SaveAround's Community Conversation

Now that you’ve targeted your Spring Sports and they are underway with their season and you’ve reached out to your Fall Sports to try and line up some Sprint options for the off season, now it’s time to look at the summer. No, sorry - not plan a vacation, but rather focus on the SUMMER non-school sports groups and other summer activities.

Youth Baseball - there is a huge variety of youth baseball leagues all across the country = Cal Ripken, Little League, Dixie Youth, and the list goes on and on. Usually, these leagues include travel ball (serious players) and rec leagues that have a variety of skill levels and ages. Some teams will have a tournament trail which will require league fees, tournament entry costs, travel costs (depending on where the tournament is being hosted), and uniforms. While you are only talking about 12 to 15 players - there are quite a few expenses or financial requirements to be a part of the team - especially travel teams.

Softball - Definite similarities to baseball - travel and rec leagues including slow-pitch and fast-pitch. The swim teams are limited by facility locations with swimming pools, but they still have lots of meets, some travel expenses and other needs (uniforms). Other groups might include Church sports teams, summer camps, sports teams at the local YMCA or other non-profits that need to raise funds for summer activities - not just sports. Try to think outside the box and go after these non-traditional groups.

Many times these groups are run by committees or governing boards that are usually volunteers. They will begin to meet NOW to make plans. Evaluations, try-outs, registrations and things like this occur early in the year. Fundraising decisions will be made at the same time as well. Reach out to your local summer baseball and softball groups and try to get them on board for a fundraiser (or two).

SPRING CALENDAR WORK - THE TIME IS NOW!!!

Remember that the Spring selling season is a little shorter than Fall. State law requires 180 total instructional days for students to complete the requirement for that grade level. There are several days and dates to consider as you are working out your schedule for Spring.

This can range from holidays to time off. For example: President’s Day, MLK Day, Good Friday (near Easter); Spring Break; Teacher inservice days; inclement weather / snow days; final exams; field day; grade level trips/field trips plus lots of graduation related dates and activities (especially in the final weeks of school).

In addition to these dates; schools generally aren’t willing to do a fundraiser as they near the end of the school year. So that pushes you to get things done before May if possible or wrapping things up in early May.

So plan accordingly. Consider a one-hour Sprint Sale to maximize your time and availability. Be available and flexible. Know these dates and book sooner than later. Set your sights on a strong push for sales in February, March and April. Make it a 90 day sprint and then you can ease off the gas for a little bit as summer approaches.

1. The most snowmen built in an hour was 2,036 in Japan on 2/28/2015.

2. Karen Schmidt of Minnesota has the largest collection of snowmen numbering 5,127.

3. Largest snow sculpture was built in January 2007 in Harbin, China. 115 feet tall and 654 feet wide.

4. The official definition of a snowman is a representation of a human figure created with compressed snow.

5. The abominable snowman is a large hairy creature resembling a human or bear and is said to live in the highest part of the Himalayas.