[smurfgirl]

One benefit of having members pay a small fee up front is that you can use it as a means to consolidate expenses and organize team finances. For example, if you each team member will buy a t-shirt and a sweatshirt during the course of the season, you can charge them for that at the beginning of the season. Then you don't have to deal with the hassle of collecting money multiple times throughout the season, and you have the money for the order in advance.

On the other hand, this doesn't work out as well if team members tend to join or leave at different points in the season, and/or the expenses aren't known in advance. What happens if your price point for whatever the fee goes toward comes in above what members paid? Do you collect more money? If the cost is below what members paid, do you issue refunds or does the extra money stay with the team?