 | With baseball and softball season in full swing, have you considered your plan of action if your team makes it to the championships? You may think, ‘Yeah, right, we don’t need to worry about that,’ but sometimes the underdogs take the trophy. Have you seen Bad News Bears? So, if you want to have a plan, just in case, here are a few tips to make it easier and help you cut costs while traveling with youth. 1. Know where the tournament will be located. You may not be able to have official dates, but familiarize yourself with the town. Explore the CVB website and learn about lodging, dining, and attractions. |
2. Plan your route. How many miles will you have to go? How long will it take to drive? Using Google Maps can be a great help.
3. Start thinking about the actual travel. Will you need to rent a van? Maybe 2? Can you enlist parents to caravan? If you need to rent a vehicle, check into pricing and insurance needs to be properly covered.
4. Consider your lodging options. You may be able to save money by booking mini-suites and getting more youth into a larger space. Accommodations that serve a continental breakfast will help save on your food budget.
5. Make a contact list for each child with all applicable information; parent’s cell numbers, home and work numbers, insurance information.
6. Create a ‘travel kit.’ This is more than emergency essentials, dig deeper and add the little things that kids forget or lose. Extra game socks, pony tail holders, scissors, etc. If you have had to run looking for it in the past, just pack it.
7. Plan for fundraising as needed. You may not have a huge team account. If a tournament is something not all parents can afford, start looking into fundraising opportunities and timelines. Also, consider creating a travel slush fund, with each attendee throwing in $10 for those ‘how did we forget that’ items along the way.
With these tips we hope you are ready to knock one out of the park.
3. Start thinking about the actual travel. Will you need to rent a van? Maybe 2? Can you enlist parents to caravan? If you need to rent a vehicle, check into pricing and insurance needs to be properly covered.
4. Consider your lodging options. You may be able to save money by booking mini-suites and getting more youth into a larger space. Accommodations that serve a continental breakfast will help save on your food budget.
5. Make a contact list for each child with all applicable information; parent’s cell numbers, home and work numbers, insurance information.
6. Create a ‘travel kit.’ This is more than emergency essentials, dig deeper and add the little things that kids forget or lose. Extra game socks, pony tail holders, scissors, etc. If you have had to run looking for it in the past, just pack it.
7. Plan for fundraising as needed. You may not have a huge team account. If a tournament is something not all parents can afford, start looking into fundraising opportunities and timelines. Also, consider creating a travel slush fund, with each attendee throwing in $10 for those ‘how did we forget that’ items along the way.
With these tips we hope you are ready to knock one out of the park.
