Anthony Travel

[Unregistered]

Its a kid soccer riddle. When is losing really winning and when is winning really losing?

[Unregistered]

We will go to the tournaments even with the abusive travel deals and we will complain about it. Too bad if you want a gold star. Get us better rates and you might get some more positive feed back - not that you care.

I don't care, why would I? You signed up for it. It comes as part of the package.

[Unregistered]

Don't stop at travel. I think it's ridiculous we need to go through their vendors for fancy adidas-labelled kits. I should be able to buy my own kit and put my kid's number on it and be done with it.

Heck, I don't even see the need to even go that far. Just tell me the team's colors and I'll get something to match.

You're joking right? You're complaining that you have to buy their kits? If your teams colors are red and white, it is ok to wear a white hanes t-shirt with duct taped numbers and a sharpied logo? Add in a red shirt, slightly off shade and whatever shorts lying around. Give me a break. Some of you complain to complain! Gheez, get a job or go out to the dog park and get some socialization.

[Unregistered]

I don't care, why would I? You signed up for it. It comes as part of the package.

There is always that part of the package deal that no one wants.

[Unregistered]

You're joking right? You're complaining that you have to buy their kits? If your teams colors are red and white, it is ok to wear a white hanes t-shirt with duct taped numbers and a sharpied logo? Add in a red shirt, slightly off shade and whatever shorts lying around. Give me a break. Some of you complain to complain! Gheez, get a job or go out to the dog park and get some socialization.

Duct tape and sharpies sound pretty good to me!

[Unregistered]

It would be fantastic if some team with duct tape numbers, sharpie logos, cheap digs and hand me down cleats were the best team at the event. have it be about the soccer and the abilities of the players for once.

[Unregistered]

Anthony Travel

Right! So...

as a parent, yea sometimes i do wish for a loss so we can go home and/or save on time/money traveling.....but when that whistle blows from start to finish my kid and his team mates fight to the end for the win (as well as every team should).

[Unregistered]

it would be fantastic if some team with duct tape numbers, sharpie logos, cheap digs and hand me down cleats were the best team at the event. Have it be about the soccer and the abilities of the players for once.

hoosiers!

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know the terms of these deals between the leagues and these travel companies? I wonder in terms of profit, what they make off of these agreements. If my daughter has a showcase or a competitive tournament, we will stay with the team and when its just a overnight stay we make our own reservations. I always find options outside of the team reservations that are significantly cheaper and often times closer. So what is the purpose of these agreements that force you to book at their listings?

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know the terms of these deals between the leagues and these travel companies? I wonder in terms of profit, what they make off of these agreements. If my daughter has a showcase or a competitive tournament, we will stay with the team and when its just a overnight stay we make our own reservations. I always find options outside of the team reservations that are significantly cheaper and often times closer. So what is the purpose of these agreements that force you to book at their listings?

The tournaments get money from the travel agency. Call it a kickback if you want; tournament organizers claim it's a donation that helps make the event happen.

[Unregistered]

I'm sure there is a benefit of knowing where teams are, that they don't have to come back and complain they couldn't find a hotel in the area, teams are together (I guess except for a few), have known travel distances to make starting times, etc.

Might be tough if you have a tournament of 300 teams and tell them "have at it". Kids be arriving from all over the place at any given time. Pretty hard to control the flow of the games this way.

But, you know, you can always complain about the Man...

[Unregistered]

I'm sure there is a benefit of knowing where teams are, that they don't have to come back and complain they couldn't find a hotel in the area, teams are together (I guess except for a few), have known travel distances to make starting times, etc.

Might be tough if you have a tournament of 300 teams and tell them "have at it". Kids be arriving from all over the place at any given time. Pretty hard to control the flow of the games this way.

But, you know, you can always complain about the Man...

That's actually a great point. How can you host a tournament without securing accommodations for these teams? They don't want to do it themselves, so they hire a travel company to do it for them.

[Unregistered]

I'm sure there is a benefit of knowing where teams are, that they don't have to come back and complain they couldn't find a hotel in the area, teams are together (I guess except for a few), have known travel distances to make starting times, etc.

Might be tough if you have a tournament of 300 teams and tell them "have at it". Kids be arriving from all over the place at any given time. Pretty hard to control the flow of the games this way.

But, you know, you can always complain about the Man...

Offer to help the many teams and families that want and need the assistance. many will accept the help and you will get money from them.

Do not force the ones that are very capable with tight budgets and want to do the leg work themselves.

Offer to assist but do not threaten those that do not need help. Win win. Problem solved.

[Unregistered]

The tournaments get money from the travel agency. Call it a kickback if you want; tournament organizers claim it's a donation that helps make the event happen.

Tournaments hire the travel agencies to book the rooms for them! Lets say you are at Jefferson Cup and you have 700 teams coming in each weekend in April. That is 2800 teams! Yes, you get $1000+ per team, but now you also require each team to book at least 12 rooms, for at least 2 nights. Lets say you get $10/room/night and the travel agent gets the same. For you, that is an extra .... 2800 teams * 12 rooms/team * 2 nights * $10/night = ...... DRUM ROLL PLEASE ...... $672,000 for your tournament (no refs fees, no insurance .... that money is clear). For the Strikers to clear $672,000 for April hotels alone (+ whatever they make for the tournaments), do you really think they care that you spent an extra $50/night and stayed 30 minutes from your field?

[Unregistered]

As part of the agreement hotels hold blocks of rooms for teams so that teams can stay together. Once their deadliness passes they then release them to the public. Without that it may be difficult to get enough rooms for an entire team at one hotel.

the situation isn't ideal, but without either 1) every club telling tournament organizers they won't come without ending the arrangement (good luck with that) or 2) state's attorney's generals get involved, it's not going to change. Clubs that stay on top of the dates when info is released will have more locations and price points to chose from than those who wait.