Apples and Oranges Comparison - Travel Team Funding

Rich,

I don't think the cost comparison is valid. In one case you have a league that I assume is open to all players whereas the other is a "select" team in which the parents going in know the costs and requirements are much different. Collectively if the parents and coaches of a select team desire to spend x number of dollars of their own money then so be it and I don't see anything wrong with it.

The point you raised though brought back old memories of league funds being spent in disproportion to the number of league select teams vs. "rec" teams. In the case I remember, the amount spent on one travel team (sponsored by the league and playing in another league with teams from other communities) was over 8 times that being spent on one league team. That is, an entire league of 8 rec teams received less funding than the one select team.

It seems that some leagues have board members whose primary interest is how to use the league to help in the formation and funding of their select team. The practice I believe is quite common in leagues not affiliated with a national organization. This I believe is one of the strongest reasons for any organization to consider affiliation with a national organization such as Little League.

Best regards,
Al