Do Team Managers Skim...

[Unregistered]

...or are coaches just pocketing "tips"?

With the new season upon us, and tournaments looming, I've been wondering about this. Last spring, my kid moved from a club where everything was included in the fees to a different club where families are expected to kick in some extra cash whenever there's an out-of-area tournament. This is supposedly to cover the coach's room and meals. I'm okay with the concept, but I'm a little skeptical of the execution. For example, the first such tournament that came up for us was one we had told the coach ahead of time we wouldn't be making. The manager came at us asking for $75 as our share, but when we informed him that we weren't going, he said, "OK, no problem, don't worry about contributing." I'm pretty sure the coach's room and meals were covered without our contribution (and then some, considering how many players went to the tournament), so if we had kicked in, where would that $75 have gone?

How do other clubs handle this kind of thing? I can't figure out if this is a common practice that we just didn't experience at our first club, or if the team we've ended up with has an unquestioning "that's just the way it's done" attitude and no one has ever raised the BS flag.

[Unregistered]

...or are coaches just pocketing "tips"?

With the new season upon us, and tournaments looming, I've been wondering about this. Last spring, my kid moved from a club where everything was included in the fees to a different club where families are expected to kick in some extra cash whenever there's an out-of-area tournament. This is supposedly to cover the coach's room and meals. I'm okay with the concept, but I'm a little skeptical of the execution. For example, the first such tournament that came up for us was one we had told the coach ahead of time we wouldn't be making. The manager came at us asking for $75 as our share, but when we informed him that we weren't going, he said, "OK, no problem, don't worry about contributing." I'm pretty sure the coach's room and meals were covered without our contribution (and then some, considering how many players went to the tournament), so if we had kicked in, where would that $75 have gone?

How do other clubs handle this kind of thing? I can't figure out if this is a common practice that we just didn't experience at our first club, or if the team we've ended up with has an unquestioning "that's just the way it's done" attitude and no one has ever raised the BS flag.

Likely, it all goes into the kitty for the coaches. I expect it more than covers their expenses, so losing $75 doesn't matter as they are in the black on it anyway.

That being said, I've never been with a Club that goes through the Manager to get fees. Either it's done directly with the Travel place, or straight to the Club

[Unregistered]

NEFC is like 250 per year.

[Unregistered]

I coach at a small club (NEP) and the club pays for my travel expenses. We'd never ask the parents to chip in for the coaches fees.

[Unregistered]

Both clubs I have been with expect the parents to cover travel cost for the coaches, it has never been covered by the club. It is for flights, hotel, meals and rental car but for out of state only, such as Jeff Cup. Regardless of who attends everyone must pay, if there are 18 players on the roster the cost is divided up over the 18 players so if 1 player decides not to go does not make the flight, hotel or car rental any cheaper. If it is in your contract to attend you are expected to pitch in unless of course there are unforeseen circumstances. $75 is only $1350.00 in total so that is pretty cheap to cover flight, hotel, car and a food allowance. TMs for the most part are volunteers and most end up out of pocket at the end of the day.

[Unregistered]

I coach at a small club (NEP) and the club pays for my travel expenses. We'd never ask the parents to chip in for the coaches fees.

Where are you going? If it is within 100 miles absolutely but do they cover your airfare, car rental and meals when you are at a showcase like CASL or Jeff Cup?

[Unregistered]

If the club covers it, the parents are paying it. It's just buried in your fee.

Who asks for an itemized list of where the resources are allocated? I think I wouldn't want to know, better to keep that hidden to keep me from getting irate.

[Unregistered]

If the club covers it, the parents are paying it. It's just buried in your fee.

Who asks for an itemized list of where the resources are allocated? I think I wouldn't want to know, better to keep that hidden to keep me from getting irate.

If the club has to budget travel to these events, then they are spreading it out over the entire club and every team is paying regardless if they are attending or not. I like that just the team traveling is cover the coaches travel expenses and not everyone else. Also how would a club know how to even budget for this, they would have to estimate that the teams get accepted and what the hotel, car rental and airfare would be at that time, some of these events are months away, that sounds like an impossible task and they would have to inflate the price so they do not end up loosing money. I agree if the club is covering these cost then they are spreading it over everyone, that seems unfair to the ones not attending these travel events.

[Unregistered]

If the club covers it, the parents are paying it. It's just buried in your fee.

Who asks for an itemized list of where the resources are allocated? I think I wouldn't want to know, better to keep that hidden to keep me from getting irate.

Yes of course and you probably don't want to see the profit margins at club :). But that way there's no skimming by a manager or even a coach. The club handles all the money and really is how it should be (it helps protect the club too). If it isn't then parents have every right to ask for an accounting of how a manger or coach is using the extra $ they are asked to give.

With three players we've been at several clubs. The only time a manager handles money is for a coaches gift or a team dinner. If an extra tournament was added we paid the club directly.

[Unregistered]

If the club has to budget travel to these events, then they are spreading it out over the entire club and every team is paying regardless if they are attending or not. I like that just the team traveling is cover the coaches travel expenses and not everyone else. Also how would a club know how to even budget for this, they would have to estimate that the teams get accepted and what the hotel, car rental and airfare would be at that time, some of these events are months away, that sounds like an impossible task and they would have to inflate the price so they do not end up loosing money. I agree if the club is covering these cost then they are spreading it over everyone, that seems unfair to the ones not attending these travel events.

"Operational Expenses"

[Unregistered]

TMs for the most part are volunteers and most end up out of pocket at the end of the day.

At the first club we were at, the manager got a considerable discount on fees. I haven't thought to ask about it at this new club, but is that not common? Why would anyone do the job if that's not the case?

[Unregistered]

If the club covers it, the parents are paying it. It's just buried in your fee.

Who asks for an itemized list of where the resources are allocated? I think I wouldn't want to know, better to keep that hidden to keep me from getting irate.

Frankly, I'd prefer it to be buried in my fees than to have the manager passing the hat several times a year.

[Unregistered]

The only time a manager handles money is for a coaches gift or a team dinner. If an extra tournament was added we paid the club directly.

Same here. We've been managers twice now and only time we collected money was for a charity event, which was club-oriented not team-oriented; and a team dinner we ourselves decided to coordinate.

I don't want to talk money with people. Just turns into a sob story and I really don't care to listen.

[Unregistered]

If the club has to budget travel to these events, then they are spreading it out over the entire club and every team is paying regardless if they are attending or not. I like that just the team traveling is cover the coaches travel expenses and not everyone else. Also how would a club know how to even budget for this, they would have to estimate that the teams get accepted and what the hotel, car rental and airfare would be at that time, some of these events are months away, that sounds like an impossible task and they would have to inflate the price so they do not end up loosing money. I agree if the club is covering these cost then they are spreading it over everyone, that seems unfair to the ones not attending these travel events.

If you sign up for a team you're expected to travel to those events. Don't expect a small refund because you decide to stay home.

Most times clubs have been doing events for years and have a good idea on what their expenses will be. They usually budget for 2-3 events and if an extra is added they have to decide to eat the costs or ask parents to pay a little extra (which across 18 players won't be very much). One of my kids made national NPL one year and we only paid for our own travel expenses, no coach travel. The club covered that.

[Unregistered]

At the first club we were at, the manager got a considerable discount on fees. I haven't thought to ask about it at this new club, but is that not common? Why would anyone do the job if that's not the case?

We've never asked, nor been offered, anything. I suppose I could've.

As for 'why'?, I'm a control freak and if I handled some of the logistics I know it's done to my satisfaction. It's a minimal amount of work.