DA and ECNL Average Travel Budgets

[Unregistered]

Let me start by saying this is not intended to be another DA/ECNL debate. That is a different topic. The two leagues have similar travel costs so I am trying to get an honest assessment on how my club is doing to keep costs down.

Our club is requiring team travel to all away games(not a surprise) but they are also requiring team travel and lodging for the showcases which is driving the team budget to extremes. I am not new to this and know this is not a cheap adventure but I am feeling like our club is out of touch with the costs we are incurring.

So I ask this. What is your yearly team budget for all team expenses and travel? I will go first. This years budget just came out and we are at $4500 per player or about $560 a month for 8 months. This seems high to me and is a burden considering my family will also need to replicate expenses to see our child play. Please only comment if you have a player in one of the two leagues as the travel is roughly the same.

I’m not an ECNL or DA basher, but unless parents start to share their concerns about cost with the boards of their clubs so that the ED start to band together to get the leagues to improve the travel strategies nothing will change. Florida has enough teams that we should have a FL Conference and maybe you schedule one out of conference weekend in the fall and one in the spring. This with two national tournaments which one should be Sanford is plenty. Maybe you do three tournaments in the key recruiting years which I would add Disney....we are fortunate to have these big tournaments here so we not take advantage of it? Phoenix was disappointing in terms of College coaches coming to our games.

ED’s cutting deals with other clubs so you have to travel requiring plane or 7 hour bus ride for other tournaments is ridiculous when the basic travel is already a tone.

[Unregistered]

I’m not an ECNL or DA basher, but unless parents start to share their concerns about cost with the boards of their clubs so that the ED start to band together to get the leagues to improve the travel strategies nothing will change. Florida has enough teams that we should have a FL Conference and maybe you schedule one out of conference weekend in the fall and one in the spring. This with two national tournaments which one should be Sanford is plenty. Maybe you do three tournaments in the key recruiting years which I would add Disney....we are fortunate to have these big tournaments here so we not take advantage of it? Phoenix was disappointing in terms of College coaches coming to our games.

ED’s cutting deals with other clubs so you have to travel requiring plane or 7 hour bus ride for other tournaments is ridiculous when the basic travel is already a tone.

Very simple solution. Don't do it.

[Unregistered]

Very simple solution. Don't do it.

Thanks for that contribution to a good conversation.

[Unregistered]

Very simple solution. Don't do it.

That's the only thing that will bring some sense back into it. Families have to stop agreeing to it and taking their kids to cheaper options. But they won't - because they've bought the sales pitch that this is how you land a college spot. The market has to say no. That's all of us.

[Unregistered]

Very simple solution. Don't do it.

Your approach sounds appealing but it is not a solution and not helpful to those who are trying to gauge if their travel budgets are reasonable.

I am the original poster and appreciate all of you that have chimed in with your player’s fees. We are a DA family and it seems that our fees are in line with what most of you are experiencing. I occasionally hear that other clubs travelled to the showcases individually and their fees are hundreds of dollars less per month. We are going to the showcase regardless so that doubles the expense.

I did find it humorous that people wanted to hand out advice about how those of us that complain about the budgets should get better jobs or should have worked harder in college. How does that have anything to do with keeping our club leadership honest when it comes to travel expenses?

I should have added in the original post that our roster is at 16 so the total budget for the team is roughly 72k. That is probably the more important number as roster sizes differ.

[Unregistered]

Your approach sounds appealing but it is not a solution and not helpful to those who are trying to gauge if their travel budgets are reasonable.

I am the original poster and appreciate all of you that have chimed in with your player’s fees. We are a DA family and it seems that our fees are in line with what most of you are experiencing. I occasionally hear that other clubs travelled to the showcases individually and their fees are hundreds of dollars less per month. We are going to the showcase regardless so that doubles the expense.

I did find it humorous that people wanted to hand out advice about how those of us that complain about the budgets should get better jobs or should have worked harder in college. How does that have anything to do with keeping our club leadership honest when it comes to travel expenses?

I should have added in the original post that our roster is at 16 so the total budget for the team is roughly 72k. That is probably the more important number as roster sizes differ.

How dare you try to have a reasonable, valuable discussion on TS!

[Unregistered]

Your approach sounds appealing but it is not a solution and not helpful to those who are trying to gauge if their travel budgets are reasonable.

I am the original poster and appreciate all of you that have chimed in with your player’s fees. We are a DA family and it seems that our fees are in line with what most of you are experiencing. I occasionally hear that other clubs travelled to the showcases individually and their fees are hundreds of dollars less per month. We are going to the showcase regardless so that doubles the expense.

I did find it humorous that people wanted to hand out advice about how those of us that complain about the budgets should get better jobs or should have worked harder in college. How does that have anything to do with keeping our club leadership honest when it comes to travel expenses?

I should have added in the original post that our roster is at 16 so the total budget for the team is roughly 72k. That is probably the more important number as roster sizes differ.

Team budget? What if players on the team are not making payments?

[Unregistered]

Team budget? What if players on the team are not making payments?

Families that can't afford it should apply for need based scholarships (which should have been one during the tryout period. Too many families don't think about the costs ahead of time like the thread OP). If they don't pay in a timey manner their kid doesn't play until they've paid up. It's pretty simple but some clubs are terrible with fiscal management.

[Unregistered]

Let me start by saying this is not intended to be another DA/ECNL debate. That is a different topic. The two leagues have similar travel costs so I am trying to get an honest assessment on how my club is doing to keep costs down.

Our club is requiring team travel to all away games(not a surprise) but they are also requiring team travel and lodging for the showcases which is driving the team budget to extremes. I am not new to this and know this is not a cheap adventure but I am feeling like our club is out of touch with the costs we are incurring.

So I ask this. What is your yearly team budget for all team expenses and travel? I will go first. This years budget just came out and we are at $4500 per player or about $560 a month for 8 months. This seems high to me and is a burden considering my family will also need to replicate expenses to see our child play. Please only comment if you have a player in one of the two leagues as the travel is roughly the same.

You identified the problem already! All clubs do not care about the your cost. They care about the maximum clubs profit, limiting club expenses, and maximizing coaches compensation while decreasing coaches expenses. Additionally, their are parents who have unlimited soccer budgets and they are usually driving other parents cost up due to their easy acceptance of the associated cost communicated by the clubs. Parents who have limited resources and have kids with elite ability, those kids are carried financially. So the parents left holding the bag are the remaining parents who are often dispensable or fall in between both scenarios.

[Unregistered]

With club organized travel, be careful what you wish for. Some clubs cram too many kids on cheap buses, stay at crap hotels and feed them cheap pizza and subs. You also want to make sure there are some responsible adults chaperones, because most coaches wont' do much.

- former BDA parent

[Unregistered]

Families that can't afford it should apply for need based scholarships (which should have been one during the tryout period. Too many families don't think about the costs ahead of time like the thread OP). If they don't pay in a timey manner their kid doesn't play until they've paid up. It's pretty simple but some clubs are terrible with fiscal management.

What makes you think I didn’t think about the costs ahead of time. I am not new to this or travel soccer. I merely wanted to gauge if our costs were reasonable as I have been surprised by what seems to be a lack of concern that our budget is over 70k for the year. In previous years the budget never topped 30k and that was with tournament costs which we don’t have in DA. I just think we can do better.

[Unregistered]

What makes you think I didn’t think about the costs ahead of time. I am not new to this or travel soccer. I merely wanted to gauge if our costs were reasonable as I have been surprised by what seems to be a lack of concern that our budget is over 70k for the year. In previous years the budget never topped 30k and that was with tournament costs which we don’t have in DA. I just think we can do better.

No you didn't research it enough. You are also forgetting that with ECNL and DA the travel is much more extensive and often requires overnight stays just for league games. Showcases run 3-4+ days, not just for the weekend. Coaching expenses are higher. Other than FL events they all require air travel = more cha-ching. Both leagues require you to use a travel agent; again paying more than market rates but you've no choice.

Ask your club for an accounting of expenses. If it's a non profit you are entitled to that information. If it's privately held you're SOL.

[Unregistered]

My family spent over $9k last year (with all expenses including family travel). We have 1 player. She played in U14GDA. Not worth it. 9k x 4 or 5 years equals more than the price of a Florida prepaid plan.

[Unregistered]

My family spent over $9k last year (with all expenses including family travel). We have 1 player. She played in U14GDA. Not worth it. 9k x 4 or 5 years equals more than the price of a Florida prepaid plan.

We spent about $8k. We love it though. As long as my daughter loves it, we will support her.

[Unregistered]

Enjoy the moment because for most it is the end. Soccer is messed up. The money and travel is rigged in favor of the clubs.