Fundraising

There are many different ways you can raise money for your team. Here are some options. 

Raffles can be big money makers especially if you can get all your prizes donated by local businesses.  Then the only cost you will have is printing the tickets.  

You can sell products to raise money.   From beef jerky to seat cushions there are opportunities to sell many things.  Some of them you get the product and then sell them one by one.  While others you take orders from a catalog. 

Another option is selling discount cards or coupon books.  They provide great value for the price if used regularly.  You can raise money much faster selling $20 coupon books than with the $1 items. 

Many large corporations such as Nike and Microsoft offer grants available to youth sports organizations.   Some government agencies also help with funding youth sports.

Fundraising is a great way to help keep costs down for parents. We all know the expenses can rack up fast for our kids sports. Just check out STATS DAD for more on the cost of youth sports. 

Sports Climb

There is a  website SportsClimb.com that I have recently checked out AND joined.

It's a site built for youth sports players and their parents. Players and/or parents can keep a record of all their sports in one place. Friends and family can become "fans" and follow them. With parental controls no one can become a fan of a player without parents permission first.

Teammates can be added onto one team (so everyone doesn't have to enter the same info).  When a game is over, players record results(a team voting system ensures accurate game results), stats, photos, video, and a personal recap. Then players can send the results to all their fans. Fans can keep up with their "stars" sports activities and participate in forums for players, teams, and games.

Scott Bowers had the idea back in April 2009, and launched the site in August 2010. He is continuing to add new features. Some things to come are a "log" for players to record height, weight, strength, and speed over time. Coach and "team mom" capabilities for teams. And even a "snack duty" check box next to games.The capability to upload a photo for on the players page is also in the works!

I highly recommend checking this out. It is nice to be able to have all the  sports and teams in one spot. It really helps with keeping things organized. You also can get email alerts when something is coming up. Its so easy for family and friends to keep track of how the player is doing and even let them know if they will be attending a game!. The best part (I believe) is the pride my son has when he adds in game result and stats. It motivates him to do his best because he can see and share everything.