too.tall posted:Suppose you find a good coach but he wants the parents to sign a one year contract? Is that reasonable?
Maybe for billing purposes and with a credit card being used, there is an "understanding" that for this "year" they will be charging your credit card on a monthly basis for a year? Makes things easier for some of these now "big time" pitching gym/facilities to budget, and provide a more reliable service for their customers. Found one baseball gym last summer near son's boarding school, and we hoped he'd be able to get there by Metro (75-mins one-way) during the school year. Guys running it have young families and a pretty good monthly nut they are responsible for (rent on industrial warehouse facility, indoor turf field area, serious gym equipment, weights, whole 9-Yards, etc) so I understood when they requested we E-sign a credit card charging agreement. My card was charged each month, and would be charged until like June 1, 2017.
By October it was apparent son could not be making the 2.5 hour round trips by Metro to get there. He was not using the gym nor the pitching coaches. Money down the drain. I notified them that we'd no longer be doing it, they had no problem.
Perhaps the "contract" you are referencing might be more of an "agreement" for credit card charges? We cancelled. They had no issue. Also, credit card company said that if they had an issue? To just cancel the card they were charging and get a new one. Just my experience.
One quick, final story. A few years ago a young baseball coach, mid-20s, rolled into town and took our Little League world by storm. Kids loved him. Charismatic. NOT FROM OUR AREA (red flag). Knew baseball though. Had all the TJ scars and accompanying stories of his climb up the baseball ladder and fall from it. After my own vetting (which I'll admit was more of a "sniff test"), and in an effort to help the young man out I purchased 10-lessons in advance from him at maybe $400? Two lessons in he was arrested for Trafficking in Opium. Gone. And so was my $320.