Handling of team/player finances

[Rick M]

The point of the thread was to see what other people were using besides the "chicken scratch" method..that seems to have gotten lost amongst all the "stop bitching" replies....

I was going to point that out, after doing a little research.

I think the bottom line is that the kind of functionality you're looking for is pretty complex. Every family would have to have their own account, and while keeping track of everyone's financials on a single spreadsheet is pretty simple, keeping up with every kid who sells $35 worth of Yankee Candles can be daunting if it needs to be entered into individual accounts.

I found this list of sports management software providers, but they all look pretty complex and all involve a monthly fee and take a cut of transactions:

https://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2017/08/03/sports-management-software

For DD's org, at least, the people in charge know their softball but can barely manage to send out email updates (they're kinda tech-challenged). My son does a lot of fundraising for his HS activities, and they run the same way -- the school maintains a spreadsheet and if you want to know your balance, you have to call and ask.

We live in a world where so much information is at our fingertips, it does seem a little odd that there's not a better way.

 

[S Spiff]

Our club's finances (8 teams) are handled by an accountant. Every player has her own account that her dues and fundraising efforts go through. Every team has it's own account. When a coach wants to spend money, he requests a check (or spends his own and requests reimbursement). Player accounts are always available. In our initial handout, it says where your dues go including a club fee part of which goes to pay the accountant.

 

[texasheat]

I don't understand the need for full transparency. Do y'all ask for your barber's tax returns to see how much he makes after you pay him for a haircut? Or do you see what he offers and his price and agree to pay it, regardless of how much or little it enriches him? He provides a service just as these teams provide a service. What makes one so much different than the other? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[erniekru]

I don't understand the need for full transparency. Do y'all ask for your barber's tax returns to see how much he makes after you pay him for a haircut? Or do you see what he offers and his price and agree to pay it, regardless of how much or little it enriches him? He provides a service just as these teams provide a service. What makes one so much different than the other? Maybe I'm missing something.

This!!!

 

[_MIA_]

I don't understand the need for full transparency. Do y'all ask for your barber's tax returns to see how much he makes after you pay him for a haircut? Or do you see what he offers and his price and agree to pay it, regardless of how much or little it enriches him? He provides a service just as these teams provide a service. What makes one so much different than the other? Maybe I'm missing something.

I wasn't asking for full transparency. Anyway when I was growing up, the family who ran the concession stand at our local LL was charged with embezzling money. Over the course of 10 years they had embezzled over 50K...

 

[Gtrips07]

Why do parents feel they deserve to see an itemized spreadsheet of all the costs to run the team or organization?

Last year my daughter played for a large organization. At no point in the season did the team's finances ever cross my mind. At the beginning of the season, we were told how the cost, and what we would get for the cost. Parents agreed to the cost. End of story.

IMO, it would be ignorant to ask to see a team's finances that you have nothing to do with.

I can tell you why, because I've personally experienced the coach using the team funds as his personal piggy bank. The national organization finally got rid of the coach but the families who spent seven months fundraising for nationals were out about five grand, and then we a had to find a new team. The teams money is for the players, not the coach.

This happens more often than you think but the national organizations don't want the dirty secret out that they weren't minding the store. There are many organizations that dont let the teams handle any money and it is all controlled at the organization level and you can see what is going where from an app


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[Gtrips07]

If a tournament gets canceled you just sign up for another tournament. Partial refund for a canceled- tournament - parents have to make up the difference if they want to make the tournament up.

You should have known what your fees are being spent on before you signed up for the team. You should have been told how many tournaments the team will play in. The teams uniform package, and the team teams practice arrangements, etc. If you don't like what the team charges go find another team.

I do not run an organization. If I did and someone asked about the organization finances, I would tell them to go pound sand.

I'm sure glad you dont run an organization

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[Gtrips07]

Sorry Silver if you thought I was saying YOU need to think differently. If you are fine with that, then there is nothing wrong with it. I was trying to say “if the organization thinks that way, then it should be a red flag.” As has been said, there is no reason there shouldn’t be transparency if somebody asks.

An additional thought ... if the organization/team is operating as a not-for-profit, there are financial reporting requirements (requirements may vary dependent upon your state).

Some get around that by telling you they are not for profit but then you find out only the parent organization is and each team is setup as an LLC

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[spleen1015]

I don't understand the need for full transparency. Do y'all ask for your barber's tax returns to see how much he makes after you pay him for a haircut? Or do you see what he offers and his price and agree to pay it, regardless of how much or little it enriches him? He provides a service just as these teams provide a service. What makes one so much different than the other? Maybe I'm missing something.

A barber is not even remotely close to the same thing. I'm not paying for a service. I am paying for my DD's uniforms, helmet, bag, insurance, tourney fees, etc. If I want to know where my money is going then I am entitled to know.

If you don't want to tell me then you're ripping me off.

 

[joe720]

Seems like this is all dependent on the org. For the org my daughter play for, they tell you what you get when you sign up. X amount of tournys and Y amount in gear. So it's pretty easy to figure out where you are. And to be honest we've usually had more tournys than advertised and haven't had to pay additional for them.

Any fund raising is strictly team business.

I am happy not knowing,