I'm sponsoring a gay softball team in Nashville. The team is a level D which means the players have the least amount of skill in the league. The team is not all about winning. We are there to have fun and we do. It's great to see guys that have never played an organized sport, play, learn and have fun. The problem is the team is small and we usually have to forfeit because guys don't show up. I've provided all the uniform/equipment needs of the team. I've had a bbq at my house for the team. I've scheduled another one at the end of the season. I go to every game. For those of you that have sponsored a team or played in a league with a great sponsor, what can I do to build a team and motivate guys to show up and play? I know this is a common problem.

Well, I've played in what now seems like every NAGAAA league there is, so here are some things that I've noticed:

1. When you're dealing with D Division players, not only is the game new to them, but the concept of being part of a team is new to them as well. Many of them simply have never played on a team, and just don't get what it means. Your attempts to foster camaraderie with BBQ's and the like is a good one, and hopefully is the first step to teaching these guys what this concept means. It does also need to be spelled out, in fairly plain language, that although this IS a fun activity, each individual player's actions affect 14 (or how many players you carry on your roster) other people. Yes, it does seem silly to couch it in that language, but some guys just don't get that;
2. Many D Division teams carry larger rosters than you'll see in C Division or higher, simply for that reason that I explained above. Yeah, it means fighting for playing time when everybody shows up, but that doesn't sound like it's much of a problem right now;
3. Who coaches this team? If it's one of the players on the team, he MIGHT find it helpful to have somebody who actually plays on a B or C Division team help him, not just with the mechanics of the game, but again, with fostering a concept of what it means to actually be part of a team;
4. Does your team hold a practice sometime during the week, be it on Saturday or a weeknight? If these guys see themselves tangibly improving, it would be easier to get them to the fields.

Good luck to you...

Tnman...

May I ask how many players are on your roster? That's too bad that you are running into that problem. There are teams in Chicago that would LOVE to have the kind of sponsorship support you are providing.

We have almost 40 teams in our Chicago league and this is almost NEVER a problem here. In fact, our lowest division (D2) has teams with 17,18 people on their rosters and sometimes they ALL show up. This can create the opposite problem with managers trying to find playing time for everyone.

Our team if fortunate enough to have a GREAT bar/restaurant sponsor and our entire team goes there after games (and throughout the week).

your in a tough position. I play on a b team where we have had the same sponsor for around 4 years. They are great and the first couple years we didnt need to do any fundraising it was all just about winning and playing softball. Over the last 4 years our team has gelled to be about friendship and winning. However its hard to get everyone there to every event. BBQ, fundraisers etc. The last two years we have had to do more fundraising etc to fund trips and uniforms. Not everone will show up. Not everyone will show up to practice even. The thing that works for us is that we have a great core group of guys. We're the ones that show up to every practice, every bbbq every game and every fundraising event. Gets very old but seems to work.

New teams that are primarily made up of first-time players are going to have these problems. I'd say having a big roster would help, but you'll just have to tough it out for the first year, and build on it from there. Figure out who the core group of dedicated players are, and invite them all back to play next year with the understanding that the roster will be filled out with more dependable players. Some of the players that don't show up may just be figuring out that they don't really like softball, so don't take it personally if they're not there every week.

I'd say some of this stuff should come from the coach, not the sponsor. I know you're putting up the money and all, but the coach needs to take the responsibility of making sure everyone understands the importance of showing up for games. You could maybe encourage the team to hang out more without hosting them at your place so it feels more natural. Scheduling a BBQ for them, although well-intentioned, could feel like a mandatory thing. Let them gel as a team on their own, and just keep in mind that first-year teams are going to experience some growing pains and will often undergo big changes before the next season. It's all part of the game.