WFC Rangers: Rangers FAQs

This page will be updated as general questions arise that may benefit the Rangers membership.  Check back for new and updated entries.

Since some teams are now not starting their seasons till the “spring” why can’t the registration payments be made later?

Despite the change in the calendar schedule the leagues have not changed when they require clubs to pay.  Rangers also has to pay for field rentals and referees on an annual contract basis and these payment dates have not changed.

Rangers tries  to make as many options as possible for people with the extended payment plans.  The breakdown of payments over the summer tries to ease some of the pain of the registration night fees, but the club has to have the money paid by the end of summer to cover numerous field, league, club, state, and county obligations.
 

What do other select soccer clubs cost?

Comparative Costs of WA Select Soccer Clubs per Player
(based on research, all totals are approximate)

Evergreen Soccer         $1,700 and up
breakdown...
Uniform, travel, team fees, are additional

Eastside Soccer         $2,700 and up
breakdown...
registration fee:     $700
coaching stipend: $1,000
Other costs:        $1,000 to $1,500
Estimated uniform, travel,            
coach's expenses,
tournaments

Crossfire B team        $3,500 and up
breakdown...
Crossfire Club decides how to spend
the money and how much to pay
coaches.

WFC Rangers Gold        $1,200 to $1,800
breakdown...
registration fee:  $400
coaching stipend: $420
Other costs:       $400 to $800
Estimated uniform, travel
coach's expenses,
tournaments, team fees

Why does Rangers cost so much?
Select soccer uses numerous physical and human resources: fields, referees, coaches, equipment, administration, bookkeeping, and developmental staff.  We are assessed fees by the Washington Youth Soccer association, the Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association, and by the various leagues in which teams play.  A list of items included in the base registration cost is included in Section 8 of the Rangers Policies. 

Rangers pays field rental and fees at Northwest Soccer Park the same as every other non-Ranger team  youth or adult of $50.00 a game/practice rental.  For league play at NWSP additional fees include WCYSA administration, insurance, and referees.  Other fields come with even higher rental fees (see #6 above). Current referee fees for Ranger home matches range from $80.56 to $106 per match depending on the age level for a three man referee crew and assigning.  

On top of all these fees come the variable costs of uniforms, travel, and team expenses that are different for each player and team, depending on where they practice, special team equipment, etc.   It is the constant duty of the Rangers Board to keep costs as minimal as possible while honoring the goal to field competitive teams, employ professional level coaching, and foster healthy young athletes in an environment that builds ability and character.

Why does my child’s team have a roster of 18?
The maximum number of players allowed by WA State Youth Soccer on a select soccer team roster is 18.  The decision to fill the roster to the maximum-allowed number is that of the team’s coach, not the Rangers Board or Development Director.  Coaches that choose to fill their roster to 18 players generally do so with the best of intentions, giving more children an opportunity to play.  The average team roster in the Rangers club is 16.

Why doesn’t Rangers charge for parking at tournaments?
Northwest Soccer Park is managed, maintained and controlled by the Whatcom Sports Commission.  Rangers does not control the fields or parking at the Northwest Soccer Park and has no authority to charge for parking.  The summer tournaments are not Rangers sponsored events; the tournaments are also run by the Whatcom Sports Commission.

Why were uniforms so expensive this year?
The cost of the new PUMA uniform package was roughly 10% higher than the Reebok strip authorized by the club 3 years ago.  By calculating for inflation the costs from the two manufacturers are nearly equal.  Unlike most select clubs who are on a 1 or 2 year uniform cycle, Rangers works with its vendor (Soccer City) and selected manufacturer (PUMA) to keep our uniform change-over on a 3-year cycle, so uniforms will be worn longer, and purchase of new strips less frequent.  The Ranger Board’s goal is to keep uniform costs as low as possible while maintaining a sharp and professional appearance for our teams – a look in which our players can take pride.  We select the uniform with input and advice from the Ranger membership, choosing a strip that will satisfy requirements of cost, durability, wearability, and appearance.

Why did it take so long to get all of our uniforms this year?
It is of great concern to the Ranger Board that PUMA was negligent in delivering our new uniforms on time and according to our legal agreement.  The Ranger Board has met with the PUMA representative to voice the club’s frustration and to make sure that we receive timely delivery in the future.  It was explained to the Ranger Board that PUMA, in an attempt to keep their manufacturing costs as low as possible, failed to order enough inventory to make its promised deliveries.  Soccer City was not responsible for the delay, and did in fact, work very hard to find appropriate uniform inventory and temporary substitute pieces from across the US.

Why doesn’t the Ranger Board build additional fees into the basic registration fee, instead of mandating club fundraising events?
The Rangers board is acutely aware that it is no small expense to play select and premier-level Rangers soccer.  Families with more than one player often must sacrifice so that their Ranger children can play.  The Board recognizes our club is made up of a wide diversity of families, from an equally wide range of communities.  So that we don’t become a club for which only the wealthy can participate the Board strives to keep costs low and based upon basic fees, services, and expenses.  Rangers will reward 38 scholarships in 2008, covering the costs of basic registration and uniforms.  Without fundraising those families could not afford for their children to play select soccer.  Fundraising allows families from a much wider economic demographic to participate.  And fundraising events, like the Bellingham Bay Marathon, are an opportunity for the club to work together for a single cause – the eventual acquisition of our own playing fields and facilities.

Why does my team play at far away tournaments like Boise, and not at close-to-home tournaments like the PCC?
The tournaments at which a team participates are not dictated by the Rangers Board or Rangers development staff.  The team’s coach, often in consultation with the club’s development director and team families, makes the decision about the tournaments at which a team will play, including LPTs.  The Rangers Board and Development staff expect that Rangers Gold teams will participate in winter State Cup competition.

Why does the Ranger Board advocate Rangers owning its own fields and facilities?

When Rangers development staff, trainers, and coaches were asked about what single improvement to Rangers would 1) accelerate player and team development, 2) foster club unity, 3) provide opportunity for mixed-age and mixed-level training, 4) control costs, 5) allow our own Ranger-branded tournaments, the answer was consistently the same: own and control our own fields.  In May and June of 2008 Rangers premier teams trained and practiced exclusively at Meridian HS, and the experience underscored the huge benefit for our club when we mix it up at a single facility.  Coaches watch other teams and share ideas.   Development staff can evaluate and train several teams in a single evening.  Team managers can distribute uniforms and information.  Carpooling routes are easily planned and instituted. 

The biggest expense for Ranger matches whether at Northwest Soccer Park, Civic Stadium and/or Whatcom CC fields are field rental and referee costs. Field rental for NWSP is $50 and Whatcom CC and Civic Stadium are both $100 per match; if lights are needed the fee is higher. 

The Rangers Board has adopted the goal of field acquisition and has built it into our long-range plans for the club.  While the Board recognizes that involvement in local issues such as growth management and urban planning may be controversial to some, the board has a duty to take action on topics that help control costs to our membership and benefit the youth soccer community, specifically select youth soccer.

Registered Players for 2008: 453

Coaches and Development staff: 56