Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

Cost of Right

Posted by Parent on December 30, 2025, 11:02 am

What if there was an organization that offered:
- Practice facility open, within reason, to players and teams on their own schedule.
- Strong admin that handled fees, scheduling, equipment etc.
- Paid coaches with demonstrated experience and expertise.
- Dedicate follow-up on recruiting.
- Etc.

What would that cost per player?

Could you offset additional fees by traveling only when necessary? Not paying for cages for individual practice?

Just wondering what doing it the right way would cost.

Re: Cost of Right

Posted by Captain Obvious on January 2, 2026, 1:29 pm, in reply to "Cost of Right"

My daughter is selling techno football squares for 200.00 a piece. Pm me for yours today!

Re: Cost of Right

Posted by YT on December 30, 2025, 7:17 pm, in reply to "Cost of Right"

You would never get and keep the amount of players needed to make it even remotely reasonable. Utilities alone would run north of $5k a month in the winter. Numerous people have tried it in the area and it never works. Look at the elite programs in the region. none of them bother with the overhead of a facility.

Re: Cost of Right

Posted by What this town needs is a ….. on January 2, 2026, 8:59 am, in reply to "Re: Cost of Right"

There are only two ways this type of thing works. First you find someone that has unlimited spending to keep a facility like this running and doesn’t mind losing money in the process. That is your local government who can raise and spend money via your generous donations in taxes. The second is to find a wealthy sponsor either corporate or private that is a fan or has a child in the sport and is in desperate need of another money losing business for tax a shelter. I know it’s been done before but that was a very unique situation all around with a huge fan who had the wealth to indulge the need for shelter with driven athletes. Best of luck with your quest. I’m off to continue selling shares in my monorail business.

Re: Cost of Right

Posted by Coach on December 30, 2025, 4:45 pm, in reply to "Cost of Right"

When you say practice facility that has to be broken down in to two parts. Outdoor field access and indoor access over the winter.

Re: Cost of Right

Posted by But crummy is easier... on December 30, 2025, 12:43 pm, in reply to "Cost of Right"

This is a great question, but some elements are hard to make assumptions around (e.g., is the facility a vacant warehouse in Seneca, or a "Bo Dome" in Highland Park).

Just like in the out of control college athletics landscape, there is a "race to the top" in club ball - that's why you see IMG and private equity getting into the game.

You should start with "Who do you want to serve?".

Is it the families that can afford the best facility, with technology and tools that meet D1 standards, and competition at the top tournaments (PGF/Alliance Nationals, Top 25, etc.)?

Is it the larger pool of families who can afford regional travel and maybe one or two national tournaments?

Then, once you identify that... how do you break into the Old Boys Club to get into the best recruiting tournaments? You need to grease some palms, or be prepared to play a lot of qualifiers. There are real gatekeepers in this game.

This space is ripe for disruption, but it will take either a lot of capital, or a lot of time.

Irwin M. Fletcher, You Choose!

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