Why did fees increase?

There are two primary reasons. First, Arlington County has discontinued a stipend of approximately $23,000 that it previously provided to ASA to cover a portion of insurance and personnel costs. In addition, the County has shifted to ASA the cost of purchasing field lining paint and the labor cost of lining the fields we use, an additional cost of approximately $25,000. The Travel Program has had to absorb its share of those increased costs. The County is also charging new fees, or higher fees, for certain services, such as winter lighting of synthetic fields, the Gunston Bubble, and other services.

Second, in the Summer of 2008, ASA started a program consolidation process that brought all of the ASA programs (Rec, Travel, and others) all under one organization. The budgeting process for the consolidated operation has been a challenge, as there was no prior history to go on. In the last two fiscal years, ASA underestimated certain expenses associated with the Travel Program and had to use reserve funds to make up the difference. The fees for this coming year reflect a more realistic assessment of the costs of the program based on actual history.

What do my fees cover?

Player registration fees cover the following items: Coaching compensation (coaches for teams), Player development programs (regular and offseason), Uniforms, League Fees, Association fees (VYSA, USYSA, USSF—this includes insurance for players), Club Admin costs (true admin: office expenses, etc.), and Staff compensation—(ASA staff + Directors of Coaching). For an "average" hypothetical travel player in ASA, here is a breakdown of what the fee covers:

	Coaching	$900	55%
	Player Development	$100	6%
	Uniforms	$60	4%
	League and VYSA Fees	$120	7%
	Other Programming Expenses (Field Use/Lining, Hotline, Licensing Fees)	$40	2%
	Club Admin Costs	$130	8%
	Staff Compensation (GDOC, BDOC, DPD, ATD, portions of ED & FM)	$300	18%

What costs are not covered by these fees?

Presently the following things are not covered by registration fees: Gear and Miscellaneous Expenses, Tournaments, Additional Training.

Why were tournaments taken out of the fee?

Tournament costs were taken out of the registration fee for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is the need for clarity associated with that cost. Under the previous fee structure, many teams found that the part of the registration fee associated with tournament costs covered only a portion of the team's true tournament expenses. Team parents found this confusing, as they might start the season assuming tournaments were paid for, only to discover later in the season that they still had some tournament expenses that had to be covered in addition to what was paid previously.

By taking tournaments out of the registration fee and making sure that, for each team, the full year's tournament schedule was detailed in the team's Yearly Plan (available at the start of the season), ASA is better able to provide parents with a true sense of the year's tournament expenses right up front.

What is this Arlington County Assessment?

The Arlington County Player Assessment is that portion of your fee that is due to a new, direct assessment by the County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (DPRCR). Beginning with fiscal year 2010-2011, Arlington County decided to require all "affiliated" youth sports to make a payment of $130,000 to DPRCR. ASA is a private, non-profit association that is "affiliated" with DPRCR for purposes of running soccer programs in Arlington. ASA has estimated our share of that payment at $93,000, pending a final decision from the County on the actual amount. The player assessment fee is each player's share of that amount. The fee is the same for travel and rec players.

Are player fees funding financial aid?

No, registration fees are used to cover operational and administrative costs other than financial aid. The yearly ASIST event (the Spring tournament hosted by ASA) is the principle provider of financial aid funding. Revenue from Spring and Summer Camps also helps cover financial aid costs.

Is the Travel program supporting the Rec program (or vice versa)?

No, ASA makes sure that it views—and operates—all of its programs as separate programs within the organization. Rec does not support Travel, and vice versa. Presently there are some smaller programs supported by Rec (Soccer Plus, TOPSoccer, Drop-In Soccer) since those programs do not currently generate any program revenue.

With the new fee structure, will programs like Travel or Rec cover their own costs?

The current budget was created with the goal of covering all expenses and generating very modest reserves for each major ASA program.

Is ASA planning on doing any fundraising to offset increased costs?

ASA's Board of Directors has created a Fundraising Committee, and that group has begun to create a menu of fundraising options for all of ASA. If you wish to help out on this committee, or if you have fundraising experience and are willing to share some knowledge, please contact Bob Waffle (rwaffle@comcast.net), the Fundraising Committee Chair.

Why are Travel coaches treated as staff? Wouldn't it be cheaper if they were contractors?

Travel coaches are treated as salaried employees because that is the proper way to view them according to the IRS. This was the single most vital factor driving the consolidation of ASA, and it was agreed two years ago that this was the best (albeit a very cautious) way to proceed.

Several comparable sports organizations have tried to view their coaching staffs as contractors, and in some cases these organizations have been subjected to expensive investigations by the IRS. For ASA, this means that our coaching staff is an expensive part of the association, but it is an investment that we are comfortable with and one that provides extensive value to our players. It also protects ASA and all its volunteers, including team managers, from potential tax penalties and sanctions.