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U12 Gaa Christmas Party

  • 09-11-2021 12:47pm
    #1
    Conor1974
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭


    My 11 yo kids Christmas party with his local Gaa club is coming up soon and we’re been asked to fork out €25 for it.Its paintballing and pizza which is fine but I already pay €50 a yr for membership and €10 month subscription which I think should be enough to cover the party.

    The team has 45 kids broken into 2 teams which play about 20-25 match’s a yr.So €120 x 45 =€5,400 minus €1,000 for refs at games leaves a decent shortfall to cover the party.Before I bring this up does it sound unreasonable.Alao just forked out €104 for New Jersey and shorts/skort.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Niamh on


Comments

  • #2
    Redjacketboy
    Registered Users Posts: 32 ✭Redjacketboy


    I think the coaches probably organised the party outside of the club. I know our club don't pay for parties but the coaches do their own thing.

    It's a really good team building experience but not essential to go to either if you think it's too steep.


    Sorry I'm a bit late replying anyway.



  • #3
    Swaine
    Registered Users Posts: 1,034 ✭✭✭Swaine


    €25 for a day paintballing and pizza is incredible value. Pay it.

    Insurance and other costs for GAA clubs are a lot and you're complaining about paying €170 for a whole year of coaching, use of facilities etc?



  • #4
    Redsoxfan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,243 ✭✭✭Redsoxfan


    The EUR 50 is club membership, it's not ring fenced for your daughters team. Among other things, it will cover pitch upkeep and insurance etc. as well as referees.

    If you want to complain about the cost of membership and kit, suggest you bring it up at the AGM. The coaches are just volunteers and the end of year party was entirely optional.



  • #5
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    This one is being dragged up quite some time after the original post all right, but am just curious firstly myself as to what part of the country the club is in, if it charges what's essentially €170 per year for underage membership? Or is just €10 a month for seven months of the playing season, to make up the €120 per child that you mention yourself? I know Dublin clubs tend to have high rates for underage players, but in my own club here in Wexford, it's just €30 per year per underage player.

    Anyway, for your €120 or €170, you're getting 20 to 25 matches, and I presume at least as many training sessions. So maybe somewhere around 50 activity sessions for your child. Somewhere around €3 each for probably 60 to 90 minutes at a time. Not excessive no matter what way you look at it.

    Also, any team's membership fees are not just to pay for referees for their matches. All membership fees would feed into the general club coffers to also pay running costs like ground maintenance, purchase of equipment, player insurance, public liability insurance, electricity bills, rates, and much more. It's highly unlikely that pizza and paintballing would be factored into calculation of membership fees for any given year.

    Anyway, question for you - if the membership fee had instead been €75 up front and then the tenner a month, with a "free" pizza and paintballing party at the end of the year, how would you have felt about that?



  • #6
    joebloggs32
    Registered Users Posts: 1,591 ✭✭✭joebloggs32


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058217133/u12-gaa-christmas-party


    Just on your calculations of club expenditure theres a lot more to pay for than just a referee.

    To begin with you have insurance costs. If it is hurling, then there is also the constant cost of purchasing balls, while some clubs will also cover the costs of replacing hurls. They would also need money to pay for medical costs such as an A&E bill if a player had to get traeated, and dont forget the first aid bag. On top of that there is bibs, cones, ladders etc that regularly need replacing. I know at u12 its mostly parents that drive kids to games but sometimes a bus gets hired too for an away game so thats another expense that crops up. Many clubs also have laundry bills, and then you have the club facilities that need to be paid for and maintained. There is no magic fairy thst comes in and cuts the grass and lines the pitches. Floodlights also cost a fair few bob to run. You may also have a GPO working in your club. If it is your own dedicated GPO then that will cost your club €20k with the provincial council matching that contribution. If you dont have a club GPO its likely your club pays a contribution towards a visiting coach to your local primary school.

    So the €4400 left over after the referee expenses has a lot of chunks taken out of it before you would get to the end of the year. You'd be lucky to be able buy a bag of crisps for them, let alone pay for the paintballing and pizza!



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  • #7
    slegs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,005 ✭✭✭slegs


    I am of the view that most GAA clubs don't charge enough for membership considering the effort the volunteers put in and the enjoyment that kids get out of it in general. It makes me smile when I see people complaining about the cost of membership for local GAA clubs implying its a money making enterprise or something. No local body gives more to the community than the GAA club.

    €25 for a paintball and pizza is good value and it is likely nothing to do with the club but the coach doing something on his own time to give the kids he worked with all year a day out. If its a problem for you don't go but I cant see why anyone would even be questioning the cost (its not like he is making margin off the €25)



  • #8
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users Posts: 15,281 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    To me it sounds an awful lot. Wouldn’t pay it myself speaking personally



  • #9
    ShamoBuc
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,293 CMod ✭✭✭✭ShamoBuc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118428363#Comment_118428363

    Completely agree. From a value for money perspective, it really is very good. As mentioned, so much is covered. The floodlights that nearly all GAA club have, don't come cheep to run either.

    Factor in the sheer time and effort in organising training and games and they go off and organise a fun activity to end the seaon on a high - what a fantastic organisation it is, with so much goodwill given freely by so many up and down this country of ours.



  • #10
    flasher0030
    Registered Users Posts: 2,475 ✭✭✭flasher0030


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118428363#Comment_118428363

    Great post. Many peoples morals can be so lame. Many couples have no problem going out to a restaurant and will spend €150 in one night on couple of dinners, wine and few pints. For a couple of hours enjoyment. But then complain if they are asked for €100 or €150 club membership for their child, which covers God knows how many hours per annum and has their child getting upskilled in an activity, getting exercise out in fresh air, develops many friendships over the years, and is part of a team in the desire to win some silverware.

    When I hear those people complaining about the cost of GAA memberships, I always advise them to stop standing on the sidelines - let them put on a tracksuit and get out on the pitches and offer some assistance in the training of the kids. You don't need an infinite amount of coaching badges to help out with kids training. As a starting point, kids just need a little direction and to keep their attention. I can't understand why more parents do not want to get involved in coaching their kids. It's a magic feeling watching them develop through the years and the buzz they get from playing. Many parents will just drop the kids and then head off for their coffee - it's effectively like a childminding service for some. If you were to add up the hours, and attribute a measly €10 per hour for a childminding service, it would come to a lot more than €150.

    Anyway, to conclude, €150 for an annual GAA membership for your child is nothing (and in most clubs it is a lot less than that). The attitude and naivety of the opening poster sums up a huge part of the problem - parents who sit on the fence, and haven't a clue what is going on in the background in their kids club. Complaining about paying €25 for paintballing and pizza for their kid, and the kid going to benefit from a couple of hours entertainment with their friends. But if the best mate, Jimmy Bloggs rings up to go for few pints, you can bet the cost will not be a factor. It's a bit pathetic.



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