Budget and collecting team fees

Rule #1 of Budget: It's easier to give a refund than to ask for more money. ALWAYS budget high, because things come up. Team fees are split among ALL the players on the team, regardless of participation, and can include tournaments, futsal, goalkeeper training, travel permits and the coach's travel.

What to budget for

Item	About
Goalkeeper Academy	$350 per goalkeeper each season (fall, winter, spring); U8 teams $175, advanced teams $400
Futsal	$800 a team; two teams for any team with 12 or more players (see Futsal)
Tournaments	$900 to $1,200 each: use $900 times the number your coach plans
State Cup (U13–U19)	About $1,045, plus a bond; Junior State Cup for U11–U12 (see State Cup)
Coach travel	For tournaments more than 50 miles away (see Coach travel)
Travel permits	$20 for each tournament outside Kansas
Futsal background checks	About $24 each for the coach and the admin, good for two years
Team socials, coach gifts	Your choice
Admin costs	About $25 a year for copies, postage and supplies

Not in the team budget: coaching fees and indoor practice fees (the club collects them), and uniforms (each family orders and pays through Soccer.com).
Your ledger's team fee calculator does the split for you: your expenses ÷ your players, with the buffer you pick.

The manual's example

A U14 boys team, 2022–23	Budget	What's in it
Fall	$5,125	Fall goalkeeper training, four tournaments, the coach's travel, a travel permit
Winter	$2,070	Two futsal teams, winter goalkeeper training, a coach gift, background checks
Spring	$4,345	Spring goalkeeper training, three tournaments, a coach gift
The year	$11,540	$721.25 for each of 16 players: $100 to set up the account, then the rest in full or in monthly payments

When to collect

Month	Collect for
June	August and September tournaments; fall goalkeeper fees
August	October to December tournaments
September	Futsal
December	Spring tournaments
February	Spring goalkeeper fees; State Cup, if you're playing

When a family doesn't pay

If a payment isn't in within a reasonable time (due August 15 and not in by August 30), remind the family of what they owe and the commitment they accepted, and give them 5 to 10 days to catch up. Copy the coach.
SBV may be able to take the payment at the office, with a 3.5% processing fee; it's moved into your team account.
After 5 more days with no payment, tell the coach and the Club Administrator: the amount owed, how many reminders you've sent, and the player's and parents' names and contact details.
The player can't practice or play until the account is current. The Club Administrator follows up; if it's still unpaid, the player may be listed in poor standing.

Each situation is different: use good judgment, but don't let it get out of hand.
A bounced check: talk with the family and ask for a cashier's check or cash for the amount and any bank charges.