league fees question

[addicted2bats]

inb4 the its just league brah, who cares.......

Question regarding abnormally high league fees being collected by manager. Im new to this team, and the league for the most part. I played on 1 team in this league in the past, where fees were about $65 per person. Joined a few new teams after moving closer to this area last fall and a team manager is charging $100 per player to play in this same league (albeit different night).

Team fees for this particular league are $770 per team. We have 13 rostered players. So this guy is making $1300 on league fees alone to cover the $770 league fee and a dozen balls.

I personally dont mind if the manager wants to play for free for all the crap he has to put up with from week to week....but to pocket $500 on top of that? Seems a bit much to me.

Would you just pay it and not say anything, or would you say "F you dude" and be on your way?

 

[Villeson]

Where I play we have league fees but Umpire fees are separate. We have 2 umps a game and each team pays an umpire. Its in the area of 20-30 bucks a game, lets call it 25, if you play around 20 games that sounds ok. Just a thought.

 

[Qoheleth52]

How bad do you want to throw away money? Or just haggle...

 

[ddoubler]

Does that include jerseys? Do you have to pay the umps every game out of team pocket or is that included in the upfront league price?

 

[addicted2bats]

ump fees are included in the team fees. So the $770 covers everything, but you provide your own balls.

There are no jersey fees either as the jerseys used are t-shirts that have been used for what i understand to be 3+ years now.

 

[Odog]

I'd ask to have an open policy about team finances. But really it's 30$ for all those weeks......

 

[beernbombs]

Is he asking for $100 per because he knows some guys won't pay?

 

[addicted2bats]

Its not about the money.......its tge principle of this guy making a profit on league ball. I hate empowering crap like that

 

[addicted2bats]

Is he asking for $100 per because he knows some guys won't pay?

No clue, new to the team and only know the 1 guy who recruited me to come play for them

 

[qwertle8]

Is he asking for $100 per because he knows some guys won't pay?

This is very likely. Personally I've managed on average 3 teams a year for the last 10 or so years, I set the player fees at 1/10 the team fee, in that time I've broken even a handful of times.

Also... are there any team bats, does he bring the drinks, is there an end of season BBQ, you mention it is different nights are you sure they are the same amount (around here that is not always the case), you sure the league price is this years number (I know all of mine went up this year), some teams pay extra for league to help fund their tournament costs.

Or maybe you are the only one paying $100

 

[Salamander]

$100 for league is ridiculous, unless your playing 16 games for the season. I would ask some of the other players how much they paid. I'm sure he's not making $500, I bet that there are some players that won't pay and he charges more money to guys like you to make up for it.

 

[TheKid33]

I would give him 65 and buy 5 game balls (about $35) and tell him if you lose one you'll replace it with one of your own.

 

[VF500Racer]

Find out what total leagues fee + umpire fees are.
Divide by 10~12 and go from there.
I toss in extra ball fees sometimes if coach uses premium balls.
It is rough running a team when players keep stiffing the manager.

 

[ilyk2win]

inb4 the its just league brah, who cares.......

Question regarding abnormally high league fees being collected by manager. Im new to this team, and the league for the most part. I played on 1 team in this league in the past, where fees were about $65 per person. Joined a few new teams after moving closer to this area last fall and a team manager is charging $100 per player to play in this same league (albeit different night).

Team fees for this particular league are $770 per team. We have 13 rostered players. So this guy is making $1300 on league fees alone to cover the $770 league fee and a dozen balls.

I personally dont mind if the manager wants to play for free for all the crap he has to put up with from week to week....but to pocket $500 on top of that? Seems a bit much to me.

Would you just pay it and not say anything, or would you say "F you dude" and be on your way?

Funny that you see ^^^those 2 options as your only recourse. Wouldn't it just be easier to ask him where the $100 number comes from? We can all speculate until we're blue in the face, but it seems that he's probably the only one who knows.....so why not just ASK HIM?

 

[mihklo]

Why not question him about the fees and the break down?
Team I run I let everyone know the break down of costs.
I know I wouldn't play for someone that's out there ripping his teammates off.

 

[addicted2bats]

well as the new guy to the team, im not trying to create any kind of drama. I just find it extremely odd that one team is $65, and the other is $100 in the same league.

If I question the fees then im pretty sure I'll get a dirty look and a snarky response.....trying to avoid that if at all possible without empowering him to profit from these league fees.

 

[B-radical]

Why not question him about the fees and the break down?
Team I run I let everyone know the break down of costs.
I know I wouldn't play for someone that's out there ripping his teammates off.

This right here, ask him in front of everyone what's going on with the rest of the money......

 

[mihklo]

Do the other guy not question why they're so high?
What does the guy that got you on the team say? If he knows the coach well why not have him inquire.

 

[rmarsh]

It depends on what sponsorship one team has compared to another. Personally I put in $300 of my own money on top of the sponsorship money so that my guys would only have to pay $50. They could have been asked to pay as much as 90$ if we didn't get some help from other sources. Also you can factor in tournaments(that you may or may not go to), different pricing on jerseys and hats(mandatory in most leagues), balls and maybe team equipment funds depending on the team. There are tons of factors on what it cost to run a team. It gets expensive for a manager that is ill prepared. So over budgeting by a little would also help for future team endeavors that may come up. ie.. team parties, beer, food for long days, drinks, water cooler, or even fines that players cause for the team during the year. Our league likes to fine teams for every rule that isn't followed.

 

[csk415]

well as the new guy to the team, im not trying to create any kind of drama. I just find it extremely odd that one team is $65, and the other is $100 in the same league.

If I question the fees then im pretty sure I'll get a dirty look and a snarky response.....trying to avoid that if at all possible without empowering him to profit from these league fees.

What is it about this team that your fine with paying $100 to play? If you have doubts ask. I could care less if someone gives me a look or some lame response. Its my money and I have a right to know what it goes towards. He shouldnt have a issue explaining. If he does, just walk away.

 

[ilyk2win]

Would you just pay it and not say anything, or would you say "F you dude" and be on your way?

well as the new guy to the team, im not trying to create any kind of drama. I just find it extremely odd that one team is $65, and the other is $100 in the same league.

If I question the fees then im pretty sure I'll get a dirty look and a snarky response.....trying to avoid that if at all possible without empowering him to profit from these league fees.

So saying F you dude and quitting is less dramatic than simply asking what the $100 covers?

Try being an adult and simply asking about the finances is a respectful manner, maybe aside from the rest of the team....as in 1 on 1 with the dude. There might just be justification and then there won't be any drama at all. And if there isn't justification, let him know where you stand and figure it out like rational adults. Seems VERY sipmple to me.

 

[rmarsh]

talking to the team manager would be the best coarse of action. Your playing for his team. If you cant trust him after talking to him, then maybe this team isn't the best for you. I am upfront with the guys that play on my team. If they cant trust me to do what I need to do, how can I expect to trust them on what they need to do. My guess is by talking to him you will get the answer you need. Go at it with care though, not resentment at the cost. Be polite.

 

[vipvanilla]

As everyone has said, just ask! If he gets really defensive, well then I think you have your answer as to where the extra money is going. But maybe there's a legit reason.

For us, we have a non-resident fee that can be tacked on for every player that doesn't live within the city limits. They changed the rule a bit this year, but it's basically an extra $20/player that doesn't live in the city limits. Of my 12 players, 10 live out of the limits... that's an extra $200 that I divide among the team, but some of the teams around here just have each player pay their own out of resident fee on their own. So maybe that's part of it for you?

 

[csk415]

You all have some high league fees. We pay $375 for a 10 game season. Ump fee is included in the 375. We supply our own softballs. Sucks that a league would make out of town people pay and extra 20. Maybe our fees are cheaper since the city owns and maintains the fields.

 

[addicted2bats]

You all have some high league fees. We pay $375 for a 10 game season. Ump fee is included in the 375. We supply our own softballs. Sucks that a league would make out of town people pay and extra 20. Maybe our fees are cheaper since the city owns and maintains the fields.

city owns and maintains the fields here as well.....just part of living in the bubble of DC and its stupid high cost of living

 

[VF500Racer]

city owns and maintains the fields here as well.....just part of living in the bubble of DC and its stupid high cost of living

Be glad it's not NYC Central park. The fees there are outrageous
and usually requires a corporate sponsorship!
I subbed in one game last summer during a visit and couldn't believe
the $$$$ fees those teams were paying!

 

[AreJay]

I was just thinking this are some high league fees.

We pay $325, for a 14 game regular season plus a double elimination tournament at the end of the season. Balls are provided with our input and the ump fees come out of our entry fee.

 

[adunn83]

League is $25 for me. $100 seems like an awful lot.

 

[east bay j]

Who the **** uses the word "snarky"? I'd probably charge you $100 as well & make you bring a case of nice cold Oly's every week!

 

[batboy_2006]

I'd just ask him to explain everything. No reason he should hide any of that info from his team.

Our league fees are $1000. Plus we have to pay for umps per game on top of that. We get maximum of 18 games @ $15 ($270 - 7 inning games) and a maximum of 14 games @ $10 ($140 - 5 inning games). $1410 total. Plus home team has to supply balls. Plus it's $3 to get through the gate.

I charge my 10 players $140 each and I do a bat raffle in spring that brings in $100 on top of the cost of the bat. This covers the cost for new balls, a scorebook, and anything else that may be required for each season. Spares play for free as we have a pretty dedicated group of 10 players that don't miss many, if any. Unfortunately in the past 2 seasons in our current league, we have played 1 or 2 games shy of the maximum, so there has been no money left to carry over to the next season, so I can't lower our fees and we don't have a sponsorship to help offset/lower each players costs.