Grassroots Football

[sammydog]

I get what you are saying and agree but the reality is that most parents will happily pay $$$ if they think it will enhance thier child's progress
Emerging Jets wouldn't exist if this wasn't true
I would imagine the $215 for U/6 is a fair hike over last years cost......would be interesting to see if they lose numbers or maybe grow .........

Here is the thing though, we regularly loose players at our club to NPL or SAP programs. For us as a community club, thats job done and we are happy to see the kids move onto these programs that are above what we cater for. We actually encourage our better kids to trial for elite programs.

But you don't have to start out in the development clubs in the mini-roos stages to get there. If anything its the parents that push the kids that way at a young age, which allows the clubs to charge the premium rego costs. I dont think you will see a drop in numbers at any of the clubs charging higher regos. Our registration so far hasn't seen movement of players away from these clubs.

Where we get hurt is there is not players returning to the club when they drop out of the elite programs. So we loose a few kids in an age group to these programs and numbers in our squads become very tight as there is limited movement of players in the opposite direction.

Junior rego fees 2017

Lambton u/6 $120 u/8 $140
Garden Suburb u/6 $155 u/8 $175
Adamstown u/6 $160 u/8 $185
New Lambton (scabs) u/6 $215 u/8 $225

We can see which club is working real hard upgrading their facilities through parent money.

When I have looked at what other clubs are charging, for the most part the community clubs are all pretty close in what they charge.

Then you see some clubs and think, how do they make it so cheap, and you see others where it is so high the money is either propping up first grade or subsidising facility upgrades. But from these figures, looking at say New Lambton, if the money is going to facilities, that is a huge pot of money there just on the increased rego. Good luck to them if the parents are willing to pay it, if not, there are plenty off clubs that would be happy to take on the extra kids.

Lambtons seems insanely low though. Thats pretty much break even with nothing coming to the club for a Macquarie Club (once you factor in FFA/NNSW/Macquarie/Council), If they have a sponsor subsidising kids regos then that is awesome.

We are working hard at Garden Suburb to upgrade our facilities, but the kids wont be paying for it through increased rego. But if another club has done their research and the members/parents are happy to pay an increased rego for ground/facility upgrades, then I dont see that as an issue either. I only see an issue if the Junior Rego is propping up a first grade squad or elite program.