Veasey Cove Venom Fastpitch Softball.

Mission Statement:

The Venom Softball organization provides dedicated softball players the opportunity to develop their playing skills to optimum levels, while building self esteem. In addition, the organization places an emphasis on teamwork and sportsmanship, all in an effort to better prepare the players for future softball opportunities.

I started this communication off with our mission statement so we do not loose sight of what we are trying to accomplish. We have achieved something that was frankly unexpected although it was one of our goals. To that end, it looks like the "future softball opportunities" mentioned above are presenting themselves at this time. As a Venom family (coaches, players and parents) we have some tough decisions to make in regards to participating in the World Series. This communication is meant to open up dialogue and thought on what our next steps will be. I will outline some things below that we need to consider and some decisions that will need to be made in order of priority. We will have a follow up meeting next week to determine which direction we will go.

Will we participate in the World Series is the first question that will need to be answered. Answering that is not as easy as it seems. Here are some things to consider in no specific order:Cost - this is a major factor in getting a group girls to Orlando. While we can have fundraisers, solicit donations, there will still be other cost that will not be covered. So here are some other items to consider when thinking about the cost. How will we get there? Fly, drive, charter bus, rent vans? Where will we stay? Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn (oops that is an old rap song) or house/condo. Who will be going? Schedules may prevent entire families from traveling. All-Stars - Girls are not permitted to participate in two tournaments simultaneously. The All-Stars is considered a tournament and they are not permitted to participate in travel ball tournaments while in All-Stars. If a local team wins and moves on to regional play, the player would need to withdrawal from the All-Star tournament in order to participate in the World Series.Increased Commitment - In order to be competitive, raise the monies necessary to travel there would be an increased commitment from everyone to make this happen.

Travel Options - We checked on a few things regarding travel cost and here is what we have so far: Airfare would about $200/person for a round trip. A charter bus would cost about $11,000 to get there and back (not sure if they run us around while we are there or not) and that is $220 a person with 50 people going. Or drive individual vehicles, which would cost about $400 - $500 round trip.

Accommodations - Hotels would run about $100/night for your basic room that sleeps 4 people. Housing cost varies, but I found homes that sleep 8-10 people, with swimming pools for $1200/week (this would be the least expensive since families could choose to buddy up and it would also reduce food expense)

Fundraisers - This will take time commitment, but is necessary if we are going to do this. Lisa Smith has offered to host a Tastefully Simple party and there are a few other ideas floating around. Remember the girls and coaches need to be practicing as much as possible so we should carefully think through the time commitment and difficulty of any fundraiser. Corporate sponsors are another option.

Pins - We will need to order Pins for the girls. All teams trade/collect pins at the World Series.

Okay, I covered a lot of things, so now it is time to discuss with your children. Keep in mind if as a parent you are not able to travel, for what ever the reason, and you want your child to participate, we will work out a buddy or chaperone system to make that happen. Coach Alex, as well as other parents will step up the be a surrogate for the week.