"Some of the parents who are used to putting money out every summer for these travel teams, they are saying that the dollars are a little tighter," says Abe Key, president of PONY Baseball and Softball, a nationwide organization of elite travel teams. "Those teams are not traveling as much."
From CNN.com: League sponsors shrink from $45K to $3K, baseball plays on
The baseball diamonds and bleachers are filled with tales of moms and dads pitching in to put their kids on the field -- Foreclosuresville's version of "Field of Dreams."
North Rialto Little League has seen its annual $45,000 sponsorships shrink to a mere $3,000. Parents have lost their jobs, even houses, amid the nation's economic woes.
But the fa miles in this corner of California's economically ravaged region known as the Inland Empire have kept the aluminum bats swinging and the crowd roaring.
Not a single game has been missed because of hard times. "Even though we are in bad times. It still brings out something good," says Janis Strong, the president of North Rialto Little League. "What worked for you a long time ago, it'll work for you now...That's what we're supposed to do, have family involvement."
The families and the league had no choice but to rally around each other when the sponsorships plunged. Bread and butter small business sponsors closed up or lost too much revenue to help the league. The links to other financial donors were severed when parents lost their jobs at the sponsoring businesses.
It's a story echoing across America's fields, gyms and rinks for sports programs. Parents are often struggling to raise money, even in elite leagues that in the past had large financial treasure chests.
The economy has hit an all time low now that sponsor dependant programs and charities are suffering. Programs such as these help keep kids off the street and build confidence and team building skills. If there is any way you can help your favorite charity please do. Remember: what comes around goes around.
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