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Reply to "New Coach Seeking Advice"

Tough position to be in.  I agree about forming a culture, after all, isn't that something the football team prides itself on?  Aren't they a brotherhood?  Don't you want that same feeling on the baseball team?

Inspirational speakers over dinner can bring a team together.  Usually you can get people to talk for nothing from a local church, or a former high level player.  My son was particularly moved by a speaker last year who had a full D1 football ride until during his senior year he got drunk at a party and dove into the shallow end of the pool and broke his neck.  Paralyzed for life for a stupid teenage mistake is a hard lesson to learn, I'm very happy he chose to share his story.

As for the dinner, I've had a LOT of good success with getting local restaurants to give the team food.  Sometimes they outright say "You have $500 to spend", and other times they give us one meal and we pay for another, both parties get something from that deal, or they are willing to host one gathering at their restaurant on a random Tuesday when it isn't busy.

We have a local car dealership that donates one car for 7 high schools to raffle off.  Very large pool, but the schools get to keep the money for what tickets they sell.  Tire place, fast food place, local banks, lawn people, eye doctors, ice cream shops....etc.  They can all donate, and it becomes more attractive to donate if you are a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, which means their donation is tax deductible, like if they donated to a charity. Is your club set up that way?  How about hosting travel ball tourneys at the high school field?  Charge $200 a day for the field and we, the parents, man the concession stand in shifts and keep those profits too.

Sad to say but you need money first, everything else will come after that.

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