The Seattle Spice Fastpitch Club teams may travel to tournaments that require overnight accommodations several times each year. Expenses for these travel tournaments are borne by each individual team.
For each of these travel tournaments, the expectation is that players will remain together as a group and conduct their off-field activities as a group. This will provide yet another opportunity for team bonding and camaraderie. In most cases, this will involve eating meals together as a team and participating in general off-field activities as a team.
Parents of players will each be responsible for obtaining and paying for lodging for themselves and their daughters. If a parent will not accompany a player on a travel tournament, that parent must make alternate arrangements with another team parent to ensure that their daughter has appropriate lodging, food and supervision during the trip. In those cases, the supervising adult will ensure that s/he has documentation permitting him/her to authorize medical treatment of the player in case of emergency. The player who is being “hosted” by another parent should provide payment to that parent for her “fair share” of the lodging costs (and travel costs, if applicable), as well as for her meals and anticipated miscellaneous expenses.
Players will be required to arrange lodging at “pre-approved” establishments for each travel tournament. This will include staying at a specific hotel, and may possibly include a specific campground if camping is an acceptable alternative lodging arrangement for the tournament.
Players are expected to arrive at the travel tournament city at least one day before play is scheduled. Exceptions to this must be approved by the head coach.
Coaches’ travel and lodging expenses will be paid by the team, and will be divided equally among all players. This cost will be estimated in advance of the trip and in most cases will be determined at least 30 days in advance of the trip. All players are required to pay their coaches travel fee.
Where feasible, the team may elect to travel as a group. These plans should be announced as soon as possible to ensure maximum participation.
For each travel tournament, a team should designate parent volunteers to handle the details of various expected activities. These volunteer positions include, but are not limited to, Travel Coordinator, Meal Coordinator and Activity Coordinator. These volunteers should always ensure that the arrangements made for the team are appropriate for the age group and are moderately priced, keeping in mind Seattle Spice’s goal of providing a quality experience at an affordable price. For longer tournaments, multiple Meal Coordinators and Activity Coordinators may be enlisted to ensure that the responsibility of planning does not unfairly burden only one or two parents.
Effective November 2009
Reviewed at 11/08/09 All-Organization Meeting
