Please help

I'm in.  Good luck.

Uh, how about fundraising with the parents of the Varsity and players? It's about the program right? Any chance to host tournaments on your field? Any chance to get a sponsor like Wilson/Demarini? I know they sponsor travel teams, son played twice for them, 11U and 13U. How about loans from your school programs with bigger budgets you can pay back with interest once you get going? Will your county help with any funds? There is always boosters, incoming families who may end up on JV, get your board lined up and hit em up for the cash.

Good luck with the program and your efforts. 

Jefferson did not say that.

I hope nothing but the best for your program.

I am in.

JCG posted:

Jefferson did not say that.

According to google he did....of course someone else may have said it earlier, but it has been attributed to him.

Shoveit4Ks posted:

Any chance to get a sponsor like Wilson/Demarini? I know they sponsor travel teams, son played twice for them, 11U and 13U.

Easier said then done at the HS level.  Lots of politics involved with getting the agreement done and then you need board approval.  Getting an agreement in place for a HS would take about a year.

Our HS was approached by a very very large athletic apparel/equipment manufacturer, it took forever for the lawyers to get the agreement done.  Once it was done it ultimately died at the board level due to politics.  

As soon as I get somewhere where I can get you a donation, i will.  Good luck.

CaCO3Girl posted:

JCG posted:

Jefferson did not say that.

According to google he did....of course someone else may have said it earlier, but it has been attributed to him.

You must use a different Google than me. My Google directs me to the  Montecello website, which calls it a "spurious quotation".

https://www.monticello.org/sit...e-spurious-quotation

What about local businesses who donate to your baseball team and you display their signs all along the inside of your outfield fencing? Companies get advertising, write off the donation and the sign company does the same. That was a huge fundraiser for us in HS, i had a local mexican restaurant sponsor my son all 4 years at $1K per season.

Coach,

How much money do you need to get this done?

We can make a donarion, but can  also get you everything you need at cost.  That would save you a lot of money.

JCG posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

JCG posted:

Jefferson did not say that.

According to google he did....of course someone else may have said it earlier, but it has been attributed to him.

You must use a different Google than me. My Google directs me to the  Montecello website, which calls it a "spurious quotation".

https://www.monticello.org/sit...e-spurious-quotation

It also says it was attributed to him in print in 1948.

Anyway, I dontated, good luck coach!

CaCO3Girl posted:

.

... I dontated, good luck coach!

Sounds painful.  Hope you have a quick recovery, CaCO.

Me too... good luck Coach.  For those suggesting fundraising, absolutely correct but from what I recall, he is in an area where that is particularly difficult for students, families and community.  He's been around the block and knows the routine.  I'm guessing he needs to turn every stone.

For those of you who have donate I sincerely appreciate it.  It means a lot to me that you guys are willing to help.

More background information - we do have a booster club and we are doing other things but a lot of the old officers were "loyal" to the old coach and have bowed out.  So we just elected new officers and starting to make things happen with that.

We as a school are only allowed one fundraiser that is tax exempt and after that we have to pay 7% tax on everything except donations.  This link is considered a donation fundraiser so we don't have to pay taxes on it.  Which is good because I'm looking for a big fundraiser I can use as my tax exempt one.  After that it's probably not worth trying anything else because taxes will eat it up.  My booster club can do them but we have to keep the funds separate from the school.  Also, any fundraiser I do through the school has to be approved which means I can't do something, take the money and make it be a donation to the school.  VERY complicated process

As for the sponsorship joe87 is very correct in that it's impossible to do at the high school level.  First thing I looked at as AD was to get that sponsorship with somebody like Nike to outfit all of our athletic teams.  Once I contacted the county office to see about the process it was shot down super fast because all 7 of our high schools would have to have the same deal.  Nothing could be worked out independently by school or even team.  Trying to get all of those on the same page would be a logistical nightmare and the county flat out rejected it.

Signs on the outfield fence we are going to do something similar to that.  Few years ago I was at Wando HS in Charleston SC watching spring break baseball.  My best friend's son was playing for his high school and it was only a few hours from where I lived.  They had these home plate sized / shaped signs with businesses on them.  Very cool looking so we are going to do that once the season gets close.  

We almost got to be a site for the Impact Baseball tournament at UNC - Wilmington.  They were going to pay us a pretty good sum for a Saturday and Sunday.  Weather turned bad and we couldn't get the field in shape in time.  I told them we would be more than happy to host tournaments so hopefully that will be something we can do in the future.  As for the condition of the field this is another improvement we have to make.  Our field is literally the lowest place on our campus so all rain water rushes to it and keeps the field saturated.  We have two small creeks / streams that run very close to the field.  I'm hoping we can put in some drainage next year or two to help alleviate that problem.  So some of the money we raise will be ear marked for that project.  I don't think it will be a huge expense because our county maintenance can do a lot of the work.

Our dugout roof is starting to rot and many shingles have disappeared over the years.  So hopefully next year we can strip it down to the blocks, extend the concrete pad, put up new walls and use aluminum siding to turn it into a dugout / locker room.  

PGStaff either of those options would be greatly appreciated and I'm not looking for top of the line uniforms but something nice that will last a while.  I will shoot you a PM so we can talk a little more.  I want to get new set of home / away unis for varsity in two years.  The tops we have now are 9 years old while we have recycled new pants through.  The tops have held up very well but they have 9 years of wear and tear on them and so they probably look like they are 5 years old.  One thing I'm going to do with JV and have it phase into the varsity is the players buy their own pants.  I started doing this when I was in KY as head coach and it was awesome.  It saves me money and the player actually gets pants that fit him.  There won't be anymore freshmen who weigh 145 lbs wearing large pants because that was all that was left over.  I've already discussed it with some of my current parents and they are in favor of it.

I have already set up an online store with a guy so anybody can buy shirts, shorts, hoodies, hats, etc... through them and we get 10% of all sales.  I'm trying to create a brand where if you see this logo then you know it's Dixon High School baseball (obviously being good will be the best for that but baby steps).

So overall we are doing many things to help alleviate the money problem but this fundraiser link is a good way to jump start everything we want to do.  I realize there's a negative perception that we are just bumming money and not working for it.  Well to be honest in a way that's exactly what we are doing but we have to order these uniforms within the next 30 days to get them in time.  We are going to start on the pressbox in next few weeks and need to pay for things on that.  So this money will be going to that and buy us some time to raise other funds for everything else.

As for the quote - I really don't care who said it.  If I can find a way to sell the rights to who can claim who said it I would.

Coach2709, for fixing the dugouts our school asks the parents who thinks they could do the job.  Same thing with much on your list.  

For fundraisers we do the tourney thing but we also sell local business coupon cards.  For example, local to me the coupons are, get a free chicken sandwich with any meal at chick fila, free mcds cone with any meal purchase, $10 off oil change with filter purchase, $10 off $50 for sporting goods store, free appetizer at this restaurant, $5 off hair cut at this place...etc.  The businesses agree to honor the coupon, the coupons have specific locations like the chick fila on main street in XXX town, and we sell them for $20 a piece.  The only cost is printing them, the rest is local business supporting the local school. 

I don't know if this is the exact place the school uses but this is the general idea: http://www.discountfundraising...Do7tYCFYgvgQodcQQAuQ

CACO3GIRL - that's crazy your school asks parents to do that because we can't do it due to liability issues.  Our football team does the discount cards.  We are like any small community that all the different teams / clubs / organizations that fundraise all the local businesses.  Just a finite amount of money is out there but if you get creative then you can tap into money that normally wouldn't be there

coach2709 posted:

CACO3GIRL - that's crazy your school asks parents to do that because we can't do it due to liability issues.  Our football team does the discount cards.  We are like any small community that all the different teams / clubs / organizations that fundraise all the local businesses.  Just a finite amount of money is out there but if you get creative then you can tap into money that normally wouldn't be there

Wow, that makes sense about the liability but we do it all.  Last year we tore down trees with a bobcat, trimmed trees, built shelves in the dugout, layed down new turf in the pens...etc.  this year they've already asked for electricians to come forward because they need some wiring done.  We all pitch in where we can.

coach2709, this may seem far-fetched, but I think you could pull it off! Work a deal with the "Town Favorite Family Style Restaurant". Restaurant turns over to you & team from 11am-7pm or 8pm. One day event. Parents help cook. Team works as servers & bus crew. Do a take on Lambert's "Throwed Rolls" (pitchers only). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wenyubbKs3c.  Limit menu to bbq plate or chicken, (or similar), 1 kind of salad, a few sides...several pies selections that a few moms (or dad's) bake. Fixed price, say $10. Kids half price. Maybe you could get meats & vegs donated. Or Restaurant owner helps you get it at wholesale. Publicity: Get PSA's on as many relatively local radio & TV stations as possible, editorial in Town newspaper a few times, flyers posted on campus & around the community. Photographer for those "autograph pics with ballplayers''! Take reservations.  And book large parties (10+) in a specific area & well in advance. Get Police, Fire Dept & Health Dept on your side, too! Hopefully, you'd take in a few thousand...

coach2709 posted:

 

As for the sponsorship joe87 is very correct in that it's impossible to do at the high school level.  First thing I looked at as AD was to get that sponsorship with somebody like Nike to outfit all of our athletic teams.  Once I contacted the county office to see about the process it was shot down super fast because all 7 of our high schools would have to have the same deal.  Nothing could be worked out independently by school or even team.  Trying to get all of those on the same page would be a logistical nightmare and the county flat out rejected it.

 

Thats the politics Im referring to.  Our HS was offered a very good deal from UA.  Apparently winning states in football a couple of years close together and running up to the semis a number of years as well as winning a few state championships in other sports (average about 3 state championships a year) gets you noticed pretty quickly.  The problem is the other HS in our district is good, but not as good.  UA did not have a lot of interest in them, and would not extend the offer to them.  Thus the board killed the deal.

Get help from the English teacher and apply for this field grant : ). it can't hurt to try.  

https://msecurea.mlb.com/bam-f...t-grant-application/ 

Good Luck !!

Baseball teams that we've been affiliated with in the past have sold Mums in the fall, Poinsettias at Christmas and fruit in the spring.  These are things that people like and use.  They will buy them.  The outfield signs often do quite well.  Give any business that purchases one a free night at the park.  People then will show up who otherwise would not have, and buy food from your concessions stand.  Get it? ;-)