Recruiting tactics

[Guest]

ADMIN EDITED: Image added by administrator

I saw a post on FB players are offered free tuition to play on recruited teams. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DelawareValleyHockeyLeague/ How true is this? I know the AA teams recruit but if this is true I think every parent has a good reason to ask for a finance report to show who is and isn't paying. Our player payment goes up every year and there is no reason why. I don't want to hear that rinks are raising rates either because I know they don't.

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[Guest]

Wouldn't say it's super common. But it happens. Most often in the form of a discount rather than out and out free. Goaltenders frequently because you can't have a team without one.

On the issue of people paying different rates, at lower levels I've seen it as a way to entice/reward parent coach.

Most egregious I've ever seen is a board trying to vote free tuition for board members! And of course one of the board member's full time gig: state representative.

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[Guest]

Wouldn't say it's super common. But it happens. Most often in the form of a discount rather than out and out free. Goaltenders frequently because you can't have a team without one.

On the issue of people paying different rates, at lower levels I've seen it as a way to entice/reward parent coach.

Most egregious I've ever seen is a board trying to vote free tuition for board members! And of course one of the board member's full time gig: state representative.

Having been on a hockey board previously, I actually have no issue with at least a few of the positions getting some sort of break on tuition. We didn't have this perk at my club, but I would actually put it out for the whole club to vote on. Do you know how much time it takes to do the things for positions like scheduler, treasurer and registrar? Some of those are part time jobs depending on the size of the club. And while a lot of people complain about their board members, these same people don't ever get involved. When our elections come up each year, most positions are run unopposed. No one ever steps up until someone's term limit is over. Maybe if a tuition break was there, more people would get involved.

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[Guest]

Wait....   organizations actually have elections for board members....   hmmm.  Must be nice...  not the case where my kids play.  Hopefully that changes but it's been corrupt for a long time.  Change certainly needs to happen. 

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[Guest]

IS IT A SECRET BALLOT?!!! Do you have to be a free mason to have the privilege to vote?

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[NYCMaa20]

It appears this varies by region/area.  There are other factors like teams that are run for profit and are part of a broader tax plan or corporate structure.  Where the lack of opacity comes in is the lack of opportunity for open board elections or parent opportunities above the team management/DJ/scorekeeper level. 

What seems to be the factors involved include the following:

1. Urban vs Suburban teams: the larger the city (urban teams), the more economic factors come into play.  Much of this also has to do with the lack of affordability for coaches and personnel to live in the area.  This also leads to coaches having to train and recruit more private lessons to subsidize themselves.

2. Profit vs Non-Profit: teams generally have divided interests when they are for profit but can be more like a non profit depending on where the profits are invested (if there are any) and the financial motivation of the program owner in a for profit scenario.

3. Professionalism and formal operating policies as well procedures - including committee or ombudsman opportunities.  Programs generally run on skill based merit player selection with healthy financial budget management and transparent programs are the ideal.

4. Player development/Continuity plans - does the organization foster a communal, long term, team based atmosphere.  Many programs fail when the coaches become entities within the program.  This varies from tier to tier - program to program.

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