Student Expectations for Travel

[Jon Stratis]

It depends on the meal. Some meals (like lunch during competition) are ordered and delivered as a team, and the team pays. Others might be on a per-student basis.

Before the trip, we make sure everyone knows which meals the team is covering, and which ones they will need to pay for, as well as how much money they should bring for meals (based on average prices at the places we'll be eating).

Occasionally we'll have a student who forgot to bring money, or didn't bring enough. It's usually not a problem for one of the mentors or teachers to cover that student and get paid back by the parents later - it's never been that common for it to be a big problem for the team.

If it's a chronic problem, though, I would recommend having a travel fee every student pays before they get on the bus that covers all meals. Plan the meals appropriately - for example, stay at a hotel with an included buffet breakfast of some kind, pre-order lunch through the venue if possible (at our regionals, they provide an option to get boxed lunches for your team ordered ahead of time - just pick them up, find a cozy spot in the hallway or in the stands, and chow down), and go to a pizza place for dinner, where you can order a number of pizzas for everyone to share. It helps a LOT if you can find a local (someone who used to live in the area, or someone who has friends or relatives in the area) to give you restaurant suggestions. They'll be able to clue you in on great places that don't cost too much, can fit your team AND take reservations!