I was the team mom for my kids' soccer team this season.
I have never held the office before volunteering for it, and if I had known how hard it would be to collect $5 from each family for a coach's gift, I would have thought twice about it.
Two friendly emails did little to inspire the masses. Neither did a verbal announcement made at the end of one of the practices. A couple of parents promised to bring some cash to the last game of the season. Others just averted eye contact.
On the day of reckoning, my husband supported me by parking his lawn chair on the opposite side of the field from where our team was stationed.
"The sun will be in my eyes if I sit over there," he explained. This is the cowardly way of saying that he wanted no part in the money collecting.
If there is one person on the planet who hates collecting more than me, it's my darling companion.
I began by roaming the sidelines aimlessly. My hope was that someone would accidentally make eye contact with me and thus trigger his/her memory.
When that didn't work, I resorted to roaming the sidelines aimlessly with a stack of dollar bills taken out of my own purse. I was betting here that the prospect of being the lone non-contributor would guilt the detractors into paying up.
No such luck.
By the fourth quarter, I was forced to actually say something. Not surprisingly, everyone was really nice about it. Eight families even promised to bring their contribution to the team party later that night.
Only three families did.
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21 comments
You are better than me. I would just use what I was given and then tell the coach this is what your parents think about you. I bet you would 1)never be team mom again or 2) they would all bring money or a huge gift next time..lol
If I had to hazard a guess I'd say the coach wasn't well liked. Or there are some exceptionally cheap parents.
Oh how this made me laugh! My husband was team parent for my daughter's soccer team this year and he went through the same thing! Why does this have to be so difficult -- PAY UP!
You are a woman after my own heart. Yes, I did that volunteer job a few times, wondering why I ever thought I was vocal enough for the job. The things we do for our kids!
I HATE being the team mom! I'd rather coach than have to be the one to collect money and arrange treats. Five bucks is pretty reasonable. Our football team collected FIFTY dollars from each family...
Sandy
www.twelvemakesadozen.blogspot.com
I felt the same way last year trying to extract money for the kids teachers. I believe it is easier to get blood from a stone.
And to Mom of Twelve...FIFTY bucks! Zoinks, that's a bit steep. maybe it was so that when half the other Mums didn't donate they would still have a decent amount!
Sounds like a coach gift isn't necessary. How about a thank you card? What happened that to being enough?
hahahhahaha. omg.
i just went through this. i had to collect 10 bucks {2 coaches} from every parent. the avoid eye contact tactic {coincidently from the parent who chatted it up with my husband all season} was MY all time favorite get of of pony up.
like we wont see each other next year. sigh.
i wrote about it too lol
http://eandnreyes.blogspot.com/2011/09/stretched-too-thin.html
I don't have any experience in this, I think all the other parents run when they see coming. Maybe that was my plan all along... hmm.
(wink)
A team gift for a volunteer coach? None of the teams my boys have been on have had a team banquet let alone a gift for their coach. Of course since my husband has coached most of them I guess that leaves me being the slacker for not organizing a team mom. Or it could be the fact that rec league costs way too much these days!
Kira
Thank you for that warning...now I know what to avoid volunteering for when my daughter starts team sports!!LOL
So typical, I mean really people...$5....is NOTHING for the amount of time these coaches VOLUNTEER! I commend you for being the Team Mom, I am on kid #4, and I learned my lesson after kid #1....Best of Luck!
Two things have always bugged me about team sports such as soccer/baseball/ basketball/ any sport.....that is, the taking of turns bringing snacks for the whole team and the collecting of money for a team gift for the coach.
oops..I meant to also say that I'm not opposed to a coach gift, just leave it up to each family to give what they choose to the coach.
Ugh, that makes me cringe just reading about it! It's the same way to volunteer for anything or give up cash (especially give up cash!)
They should make people donate when they are registering for the team...no one will notice the few extra bucks after you already pay for the sports fees!
As a volunteer coach...I'll chime in that gifts aren't necessary. I don't feel less liked when they're not given nor more so when they are. But...the thing that I'd much rather get is SHOW UP FOR PRACTICES!
There...that's off my chest. :)
Next time, announce that contributors will get to sign the card.
It is 2013 & I am so miserable being team mom, I wrote it into google & got this thread. God bless man! It is the worse. I want to quit but how would that look to my son who I'm trying to teach sportsmanship? The worst experience. Never ever again!
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