Travel / Rec Season Cancellations Refund Policy Master Thread

[Anonymous]

My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

[Anonymous]

The stimulus bill allows for the gig and independent contractors to get unemployment insurance that would more than cover coaches for a season

Problem is the coaches do this as a 2nd job and therefore may not qualify for unemployment if they did not lose their primary job

The money grab of travel will never be more evident than in these club decisions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

Agree with this point. Atleast make it an option for families. Clubs cant say "sorry no refunds" There needs to be a plan. Zoom meetings doesnt fill the gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The stimulus bill allows for the gig and independent contractors to get unemployment insurance that would more than cover coaches for a season

Problem is the coaches do this as a 2nd job and therefore may not qualify for unemployment if they did not lose their primary job

The money grab of travel will never be more evident than in these club decisions

If they are obliged to pay coaches, then none of the above matters. They have costs that must be covered. If they are not obliged to pay coaches, and do not reimburse anybody, and get refunds from the leagues, your point is taken.

[Anonymous]

The true reason of this crazy lockdown is not the virus is the lack of strong health system and resources. This lockdown has disrupted everyone’s lives, schools, jobs, sport activities. Blame the system, now we have to re-create our lives in this sort of virtual matrix. It could take long and it’s really depressing.

[Anonymous]

So is your contract for the year or for the season? If it’s for the year and you have no payments left...you are out of luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The true reason of this crazy lockdown is not the virus is the lack of strong health system and resources. This lockdown has disrupted everyone’s lives, schools, jobs, sport activities. Blame the system, now we have to re-create our lives in this sort of virtual matrix. It could take long and it’s really depressing.

Actually, the virus in NYC is very hard on the 20-49 year old population, even healthy people with no underlying conditions have been in ICU. Misinformation is not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there are several zoom style meetings between clubs going on over next few days:
concept is forming mini leagues to play mini seasons amongst them once all clear
you can read that as proactive to benefit kids or proactive to avoid refunds

Stupid.

Best article:

We are all Group B and need to adhere to it

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-will-coronavirus-end/608719/

I don’t think that conclusion follows. We are not going to be locked down for 12-18 months and cannot get herd immunity if we are. We cannot possibly spend a years worth of federal budget (including defense) per month of social distancing for more than two months. You would spend the equivalent of eight to ten years of federal expenditures to distance socially until the earliest possible vaccine. Not to mention that states and local governments will have no revenues and therefore no services. Lockdown til vaccine is a rich persons fantasy and luxury. Most businesses and employees don’t want a check from the federal government until we come up with a vaccine (even if they get one on time, which looks doubtful). So we should all distance until the surge is over, testing is available, and data about transmission, mortality and acuity are more available. But we also need to realize the plastic bubble does not eliminate the virus. Something more surgical is necessary. And yes, that means people will be playing soccer in two or three months even if your children are not.

People do not know how bad this is going to be in 1-2 months because it’s unprecedented. Nobody will be able to get routine healthcare and god forbid an accident or something else requires a loved one to access a hospital when there are no beds.

Right or wrong, nobody can know and time is what takes to flatten the curve. Soccer teams will not be playing the rest of the spring. That is a hard fact to accept for those whose living is based on it, but they have all been paid through the rest of the year.

If it comes in waves. Then, yes, it’s quite possible next September things will pick up. I’m still not sure we will see travel between multiple states for games/tournaments given the situation and it effecting different municipalities at different times.

Time will tell.

I agree they won’t play in the spring. I am confident kids will be playing by early summer, at least in most areas and probably the DMV. And I also think it is possible additional waves will require subsequent rounds of social distancing. I don’t know what clubs will do. It’s not unreasonable for them to plan. I am certain we will not be willing or able to lock down economically or fiscally beyond the next two months. The responses will become far more targeted, assuming the governments get their act together on testing (a pretty weak assumption at present.

i agree with the pp...that travel to states as far as NJ, Penn, S Carolina, N Carolina will be shelved---even if soccer is resumed late summer. You can not have interstate leagues when there are going to be ongoing shutdowns--rolling in different places at different times.

[Anonymous]

^ and hotel industry is suffering. Putting a kid on a bus to a different state with an ongoing pandemic would be insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there are several zoom style meetings between clubs going on over next few days:
concept is forming mini leagues to play mini seasons amongst them once all clear
you can read that as proactive to benefit kids or proactive to avoid refunds

Stupid.

Best article:

We are all Group B and need to adhere to it

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-will-coronavirus-end/608719/

I don’t think that conclusion follows. We are not going to be locked down for 12-18 months and cannot get herd immunity if we are. We cannot possibly spend a years worth of federal budget (including defense) per month of social distancing for more than two months. You would spend the equivalent of eight to ten years of federal expenditures to distance socially until the earliest possible vaccine. Not to mention that states and local governments will have no revenues and therefore no services. Lockdown til vaccine is a rich persons fantasy and luxury. Most businesses and employees don’t want a check from the federal government until we come up with a vaccine (even if they get one on time, which looks doubtful). So we should all distance until the surge is over, testing is available, and data about transmission, mortality and acuity are more available. But we also need to realize the plastic bubble does not eliminate the virus. Something more surgical is necessary. And yes, that means people will be playing soccer in two or three months even if your children are not.

People do not know how bad this is going to be in 1-2 months because it’s unprecedented. Nobody will be able to get routine healthcare and god forbid an accident or something else requires a loved one to access a hospital when there are no beds.

Right or wrong, nobody can know and time is what takes to flatten the curve. Soccer teams will not be playing the rest of the spring. That is a hard fact to accept for those whose living is based on it, but they have all been paid through the rest of the year.

If it comes in waves. Then, yes, it’s quite possible next September things will pick up. I’m still not sure we will see travel between multiple states for games/tournaments given the situation and it effecting different municipalities at different times.

Time will tell.

I agree they won’t play in the spring. I am confident kids will be playing by early summer, at least in most areas and probably the DMV. And I also think it is possible additional waves will require subsequent rounds of social distancing. I don’t know what clubs will do. It’s not unreasonable for them to plan. I am certain we will not be willing or able to lock down economically or fiscally beyond the next two months. The responses will become far more targeted, assuming the governments get their act together on testing (a pretty weak assumption at present.

i agree with the pp...that travel to states as far as NJ, Penn, S Carolina, N Carolina will be shelved---even if soccer is resumed late summer. You can not have interstate leagues when there are going to be ongoing shutdowns--rolling in different places at different times.

I totally agree. My point about kids playing in early summer is not about any club or league. But it seems awfully unlikely that interstate play would resume even then, especially with rolling shutdowns.

[Anonymous]

^ one true blessing to come out of this awful thing!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

Yes. We are down a lot of income. And our soccer fees are approx $3500-4000. Some reimbursement should be given. Zero spring season happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

Yes. We are down a lot of income. And our soccer fees are approx $3500-4000. Some reimbursement should be given. Zero spring season happened.

$3500!? My DS is in his first travel season, we’re in the bottom team of our club (U11). Is that what costs look like later? Or is that for the “higher level” teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

Yes. We are down a lot of income. And our soccer fees are approx $3500-4000. Some reimbursement should be given. Zero spring season happened.

$3500!? My DS is in his first travel season, we’re in the bottom team of our club (U11). Is that what costs look like later? Or is that for the “higher level” teams?

Yes, and for ECNL or DA it is significantly more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dues aren't charity for the soccer organization. Some of us are facing layoffs, job loss in very high numbers.

At least partial reimbursement should be part of the conversation.

Yes. We are down a lot of income. And our soccer fees are approx $3500-4000. Some reimbursement should be given. Zero spring season happened.

$3500!? My DS is in his first travel season, we’re in the bottom team of our club (U11). Is that what costs look like later? Or is that for the “higher level” teams?

Yes, and for ECNL or DA it is significantly more.

Not true. The big difference is travel costs between ECNL/DA teams and other teams. Typically, Club fees are about the same or mostly proportional to the increased number of practices for ECNL/DA level teams. There are some exceptions, but many of the lower level teams have to bring in revenue for the clubs.