Delinquent Club Dues Question

Many top teams put together a budget, say 38,400 then divide it by 16 (paying players=2400), then recruit players up to (20-24?) based on lower or no dues. Sometimes they start with 5-7 scholarship (starters)players and have to recruit players based on paying full dues, not wether they will play (not discussed w/player). That is why you often see coaches talking players/parents onto teams and then mysteriously benching them for lack of talent (the kid was recruited there to pay, not play). My dd once was on a team with 8+ players on some type of scholarship. Our coach misguided a few players who were marginal onto the team just to make the budget. No they didnt play, yes the parents were upset, yes they paid.

Gunners wrote:

Five 0 wrote:
I would not pay the club their dues if my player sat the bench.

Then why did you sign the contract?

Agree.

texflats wrote:

Gunners wrote:

Five 0 wrote:
I would not pay the club their dues if my player sat the bench.

Then why did you sign the contract?

Agree.

(Disclaimer: If I sign a contract I do make sure to satisfy the agreement. I’m just enjoying the argument.)

I think it depends on HOW you entered that contract. @DrSoccer brought up a really good point with his post. If your DD was recruited to join a team, doesn't the fact that she's being recruited imply that she's good enough to justify being a starter for that team? Or at least >50% playtime?

If your DD is recruited, why would any of us assume it’s only to financially support scholarship players?

If you seek a team out, or if you play with a team for a season or more, and your DD can't justify 25% playtime before signing a contract... then, yeah, you're a dumbass for signing the contract and then acting shocked when your DD rides the pine.

But… If your DD is recruited with minimal time before signing that contract, don't you think it's a fair expectation of the customer to see the DD on the field? (I'd be mad if my DD's only value to the team was to hand over payments.)

bigtex75081 wrote: If your DD is recruited with minimal time before signing that contract, don't you think it's a fair expectation of the customer to see the DD on the field?

Yes, that would be a FAIR expectation. However, this is NTX soccer and what is fair rarely enters the equation. Personally, I can't imagine joining a team without knowing pretty darn well where my dd would fit in. Everyone has different expectations of what is acceptable and some have less-than objective opinions of their kid's ability, but in our house the kid needs to be in the top 7 or 8 on the team to warrant paying that money. If that means playing for a lower-level team, so be it.

Ya know, Sh*t happens.

Coaches get replaced. Coaches move from one club to another. Kids get hurt. Bench players get better, get bigger and replace your kid as a starter.

All of these are examples of dramatic change relative to what I thought I signed up for.

Generally all of these things, plus the scenarios being discussed on playing time, are likely to piss me off as a parent. Withholding payment is always tempting in these cases. But withholding payment is the one thing that generally makes matters worse.

When you join the team be prepared to pay.

When you join the team be prepared for the worse case scenario - because it WILL happen to you at some point.

When the sh*t storm hits your soccer world, hunker down, get a thick skin, talk it out and whatever moves you make try to piss as few people off as possible because NTX soccer is a SMALL world!

texflats wrote:
When the sh*t storm hits your soccer world, hunker down, get a thick skin, talk it out and whatever moves you make try to piss as few people off as possible because NTX soccer is a SMALL world!

Now that is very good advice.

Rec requires equal play time, if play time is the issue. Not sure how other clubs handle it, but the club my DD plays for, which is one of the big 4, makes it pretty simple! No payment, message goes to coach that says no play, so no pay no play. I think its fair as when the parent signed the contract the dues were clearly noted, however most do not make promises concerning play time, etc. its a dog eat world on the select scene, not always pretty or fair.

Pay for that voidable contract if you want!