Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime, but it is by no
means its least expensive. This fact holds particularly true for youth involved
in competitive, traveling baseball teams. The parents of these young players
are typically expected to foot the bill for tournament entry fees, part or all
of the travel costs, monthly dues, and more. The good news is that if baseball
parents are smart and willing to work together to support their young athletes,
it’s possible to cover all or at least a large chunk of these expenses through
fundraising.
While there are all kinds of opportunities for fundraising,
some methods work better than others. The best thing to do, when attempting to
raise money, is to find some event or activity that will bring in a large
amount of money without costing a lot of money to host or taking up too much of
the already busy parents and players’ time.
One great thing to consider is to find a team sponsor. The
sponsor is typically a local business that wants to do something good for the community
and get its name and image out there as well. The fact that the business gets
advertising through the sponsorship is definitely a good incentive. In addition
to having a sponsor, baseball teams can also do well by soliciting donations
from local businesses.Teams should ask for a specific amount rather than just
requesting a donation. When no amount is specified, teams tend to collect many
small donations, which just don’t add up as quickly. Teams are encouraged to do
something for the businesses that donate as an incentive. It could be as simple
as reading off the business’s name before a game or something as touching as
offering up a plaque or banner that the business can proudly display, but in
the end, when both the team and the business “get something,” everyone is
happier.
Selling cookies, doughnuts, baked goods, and other edible
items is also an easy way to collect a lot of money fast. If you get a bunch of
cute baseball players outside of a busy local business (with its permission, of
course), you can expect the money to roll in, even if you “upcharge” a little.
People are suckers for giving to kids, especially kids who are truly trying to
do something good for themselves and who are involved in positive activities.
Plus, everyone likes a sweet treat now and then.
In the end, no matter how your team chooses to raise money,
fight the temptation to let the parents do all the work. Get young players
active and involved in fundraising. Not only will they see and appreciate just
how much it costs for them to participate in the sport, but they’ll also learn
positive interaction skills. And, as mentioned above, kids tend to be quite
good at collecting money simply because people enjoy and believe in them.
No comments:
Post a Comment