Team Travel

[tjinaz]

How does your team do the out of State travel? Is team travel mandatory for you or not?

It does keep the cost a lot lower and I think helps the team bond as well as being the defacto form of transport in college. I am a big proponent but see big resistance from some parents.

How is your team doing it and what have the results been?

 

[SoccerEnvy]

Out of State has usually been mandortory for my child's team starting around 8th grade. It does keep costs lower ONLY IF the parents don't also travel. If we want to travel and watch the games then we are paying extra since we have to pay for our hotel and rental car while also paying for our child's hotel and team rental van. Plus you are paying for the chaperones (which you are happy to pay for since they are on the job 24/7 sometimes even missing watching their own child play because they have to take care of any emergencies). Benefits are: team bonding, increased independence for the players, lower cost if traveling alone, more flexibility for families, and coach/chaperones can monitor sleep/nutrition/prep before game. Negatives are: increased cost if player and parents both want to travel, family can monitor sleep/nutrition/prep before game (Sometimes sharing a room with teammates negatively affects sleep, sometimes it doesn't), if your child gets sick or hurt you may have to fly in at a moment's notice.
Some teams also have some travel with family and some with team. That seems to work well if you give the families advanced notice.

 

[tjinaz]

Out of State has usually been mandortory for my child's team starting around 8th grade. It does keep costs lower ONLY IF the parents don't also travel. If we want to travel and watch the games then we are paying extra since we have to pay for our hotel and rental car while also paying for our child's hotel and team rental van. Plus you are paying for the chaperones (which you are happy to pay for since they are on the job 24/7 sometimes even missing watching their own child play because they have to take care of any emergencies). Benefits are: team bonding, increased independence for the players, lower cost if traveling alone, more flexibility for families, and coach/chaperones can monitor sleep/nutrition/prep before game. Negatives are: increased cost if player and parents both want to travel, family can monitor sleep/nutrition/prep before game (Sometimes sharing a room with teammates negatively affects sleep, sometimes it doesn't), if your child gets sick or hurt you may have to fly in at a moment's notice.
Some teams also have some travel with family and some with team. That seems to work well if you give the families advanced notice.

yea pretty much what we do but sometimes do multiple teams and charter a bus. Less driving and stress. Have you ever attempted team travel with flights to showcases or playoffs?

 

[Footy30]

I have experience with several different clubs (multiple kids) (all big clubs.) One mandated team travel at U15 the other hasn't mandated it at all. I agree with @SoccerEnvy about the pros and cons about team travel. The bonding is great, and the parents (usually TM and another parent) are fantastic and all the parents are so thankful for them. I have traveled solo (in my own car) and went to an out of state game and got to see my kiddos during the game and briefly at dinner and it was nice. I think to answer your question since I am rambling.. it depends on the club and or team.

I have experienced some push back from a few parents at both clubs and I stayed out of it, but I did notice these families traveled with their kids. As far as cost goes, since we always go we don't save any money.. hahaha

 

[SoccerEnvy]

yea pretty much what we do but sometimes do multiple teams and charter a bus. Less driving and stress. Have you ever attempted team travel with flights to showcases or playoffs?

Yes, to showcases. Organized flights from the airport and back. Some teams allow parents to fly on the same flight and stay at the same hotel and others don't. Also, I'm not sure if you are the team manager. The decision just has to be made by the coach and team manager as you will have varying parents wanting to do differen things. The more structured the better, have the coach/team manager come up with car assignments and room assignments beforehand and have a system that this rotates. You will need more chaperones than just the coach and team manager to manage driving the kids (likely 3 minivans) and someone to go pick up food, etc.

 

[tjinaz]

Yes, to showcases. Organized flights from the airport and back. Some teams allow parents to fly on the same flight and stay at the same hotel and others don't. Also, I'm not sure if you are the team manager. The decision just has to be made by the coach and team manager as you will have varying parents wanting to do differen things. The more structured the better, have the coach/team manager come up with car assignments and room assignments beforehand and have a system that this rotates. You will need more chaperones than just the coach and team manager to manage driving the kids (likely 3 minivans) and someone to go pick up food, etc.

I am not the manager but am trying to help out. From what I have seen if the club doesn't mandate it, it is a hard sell. Between the helicopter parents that can't bear to have their kids on their own to the wealthy ones that want to go to every game regardless of cost it brings the economy of scale down to where it isn't really feasible for the rest of the team. I don't mind the drives but the flights when you are on the hook for 2k in cost for a 3 day showcase it makes you wonder. Just wanted to see if anyone had a better way or some idea that we had missed. I have made a slight change this year though. If I am driving I make sure me and my DD do something we like away from the team that we would do if we were on vacation. Go to the beach or a museum or a theme park. I figure if I am paying for it I may as well enjoy it and if the club isn't taking care of travel they have nothing to say on how i do mine. These years pass by quickly and those memories aren't going to create themselves.

 

[crush]

I am not the manager but am trying to help out. From what I have seen if the club doesn't mandate it, it is a hard sell. Between the helicopter parents that can't bear to have their kids on their own to the wealthy ones that want to go to every game regardless of cost it brings the economy of scale down to where it isn't really feasible for the rest of the team.

After what I witnessed, I would not recommend sending your child alone unless you absolutely know EVERYONE who is the TM and The Chaps and the Doc. Not all TMs are nice, let me just say and I am not a Helicopter pilot. I was a Hawk Dad and just flew over to make sure my baby girl is being treated with respect and dignity and making sure the Snakes and Vultures stayed away.