A mother anonymously posted in a Facebook group about her son’s tough situation at his Division 3 college.
She wrote that the school is perfect for the degree her son wants.
However, the team had over-recruited for the sport. Hence, it remains unclear whether he will play, despite being on the roster.
Above all, she revealed that the part that frustrated her son is the fundraising that the coach is asking the players to do.
The boy feels it is nothing but a money grab and that the coach no longer cares about the sport.
The mother knows D3 programs need cash, but her son is miserable. He is upset to the point that it makes him ready to pack and come back home.
In no time, the post blew up with hundreds of parents, athletes, and even a few coaches jumped in.
One mom whose son plays D3 football said their team hit the fundraising goal quickly this year, and it paid for three out-of-state trips, hotels, and meals. She makes sure family and coworkers support her boy.
Another mom wrote, “D3 football mom here. I would never step in for my kid in college. Give advice all day long, but he has to talk to the coach himself.”
A coach also commented, writing, “I’ve fundraised for 15 years! It keeps money from coming out of your own pockets. This is a good thing!”
Several parents said the same: don’t go to the coach as a parent; let the kid handle it, or he can just walk away from the team if he hates it that much.
One mom shared, “My son is D1 and they still have to fundraise.” Another said her daughter at a D1 school has a $1,000-a-year obligation.
A few people pointed out that some D3 programs barely fundraise at all and give the kids tons of gear, while others ask for hundreds of dollars every year or make spring-break trips, depending on how much the players bring in.
Someone wrote, “My kid had to raise $600 or she would not get any team gear. The day after she hit the goal she got hurt in practice and is done for the season.”
Another parent told a happier story that their son plays NAIA baseball, travels all over the country, and has never had to do a single fundraiser.
A mom with two kids at different D3 schools said both teams fundraise a lot, but it is not required; they just do raffles and football pools to pay for trips.
One dad said it is a good life lesson: nobody hands you anything, the world does not owe you money, you have to go get it.
A few parents admitted their own kids felt the same way at first, got burned out, and either transferred or dropped the sport, and ended up happier focusing on classes.
