I run Thursday night soccer and play for free: is that shady?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
For two seasons now, I’ve organized Thursday night indoor soccer. I book the field, chase down the stragglers, find a sub when someone cancels an hour before. The field costs $90. There are ten of us: I charge each of the other nine $10, and I don’t pay. I never hid it, but I never announced it either. To me, it’s the organizer’s little perk. A new guy saw the price on the facility’s website and did the math out loud in the locker room. Since then, things have been weird. Some say I should have told everyone. Me, I think without me there wouldn’t be a game at all.
Their side
The other players admit that I organize everything and that it’s real work. Several even say they would have happily agreed to let me play for free. What bothers them is finding out by accident, from a new guy, after two seasons. According to them, a perk is something you propose to the group, not something you quietly take.
So, who's wrong?
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