by Pete Sprenkle, reprinted with permission from A Youth Baseball Coaches Tool Kit  (with side notes from WebBall's Richard Todd)

When room accommodations are selected by the coach, or a parent designated by the coach, there are several things to consider. One of the most important is cost.

 

There is almost always a wide range of costs from which to choose. It is always profitable to research the available choices. One approach is to get the names and phone numbers of hotels or motels (hereinafter referred to just as motels) in the area and contact each of them to find out costs, services and amenities. If you do this, work at getting a lower rate than advertised. Many times a motel will give a discount for a large group. Negotiate!

Another approach is to talk to the tournament director. Frequently he/she can provide all the information you need, including which motels give discounts to tournament participants.

Another simple way to gather information is through the Internet. There are many sites on the Internet which provide all the information you need - cost, location, amenities, services, etc. and even let you reserve rooms on line. Sometimes you can get a lower rate reserving on line as the cost of the reservation is lower and the motel will pass on the savings to you.

Examples of some of the many Internet sites...

• www.all-hotels.com
• www.hotelguide.com
• www.guests.com    
  

Your Internet Service Provider may well have others available. I like to use an Internet search to narrow my choices and then talk directly to the motels highest on my list. 

My preferred choice for accommodations is a non smoking room with two double beds. This will normally handle three players and a chaperone. Ask for rooms close together, upstairs if possible and with no direct exit from the room to the outside. It is very difficult to manage your team if they can easily slip out a door to the outside without being seen. Try to get rooms on the opposite side of the motel from adjoining highways or parking lots. This will help keep noise to a minimum.

If you have parents traveling with the team put them on either end of the group of rooms and put the coaches in the middle. This provides a maximum amount of security and control over the players. I believe that chaperones are a necessity

Depending on the length of your stay and the format of the tournament you may want to consider choosing a motel with a pool.

However, if the format and schedule of the tournament has you playing most of the time, a pool is not only of little value, it can be a negative influence. The last thing you want on a trip is to have your players thinking about if and when they can get into the pool.

Also, it is not beneficial for your players to lie out in the sun, or spend a lot of energy frolicking around the pool, every time you have a break. On the other hand, if you have a long break, a pool provides a good opportunity for the players to have a little “R and R” on the trip.

A washing machine and dryer is a good addition to a motel. You never know when the uniforms will have to be cleaned.

If the motel offers a continental breakfast, take advantage of that extra, although as detailed under Mealtimes I prefer to provide breakfast to the team so there is no question about what and when they eat.

If your trip takes you to a vacation area a good option to investigate is getting units in a condominium rather than rooms at a motel. There are several good reasons to do this. It is a break from the motel room accommodations normally utilized. Often you will need fewer units than motel rooms and this will keep the team from being spread out. The units almost always have cooking and eating facilities which provide you with more options for meals. Most units have living rooms, allowing for a more leisurely down time. Hot tubs and other amenities are often available.

If you have the opportunity during the trip it is good fun and a reward for your players to provide some entertainment. Activities such as miniature golf, amusement parks, movies, and a professional baseball game (although most last longer than your players will probably maintain interest), etc. are available in most areas.

The best time to do this is after dinner and before going to bed. It keeps the players occupied and having a good time which should be a number one priority. Make sure that whatever activity you plan will not last so long that the players do not get a proper nights rest.