long run by making calls based on that, and we've gained a lot.
I've got good news and bad news...
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Quote:
I am a member of the club crowd and high school crowd also...I paid a good bit of money for the tourney that just got cancelled..I traveled out of state and I am sitting in this hotel room eating room service watching it rain...High school ball..Tourney cost me nothing and the bus is taking my child there and I can go or wait it looks like rain..I think I will stay home..PRICELESS..I think the bottom line is that everyone tries to get the tourneys in but if mother nature throws you a raw deal then shrug your shoulders and move on and be grateful that your child has the opportunity to play in such events..
Love it!
Retired, Old, Happy, and off into the sunset
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Can you name the schools who have participated in the Taco Bell Viking Cup and have never lost a game?
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Goal
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Goal
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Quote:
Random thought......
Did you ever notice when weather effects a club tournament, the number of people clamoring for refunds and kvetching about why they cancelled, etc?
This is HS.....and haven't heard one person crying about money or (mis) management. Cool.....can the same grace be extended to club?
I suppose part of the incentive to try recouping some of the team expense associated with a club tournament, especially the larger tournaments, has to do with relatively high team registration fees and potentially greater travel expenses.
A few years ago one of the larger club tournaments, WAGS, found a way to at least reduce some of the "clamoring" and "kvetching" associated with tournament cancellations. WAGS began getting event coverage by Lloyds of London. While the coverage does not reimburse teams' travel expenses, it does allow WAGS the opportunity to reimburse team registration fees as well as cover its own expenses associated with the tournament.
I don't know how big a tournament would need to be to justify such coverage. While the cost and effort to put on the Viking Cup may not compare to a tournament like WAGS that hosts up to 600 teams from all over, I'm sure the cost to Spring Valley for VC is significant. Although I'm grateful to the tournament officials who decided not to put my daughters at risk, I am sorry the kids didn't get a chance to play and sorry Spring Valley lost the opportunity to recoup through concessions, merchandise and ticket sales some of their expenses. Perhaps there is event coverage available for future events that could at least reduce some of the financial "ouch" incurred by all involved.
Viking Cup is a great HS event, I'll be looking forward to my daughters' participation next year.
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World Cup
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