There is some miscommunication floating around regarding the Gamers program that needs clarified …
The Gamers program is a non-profit organization, which means:
We have been recognized by the IRS as a 501 c(3), have filed non-profit tax returns for four years, and can accept tax-deductible contributions to the program.
There are no shareholders.
Any profit at the end of the year is reinvested in the program. For the first 4 years, there has been little net profit.
We have raised money from corporate sponsors and individual donors to cover any losses and to provide grants to players from low income families. These donors are critical to our program’s mission. Note — If you are in a position to donate to a good cause, please contact me at mark.gallion@gmail.com.
The only people who earn money from Gamers program are independent contractors that we pay to:
- Coach teams (for professional coaches at 15u and above)
- Provide instruction and training
- Provide administrative support (maintain rosters, register for tournaments, etc….)
All of our paid coaches/instructors work more hours than they are compensated for. We have a very dedicated staff. They are baseball professionals that love to coach.
No program director earns money from the program unless it is directly related to the hours that he puts in for coaching, instruction and working with players. Our directors spend A LOT more time working with and for players than they are compensated for.
As the Managing Director of the program, I do not take any compensation. I volunteer my time to administer the program and to coach. I am not an owner of All-Star Performance. The Gamers program is not my business, but it is a deep passion.
We have dozens of other unpaid volunteers — including 12u, 13u and 14u coaches, administrative support and fundraising support (examples, the Super Bowl Party, Apparel Sales and Media Guide). Without these volunteers, the program would not work. They are the backbone of our program.
We pay below market rates for facility rental from All-Star Performance. All-Star Performance is a separate “for profit” business owned by Matt Whiteside and Dave Pregon. Only about 6% of Gamers revenues are spent on facility rental from ASP.
We pay market rates for tournament fees, field rentals, uniforms, strength/speed training, etc… However, we do get volume price breaks from our vendors. We have some great vendors.
The player fees that we charge go directly to cover the cost required to run our program — to provide the practice time, coaching, instruction, training, uniforms, leagues, tournaments, etc… that are core to our program. These costs differ by age group — ranging from $2000 to $3000 per player. There is no money left over at the end of the year.
Since we do not need to make money for shareholders or owners, we can afford to keep smaller rosters and deliver more quality baseball per dollar.
Coach Gallion Perspective 