I have heard that several teams will be traveling to Fla. and other places south for spring break. I understand the weather thing, But with high gas prices and rising costs of everything and more families struggling these days should these coaches try to stay a little closer to home.

Gas is starting to get cheaper. The teams that want to compete for a title will still make the trip south.

I have heard that several teams will be traveling to Fla. and other places south for spring break. I understand the weather thing, But with high gas prices and rising costs of everything and more families struggling these days should these coaches try to stay a little closer to home.

I think these trips are good for programs as far as the competition, but it's also sad that some kids basically have to give up baseball due to their families not being able to afford trips like this, baseball academies etc. I know some programs basically tell kids if they can't participate in the off-season academies, the spring break trips, etc, they can't play.

I wish NCC would travel...

Traveling south is a great thing if a booster club can accomodate the dollars needed. The trip not only offers competition that a team won't normally face, but provides a bonding experience that is unmatched. That closeness hopefully happens not only with the players, but the group of parents too if everyone is lucky and puts forth some effort. I think it's a great experience for players and their families.

Traveling south is a great thing if a booster club can accomodate the dollars needed. The trip not only offers competition that a team won't normally face, but provides a bonding experience that is unmatched. That closeness hopefully happens not only with the players, but the group of parents too if everyone is lucky and puts forth some effort. I think it's a great experience for players and their families.

 

NCC has tried to fund this in the past but no luck

Traveling south is a great thing if a booster club can accomodate the dollars needed. The trip not only offers competition that a team won't normally face, but provides a bonding experience that is unmatched. That closeness hopefully happens not only with the players, but the group of parents too if everyone is lucky and puts forth some effort. I think it's a great experience for players and their families.

 

Again, what about the extra expense that this puts on families. It has already been said that some kids don't play because they cannot afford the spring trip. The boosters at all these schools don't pay for the whole trip. And at one school for the Spring Trip the coach is making the parents bring their kid to Fla. and not even providing transportation. Lets see a weeks stay for a family of four in fla. $1500 not counting food and gas! In these shakey economic times that's extreme for alot of these parents. I am sure the coaches way is paid for, so I guess he doesn't care.

Again, what about the extra expense that this puts on families. It has already been said that some kids don't play because they cannot afford the spring trip. The boosters at all these schools don't pay for the whole trip. And at one school for the Spring Trip the coach is making the parents bring their kid to Fla. and not even providing transportation. Lets see a weeks stay for a family of four in fla. $1500 not counting food and gas! In these shakey economic times that's extreme for alot of these parents. I am sure the coaches way is paid for, so I guess he doesn't care.

 

The only schools I'm personally aware of that go to Florida (and this is Lexington schools) have the trip completely paid for by the booster club. Now, where does the money come from in the booster club? It comes from fundraising or out of a parent's pocket if they choose to not participate in fundraising. The players even get meal money every day. I've never known of a kid not being able to participate or travel. I can't imagine a coach saying that kids have to come up with money out of their own pocket.

 

Now, for families that would like to attend that's a different matter of course. It is understandable that some players will end up down there without family present. Of course, some players are playing right on their home field without family support. There are always unfortunate circumstances that surround highschool athletes of all sports. One difference between the boosters of larger schools vs those of small schools/communities is the available fundraising of course. It's much more difficult for a school of 400 kids in a small community to have many options.... at least not the options of a school of 2200 in a city of 350,000.

Edited October 22, 200817 yr by bluegrass
Better clarification - hopefully!

Spring trips and excellent opportunities, to play teams well into the mid-season. It offers outstanding weather to train, practice and get done what March weather in Kentucky, doesn't often allow.

 

The financial commitment, is a lot on the school, families and business communities. Many will work to afford a trip, only every few years.

I know that the only stipulation that was put on when I was at Rockcastle COunty was that each player had to help in the fundraising. It was mostly selling "Rocket Cards" and that was a credit card sized discount thing. It would have discounts to some of the local businesses on it and was good for one year. I think the players sold them for $10-15 dollars each and whatever money they sold was taken off the total that they had to pay for theor portion of the trip. So if they could sell between 20-30 of them, they had a great chunk of the cost already chopped down for them.

I know that the only stipulation that was put on when I was at Rockcastle COunty was that each player had to help in the fundraising. It was mostly selling "Rocket Cards" and that was a credit card sized discount thing. It would have discounts to some of the local businesses on it and was good for one year. I think the players sold them for $10-15 dollars each and whatever money they sold was taken off the total that they had to pay for their portion of the trip. So if they could sell between 20-30 of them, they had a great chunk of the cost already chopped down for them.

The key to any Spring Break trip to Florida or South, is to establish a budget and fund raise well in advance, to supplement or offset any costs.

The key to any Spring Break trip to Florida or South, is to establish a budget and fund raise well in advance, to supplement or offset any costs.

 

In talking to our head coach, the tough thing about fund-raising in advance in not knowing who will make the team the following Spring. How do you ask kids to fund raise in advance if there's a chance they won't even make the team? And conversely, what if a new student moves into the school during the winter and misses all the fundraising events, but makes the ball team?

 

I wish like heck our school would go down. Beats watching it rain/snow outside here in NKY and I very much agree the bonding experience, especially that early in the season, in invaluable. I've always been curious how some of the smaller schools up here in NKY ( schools like Walton, Bellevue, Lloyd, etc... ) make this trip down there. Good for them. I'm envious.

Traveling south is a great thing if a booster club can accomodate the dollars needed. The trip not only offers competition that a team won't normally face, but provides a bonding experience that is unmatched. That closeness hopefully happens not only with the players, but the group of parents too if everyone is lucky and puts forth some effort. I think it's a great experience for players and their families.

How does this work with title ix. Does your Booster's also provide money for the girl's softball team to take a trip?

The key to any Spring Break trip to Florida or South, is to establish a budget and fund raise well in advance, to supplement or offset any costs.

 

In talking to our head coach, the tough thing about fund-raising in advance in not knowing who will make the team the following Spring. How do you ask kids to fund raise in advance if there's a chance they won't even make the team? And conversely, what if a new student moves into the school during the winter and misses all the fundraising events, but makes the ball team?

 

I wish like heck our school would go down. Beats watching it rain/snow outside here in NKY and I very much agree the bonding experience, especially that early in the season, in invaluable. I've always been curious how some of the smaller schools up here in NKY ( schools like Walton, Bellevue, Lloyd, etc... ) make this trip down there. Good for them. I'm envious.

 

As far as I know, the one major thing Rockcastle COunty did in advance was to sell the signs that went on the outfield fence each year. Then the players started to do the fundraising once they actually made the team.

 

I remember one year they also sold raffle tickets for a shotgun. There was one other thing that that raffled off but I can't remember what it was.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the biggest thing that some schools do to raise money for trips like this is to work Bingo events either at their school each week or they had set times where they worked actual Bingo halls.

I wish CovCath would partake.