I've received a couple questions about the 'alternate' option I've been bringing up lately. First, a quick background on that, and then I'll get to the details.
If you're 2 hours or more from the Albany area, this isn't new to you because I brought it up from the jump. For the rest, this is a new thought. Basically, this option is for people whose schedules are simply TOO crazy, but they still want to come out when available. When I say 'too crazy', I mean if it's likely that a player would miss 4 or more weeks - AKA more than half of the season. This could be for whatever reason, as there's a bunch going on in the summer between summer AAU schedules for national-level teams, vacation, college visits, and of course the occasional 'can't find a ride'. If I talked to you, there's a reason for it. I'd love to have you play, and if you could only be there 2, 3, or 4 weeks, I'll work with it. If there's anything I learned while running the King of Kings College Prospect League last year, it's that the alternates help keep this thing running smoothly. I didn't run into any forfeit situations last summer, but if not for the availability of alternates, there would've been a handful. When the dog days hit, you quickly learn why you're not shunning people that can play away.
I hesitated to bring it up to everyone off the bat because this is a certain aspect that can be taken advantage of. Yes, I like full-season commits. It makes it much easier for me to have people fully 'in' than people on a week-by-week basis. It puts me in a bad spot if people try to take advantage of it. Because of that, there are advantages to being fully in compared to being an alternate. However, the alternate choice is a beneficial one for people whose schedules really only allow that. Details:
Cost: $25 per week (this is tentative - won't increase from that). 2 weeks = $50, 3 weeks = $75, 4 weeks = $100, 5 weeks = might as well just fully commit because it only costs $100 to do that. Of course, the 'per week' cost covers both games in that night.
Pay per week, for one big reason. If you're in, you're in. If you're an alternate, there isn't a 100% guarantee you'll actually be able to play every week you're available... hear me out. There are only a certain amount of jerseys available for each team (12). If the team has 12 players fully committed that are available for a week, then that team's alternates won't be able to play. Alternates, in essence, fill in spots for fully committed players when they aren't there. That being said, it's summer. Last summer, I had 11 fully committed players to each team, and there wasn't a SINGLE game that any team had all 11. Everyone has their own schedules, and not everyone can always make it. As a matter of fact, just 1/6 of players made it every week last year. On rosters of 11, I averaged 8-9 per team per week. That being said, I won't 'guarantee' alternates will be able to play in every week they're available because I refuse to guarantee things that aren't 100%, but I'd be very surprised if that situation ever popped up. But just because there is that slim chance, it's a pay-per-week as an alternate so you don't pay just to not be able to play.
Jerseys: The $100 cost for being a full commit includes the jersey at the end of the season. Jerseys can be kept at the end of the season by full commits, but not alternates (exceptions may apply - a couple alternates kept KoK jerseys last summer after their fully replacing people who quit last summer).
So, there are advantages to being a full commit, but for people who can only make it 2, 3, or perhaps 4 weeks, it's not a bad option. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING AN ALTERNATE - still fill out the coaches' packet info on the website. I need all of that, regardless of what capacity you'll be participating. Go to www.empirestatetakeover.org, and go to the dropdown selection under 'Contact Us' called 'Forms', and it'll pop up. Fill it out directly on the site and submit it, and it'll come directly to me. As usual, my contact info is right below this if there are any questions!
Thanks,
Jeff Mlinar
(315) 360-2730
jeffmlinar@yahoo.com
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