do sports teams get any special treatment when traveling

How much does it cost to play elite travel sports?

The U.S. Tax Court recently decided a casein which it held that a professional hockey team could deduct 100% of the cost of meals provided to players and other employees at the team's hotel while traveling for games. The decision may have implications beyond the sports world, affecting the entire entertainment industry.

Should you spend money on your child’s elite travel team?

Players should also ensure they have money for sports drinks, fruit juices and other liquids necessary to stay hydrated while traveling, while practicing and during game time. Nutrition: More than likely, your sports team will need a lot of food. Look for buffet-style restaurants that will offer players the amount of food that is right for them.

Why are most youth sports not as good as elite sports?

The team physician may be asked to travel with the team to away venues. This takes special planning to provide for travel advice, proper immunizations, treatment of travel related diseases, appropriate planning for supplies, and care not to disturb any local laws and regulations.

Does playing sports give an athlete a mental edge?

 · 5. Make Dinner Reservations. After a long day on the field, court or track, searching for a restaurant with the capabilities to serve a large group is no fun. Make dinner reservations before hitting the road. You can also scope out quick lunch options near the event space or local grocery stores. 6.

Do major league baseball teams fly commercial?

All major professional sports use charters, often the same plane and crew for the entire year (not as much with baseball, though, since they're in the same city for 3-4 days). Even with a private jet, the plane still needs to land at an airport.

Do NFL players get their own hotel room?

The marquee players will get their own rooms, and some of them might even get something really plush. But for rookies and lesser known players, they will have to bunk up with a teammate.

Do MLB players pay for their hotel rooms?

Do Mlb Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? Hotels are the best accommodations for teams – and they are paid for by teams. Each team must provide the MLB Players Association with a list of all the hotels where the team will stay during the season so that the hotels meet the union's specifications.

How do sports teams travel?

Teams typically have a contract with one of the major airlines to provide a jet that carries the entire team. Opting for private jets over more traditional, commercial airliners has become so accepted in the NFL that one team, the New England Patriots, actually owns its own plane.

Do football players pee on the field?

The vast majority of times players go pee during a football game is by doing so on the sidelines. Since the possession of the football can change at any second these players aren't exactly able to run into the stadium for a bathroom break.

Do NFL players pay for flights?

One thing that's for certain is that they don't take commercial flights with “regular” travelers. Many people probably think all NFL teams have private airplanes they use to travel, but that's not true of all 32 clubs. The way players travel, and thus the cost, varies by team.

Do batboys get paid?

Currently, the rate of pay for bat boys and ball girls falls within $9-10 per hour. Because they typically work 8-9 hour days during each home game, the math adds up to an annual salary somewhere between $19,000 and $20,000 per season.

Do wives travel with MLB players?

Different MLB teams have different rules when it comes to players' wives traveling with them. Some franchises let wives and children pick one or two road trips during the season when they can join their husbands. Others allow family members only on the flights home after the final road trip game.

Do MLB players wear a new uniform every game?

Major league players do not wear new uniforms every game — it just looks that way. They are just expertly and painstakingly washed and pressed to appear new for every game. During the process some uniforms are also mended, to fix tears or damages, or amended to switch numbers, or add a last name or patch.

Does every NFL team have their own plane?

Surprising fact- only one NFL team flies its athletes in its own plane. In fact, the club has two private jets to ferry them around. What is probably not as surprising is the team that owns it- the highly successful New England Patriots.

Do sports teams have their own planes?

It's important to note that while many sports teams don't have their own private jets, individual players and team owners may. From LeBron James to Cristiano Ronaldo to Roman Abramovich to Mark Cuban, private jets are ubiquitous in sports. For instance, Cuban has a 757 meant for the Dallas Mavericks' travel.

Do NBA teams have their own planes?

In 2015, Delta Airlines struck a deal to charter specially-customized flights for 27 of 30 NBA teams. By contrast, the WNBA forbids such deals, insisting all teams travel equally. Then there is the fact that plenty of owners of these teams have their own private jets.

Preparation

Planning prior to a tour is vital – whether you are travelling with a team of athletes you have known for years or it’s your first trip away with them. In particular, it’s useful to have athletes complete a pre-tour screening form (or even better a face-to-face introduction).

Travel

Travel is a big challenge in sport due to long drives, flights, and jet lag. It is crucial, therefore, to work with the rest of the team officials to manage the effects of travel so as not to disrupt performance. Jet lag is a disorganization of the circadian rhythm and mismatch between the body clock and environment you’re in (1).

Box 1: Strategies to help minimize the effects of jet lag

Adapting to a new time zone before travel by adjusting to light exposure and timing of eating/sleeping can be difficult to implement, but is an effective way to minimise jet lag.

Figure 1: Light-induced manipulation of circadian rhythm

The vertical red line at 3am is considered the average transition point. Bright light in the late evening or very small hours tends to shift sleep later (as would be desired flying west). After 3am, bright light tends to shift sleep patterns early (as would be desired flying east).

During the tour

For each location on tour, you should prepare a file with key information which is gathered prior to or on arrival. Useful information to collate includes:

Time management

As a physio, there are only a limited number of hours in a day. Athletes therefore need to be prioritised if you are dealing with a big squad. Monitoring systems should be used to aid prioritisation, with self-report questionnaires and neuromuscular testing being useful tools (6).

Summary

Travel is an exciting yet challenging part of being a physiotherapist in sport. It pushes yourprofessionaland communication skills and logistical planning to another level. To summarise, the key components of working well within a team while travelling are:

Travel Abroad: A Guide for Coaches and Team Managers

Whether you are the coach or team manager of a school sports team, AAU program, or a regional team, it is your job to make sure players will be safe on the road. If the proper precautions are not taken, your program, company, or school is liable and unexpected expenses could fall on the coach or team manager who hosted the team while traveling.

Tips for Keeping Your Team Healthy on an International Trip

Here are some other tips for coaches and team managers wanting to keep their sports team healthy on the road:

Why do doctors need to be informed before traveling?

Before traveling with a team, the team physician needs to become informed about the laws governing the practice of medicine in the state or country to which he/she is traveling to avoid risk of being accused of practicing medicine without a license in those locales.

What is a team physician?

The team physician may be asked to provide care for the team's athletes in the medical office, hospital, training room and, of course, on the sidelines at the sporting venue. Generally, a team will be "away" as many times as it is at home. The needs of the team on the road may be different due to issues regarding travel, location, travel related diseases, supplies and equipment, and licensing of the team physician. The goal is always the best possible care of the athlete and staff.

What is TD in travel?

Traveler's diarrhea (TD) is one of the most common infections affecting those who travel ( 6 ). Forty to sixty percent of travelers to the developing world come down with diarrhea, but travelers can get diarrhea in developed countries as well. The three types of TD are "classic" (3 or more unformed stools in 24 hours along with one or more symptoms of nausea, abdominal pain, cramps, fever, or blood in stool), "moderate" (1 or 2 unformed stool in 24 hours with one of above symptoms or more than 2 unformed stools without above symptoms), or "mild" (1 or 2 unformed stools in 24 hours without additional symptoms) ( 7,8 ).

What to do after a long day on the field?

After a long day on the field, court or track, searching for a restaurant with the capabilities to serve a large group is no fun. Make dinner reservations before hitting the road. You can also scope out quick lunch options near the event space or local grocery stores.

Can a hotel make or break a trip?

Your hotel can make (or break) your whole trip. For sports team travel, the more your hotel includes, the better. Look for accommodations with year-round access to a pool, healthy breakfast options, family-sized suites, laundry and in-room kitchenettes. Just like any large group, you’ll want to ask if you can reserve rooms near each other and whether there’s a simplified check-in process available.

Can you fly with a group?

Flying with a group may give you access to savings and other benefits, depending on the airline. When planning for sports team travel, you’ll also want to talk to your travel agent or airline representative about other unique considerations. Your bulky baseball, hockey or skiing equipment needs to arrive on time and without breaking the bank. This could mean choosing an airline that includes checked baggage and minimizing layovers.

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Competitive sports teams travel near and far to play in tournaments all year long. When you belong to one of these teams, travel becomes a requirement for the athlete as well as the parents.

Team travel is expensive

When you factor in the food, gas, hotel, and airfare, you can spend thousands of dollars traveling with a sports team over the course of one season. One of the largest and most frequent expenses is staying at a hotel.

So how do you get group rates for hotels?

A decade ago, you would have had to call a dozen hotels just to get rates. You would have played lots of phone tag, left a bunch of voice mails and been very frustrated. Not so anymore.

What are the advantages of blocking hotel rooms?

For one thing, you and your team are not in eight different hotels. This way, everyone can gather at night and hang out poolside or play in the courtyard.

So how many rooms do we have to book to make a group?

Generally speaking, most hotels will consider you a group if you are blocking more than 10 rooms. That is not too large a hurdle to cross when you are traveling with a sports team. And the more rooms you book, the larger the discount.

Is there is fee for blocking hotel rooms?

In almost all cases, there is no fee or deposit when you block rooms at a hotel for a sports team. When you are filling out the group hotel rates form, just add the following in the comments section:

What do you do once you get to the stadium?

Once you get to the stadium, it really depends on an individuals personalities. Some guys will sit in the locker room and rock out to whatever music they listen too. Other guys will go out onto the field, run around and get a feel for the environment and motivate themselves by being in the arena they are about to play in.

What is the itinerary for a soccer team?

As for their itinerary, it usually contains a heavy training session for those had little to no playing time and a recovery session for those who played a majority of the match. Outside of those training sessions the team is free to do what they want, so long as they travel with the team (unless they have requested to book their own travel to visit family, etc).

What is the off day for baseball?

TUESDAY: Generally this is the players official off day, sometimes it will get switched to better accomodate the schedule but generally it's Tuesday. Players are on their own, some guys still will come in but there is no planned team meetings or anything. Treatments for guys injured would still happen on the day off.

How long do you have to be on the ground for an away game?

For example, the NFL mandates that players be on the ground for an away game 18 hours prior to kickoff. Everything the visiting team does is predicated on adhering to that rule. The NHL is known to not go home between road games that are close together. I'm a Devils fan, and I've seen the Devils fly to Tampa, play, then fly the short hop to Fort Lauderdale to play the Panthers and have an off day on the road in between. It comes down to what makes operational and financial sense in that respect. In the NHL's CBA

Which airlines charter hockey?

Air Canada, United and Delta get a lot of pro charter business. Air Canada does well with hockey not only due to being Canadian, but because of their specialized VIP charter subdivision called "Air Canada Jetz". They have single-aisle Airbuses (319's and 320's) with an all-Business seat setup that maxes out at 63. Hockey travels with much smaller entourages given that there are only 21 roster spots during the regular season. Charter aircraft get larger in the postseason: the last time the Phillies won the World Series, they were on a Delta 747, such was their need for seats.

Does Air Canada have hockey?

Air Canada does well with hockey not only due to being Canadian, but because of their specialized VIP charter subdivision called "Air Canada Jetz". They have single-aisle Airbuses (319's and 320's) with an all-Business seat setup that maxes out at 63.

Do hockey players travel by train?

In the old days, hockey players anyway, many traveled by train. But the main thing I think would be how close in proximity the teams are. When the Nordiques were in Quebec City, they would travel by bus if they played the Canadiens in Montreal. But if they played in Vancouver, they flew out. And when Ottawa plays the Leafs in Toronto, they travel by bus as well. As they do when they play in Montreal and vice-versa.

Where do sportos end up?

The majority of the sportos end up in the business world...if they're lucky. The ones that didn't go pro, and had the silver spoon while in school, wind up working for a guy like me. The college pukes? F 'em.

Do all WNBA teams fly commercials?

Forgot to add that almost all of the WNBA and the MLS teams do fly commercial.

Do colleges pay athletes?

except one could argue that colleges get more in return for having these athletes, since they don't have to pay them anything.

Do pro athletes get paid?

One could argue that. You're right. They may not get an actual salary (like a pro athlete), but they get more than their fair share of special treatment...mainly due to the amount of $$ brought in by the sport.

Why is it important to play sports year round?

James Andrews considered being the TOP Orthopeadic sports surgeon in the country says the most important thing for an athlete’s success at each level, is their health. Next, children change their mind all the time. So having them do something, anything year round , is against their nature and will begin to wear on them and they won’t continue to grow and benefit. It’s called the law of diminishing returns. That may initially want to play the sport year round. They may even enjoy it. But soon, it will wear on them. They are kids, and kids want to do different things. They will continue on to please their parents and avoid the stigma of quitting, but then injurious start to pop up and their bodies and minds tell them that they need rest and soon you have a child not having any fun.

How many sports should a child play to get an athletic scholarship?

Your child should play one sport year round to get an athletic scholarship.

Why are most teams elite?

In fact most elite teams consist of a group of kids whose parents agreed to pay an outrageous fee for your participation on this team. The members of this team were picked from a pool of participants that excluded anyone who could not afford to pay the fee and or did not want to give up everything else they were doing in that time frame to play on this team. The league in which you play has the same criteria as you do. In these criteria there is no way you can expect true elite completion.

Is youth sports as good as elite?

Most recreation level youth sports are not as good as “elite” level because of desire. I have watched many of them, well over a 100, and I can say that just like elite there are a couple of kids who stand out, a couple that aren’t very good and the rest are about the same talent level.

Does mental edge give athletes physical edge?

We have gotten messages from a couple of national trainers and they say it gives an athlete a mental edge and a physical edge, but that applies only for the very top 1% of the athletes in the country.

Is a personal trainer a necessity in youth sports?

5. Personal trainers are a necessity in youth sports.

Do college coaches recruit from the pedigree tree?

This talent comes from all sorts of places and teams. While it is true that some college coaches only recruit form the pedigree tree, many are looking for multi sport athletes that are really great teammates and high quality character people first and foremost.

Why do schools use special admits?

The purpose of special admits rolls right back around to the finances. If schools want to make money with their sports program, they need to be competitive , and to do this they use special admits. The use of special admits often leads to the use of even more special admits at competing Universities.

Why do colleges lose money in athletics?

Many small colleges, in an effort to build revenue from sports just like big Universities do, end up losing more money because they do not have the same size teams, audiences, or number of skilled players, to build such revenue.

Is there a limit on how many athletes can graduate from college?

This area is largely unstudied, however, and there are no limits made by the NCAA or any national statistics regarding how many graduate or how far below typical academic standards colleges go for their athletes.

Do athletes get better treatment?

In addition to the issues of finances, there is a question of fairness. Athletes often get better treatment then non-athlete students. Students who are not academically qualified for specific Universities are, of course, typically not accepted into that University- unless they are athletically qualified. Well, this kind of makes sense; if a student is entering into college as an athlete, they often are going to school mainly for that purpose- not as much so the education. This obviously depends on the actual sport, the division level, and of course individual differences. So, is them getting the education that they aren’t qualified for unfair?

Preparation

Travel

Box 1: Strategies to Help Minimize The Effects of Jet Lag

Figure 1: Light-Induced Manipulation of Circadian Rhythm

During The Tour

Time Management

Summary

References