Softball · Issue No. 24
The Takeaway: Ask Your League for a Basic Annual Financial Summary
Week of September 14, 2026
THE TAKEAWAY: Three years passed before anyone caught this one — a club that already publishes a simple financial summary can say so easily; one that's never been asked might not have a good answer.
Families at South Des Moines Girls Softball learned this month that the organization's former treasurer, Jordan Dean, is accused of stealing almost $76,000 from the club over a three-year span, from 2023 through 2026. Dean has not been associated with the organization since being removed in May 2026.
The softball association's board responded publicly, acknowledging the situation directly and stating that its focus remains on the players and families it serves going forward — while noting the money in question came from the same sources every youth sports organization relies on: registration fees, fundraisers, and family contributions, all intended to cover things like tournament travel, equipment, and facility costs.
What stands out in this case, as in similar ones around the country this year, is the timeline. Three years is a long window for a discrepancy of this size to go unnoticed — long enough that an entire cohort of players could join, play through, and age out of a program without anyone catching what was happening to the money their families paid in along the way.
For a parent, the practical question isn't whether your specific league has a problem — most don't. It's whether your league would actually catch it quickly if it did. Ask whether your organization publishes even a basic annual financial summary to its families, whether more than one person has to approve larger expenses, and whether the treasurer role rotates periodically rather than sitting with one person indefinitely. A club that already does these things will tell you so easily. One that's never been asked before might not have a good answer — and that gap is worth knowing about before it becomes a bigger one.
This piece ran in PPA Pro Issue No. 24, alongside a camp spotlight and trainer pick for every sport. Subscribe free.
Also in Issue No. 24
- The Takeaway: Ask Who Reviews Your Booster Club's BooksFootball
- The Takeaway: A New Program With No Track Record Deserves Extra ScrutinyBasketball
- The Takeaway: Ask for Real Booking Confirmations Before Wiring MoneySoccer
- The Takeaway: Require Two Signatures for Any Withdrawal Above a Modest ThresholdBaseball