Little League, Inc.

[wopphil]

Anyone have kids playing baseball in Orange County in some organization that is not Little League? Can you give any advice on alternatives to Little League? My wife just informed me that for my six year old to play t-ball, it will cost us a $165 league fee plus a $150 fundraising fee. So $315 for a season. That is practically criminal (someone has to fund the CEO's $430,000 salary I suppose).

Growing up, I played Fountain Valley Youth baseball, which was a great league with a ton of talent. It wasn't affiliated in any way with Little League. Anyone know of a non-Little League alternative in the City of Orange?

[mtangelsfan]

Well, this was a long time ago but Seal Beach was not part of Little League when I was growing up.  Of course that was a few decades ago.

[JAHV76]

Anyone have kids playing baseball in Orange County in some organization that is not Little League? Can you give any advice on alternatives to Little League? My wife just informed me that for my six year old to play t-ball, it will cost us a $165 league fee plus a $150 fundraising fee. So $315 for a season. That is practically criminal (someone has to fund the CEO's $430,000 salary I suppose).

Growing up, I played Fountain Valley Youth baseball, which was a great league with a ton of talent. It wasn't affiliated in any way with Little League. Anyone know of a non-Little League alternative in the City of Orange?

Are you sure the fundraising fee is not optional? Some leagues will allow you to volunteer for prepping the fields, working snack shop, trash duty etc to avoid the fundraising fees.

[ScottT]

Interesting.

 

ESPN pays $7.5 million per year to broadcast those games.

[wopphil]

Are you sure the fundraising fee is not optional? Some leagues will allow you to volunteer for prepping the fields, working snack shop, trash duty etc to avoid the fundraising fees.

You are correct, the $315 includes a $150 fundraising fee. I assumed I wouldn't have time to do the volunteer work and that I would need to pay the buy out, but I guess if the volunteer hours aren't too onerous that might be an option.

[Blarg]

It cost my parents $13 to register me for little league and they provided uniforms back in 1969. I had to work it off at .25 cents an hour of manual labor around the house.

 

Put your kids to work before the minimum wage goes up.

[CaliAngel]

Pony Baseball.

Back when I played LL about 20 years ago it was an absolute joke. So I moved to Pony where the competition was much better, the bases and fences were further every 2 years, and you got to lead off and steal bases at a much younger age.

Not sure what the fees are now but I'd imagine they're lower than LL.

[arch stanton]

I'd think it would be easy enough to find a T-ball league although they probably needs volunteers more than they need cash.

[yk9001]

Jeezus man, $300+ for 6 year old LL.... where is that money going?

[Lhalo]

Chalkin' the fields.

[nate]

Jeezus man, $300+ for 6 year old LL.... where is that money going?

 

They rent the fields, maintain them, buy balls, bats, helmets, etc.  It isn't cheap.  With all the budget cuts lately, one of the things that got cut was public money to pay for the upkeep of little league fields.

[nate]

Anyone have kids playing baseball in Orange County in some organization that is not Little League? Can you give any advice on alternatives to Little League? My wife just informed me that for my six year old to play t-ball, it will cost us a $165 league fee plus a $150 fundraising fee. So $315 for a season. That is practically criminal (someone has to fund the CEO's $430,000 salary I suppose).

Growing up, I played Fountain Valley Youth baseball, which was a great league with a ton of talent. It wasn't affiliated in any way with Little League. Anyone know of a non-Little League alternative in the City of Orange?

 

Lol, since there are probably more than 430k kids in little league that means if he was paid nothing you would only owe $314!!!

[Schildog]

You are correct, the $315 includes a $150 fundraising fee. I assumed I wouldn't have time to do the volunteer work and that I would need to pay the buy out, but I guess if the volunteer hours aren't too onerous that might be an option.

 

find the 4 hours to work the snack bar once a season you lazy ass.

[Adam]

4 hours within 3 feet of chili billies... Not sure he'd survive

[yk9001]

I worked a 4 hour shift at the bbq/snack shack for my kid's pony ball years ago.  That was real work.... and no AW breaks.

[Schildog]

were the waitresses straight from sussex?

[wopphil]

Lol, since there are probably more than 430k kids in little league that means if he was paid nothing you would only owe $314!!!

I think you missed the point: LL, Inc. Is a business, with someone making a lot of money. They also have a staff of 100 that costs $7,500,000.

I'd rather spend my money on a local league where all (or at least more) of my money goes simply to cover the costs of the fields and uniforms. I don't feel compelled to keep LL, Inc. in business.

[wopphil]

find the 4 hours to work the snack bar once a season you lazy ass.

If that is all it is, I can handle that. But I work about 60 hours a week, so I don't have a lot of free time. Nor am I a "lazy ass."

[wopphil]

Jeezus man, $300+ for 6 year old LL.... where is that money going?

My thought exactly. It is crazy, and really unfair for the kids whose parents can't afford it.

[Adam]

My guess is that $300 is subsidizing underprivileged kids. 

[nate]

I think you missed the point: LL, Inc. Is a business, with someone making a lot of money. They also have a staff of 100 that costs $7,500,000.

I'd rather spend my money on a local league where all (or at least more) of my money goes simply to cover the costs of the fields and uniforms. I don't feel compelled to keep LL, Inc. in business.

 

Actually they are a non profit.

 

My wife was on the board for the LL in Arcadia before we moved.  The only reason it wasn't more money for the kids was because we had a very generous donor that gave $100k per season.  The field and equipment costs were insane.  By the way nobody in the was paid for what they did except for a couple that made minimum wage.

 

Again people cry for budget cuts and this is what happens, LL gets more expensive.

Edited October 24, 2014 by nate