Kate Murphy using Gofundme to get her coaches to Eugene

Yeah this totally believably sounds like it was written by a teenage girl the same age as Kate.

This makes me really mad. Speaking from experience, some of you people have no idea how expensive it is to travel around with an elite HS kid. Not complaining, just explaining. If it's an elite HS meet like Brooks PR, Foot Locker, or Dream Mile, it is paid for (usually for the kid, not for parent or coach except for Dream Mile). Many of the rest of the open meets they run in aren't fully covered or even partly covered, depending. Hotels, airfare, rental car, meals...it adds up. Sure, I guess we could stick our kids on the plane and send them off without support of any sort, but is that really in their best interest? Do you really think the rest of the Olympic trials qualifiers are going without any support? And they are ADULT PROFESSIONALS who I am sure could manage on their own, but nobody expects them to. Why do you expect a high schooler to do something an adult professional wouldn't even do?

Kate is far from a spoiled, entitled brat, she is a great young lady. She is incredibly team oriented despite being an elite runner. Her parents are not jerks, and the guy who started the GoFundMe is about the nicest guy you could ever meet and just trying to help them out. Could Kate just go off to the Trials with just her dad like she does for most of these competitions? Sure. BUT IT'S THE OLYMPIC TRIALS. Kind of a big deal and maybe it would be nice if her coach could come along. Maybe her mom too?

hstrackfollower wrote:

Didn't see this posted anywhere so thought I'd share.

Money is being used to "FUND the cost of Airfare, Lodging, Admission, Transportation for Kate's Support team of LAKE BRADDOCK COACH MICHAEL MANGAN and PETER SHERRY (Herndon HS Coach and Kate's personal Massage Therapist)."

Currently $4545/$7500.

https://www.gofundme.com/2a6tha4

hstrackfollower, I posted this on 6/25. Nice of you to hijack my post, a**hole!

I got a plane ticket with in the past week for 433 round trip from DC to Portland. 7500 is way too much to be asking for.

$5265/$7500 now

This is hilarious. 7500? Jesus Christ

I think a lot of parents on here understand how expensive sports can be for kids these days, especially if they happen to be good enough to play for travel teams or qualify for elite national competitions.

I can't speak for the rest of the critics on here but at least for me personally, I was rubbed the wrong way by the amount, which anyone could easily calculate was far too much to send 3 people to the Trials; and that one of the people was a massage therapist who just happened to be the coach of a rival team. I know for a fact the vast majority of athletes are not flying in massage therapists, but rather utilizing the ones who will already be in Eugene. Likewise the vast majority of athlete parents, coaches, support staff, etc are getting there on their own, not via Gofundme.

So like it or not, the manner in which this was set up and how it will be used reflects poorly on the athlete. That being said, she sounds like a great kid and I wish her all the best in Eugene.

All you jealous, petty posters just inspired me to drop $100 for Kate's coaches. What high school coach who has dedicated his or her life to the sport doesn't deserve a victory lap and some walking around money? Drive to Oregon? ! You actually spent the time adding up what meals cost then tried to shame them?? This is comical. Deep down, at the heart of all of your posts are 2 things 1) that's not "fair". 2) "what about me? I didn't get that. " You didn't because you either weren't good enough or you havent led a life that has caused others to go out of their way to do something special for you. Too bad. If someone else wants to give them TEN grand, why not? Some of their former athletes pay that much for a watch.

Sorry, but that's the price of admission. If you can't afford it perhaps that you should look at something different. Katie is certainly entitled to go professional, if money is that much of an issue.

There are 1000s of elite kids. The majority don't go begging on the internet for excessive funds. If you think there are ton of professional bringing an entourage of people to the OLY trials, you are fooling yourself. Many don't even make $7,500/year..

My kids want once in a lifetime opportunities, will you fund them?

What about ME?!!!!!

"My kids want once in a lifetime opportunities, will you fund them?"

This is too easy. The answer to your question is no. 1) they are probably arent good enough and 2) you probably havent lived a life of service to others that would inspire someone to create a fundraising page on your behalf.

Mom of Kate's friend Drew wrote:

This makes me really mad. Speaking from experience, some of you people have no idea how expensive it is to travel around with an elite HS kid.

Correct. Most of these posts whining about $7500 are lucky to have that much in a bank account, don't have high functioning kids, or even a LTR.

Lots of irrational groupthink on LRC about money and elite athetics. You've probably put too much time and energy into something that won't change.

Everyone here has missed the point and was easily fooled. You all point out how ridiculous $7500 is for travel expenses. Likely the setter up of this go fund me will send these coaches first class and pay for the top hotels if the funding goal is met. But after this there will be money left over, almost certainly. What would you do if you were sitting on a pile of extra money? Say 2-3 grand.

I'm telling you right now that there are people without jobs who make a living off go fund me, kickstarter, and the like. Usually they pretend to, or even do, good, even great deeds. Sometimes whether or not you donate should come down to whether you feel something like kickstarting or go fund me is a profession or not.

I'm not saying that's the case here for sure, but 7500, come on, I could run a track meet in all the capitals of Europe on that.

If that's the price of admission, then we are not going to get the best athletes, because we cannot make the test of the top level Americans, whether in athletics or academics, be their family's wealth. As for the actual competition, closing a 4:07 as a hs junior with a 62 is mighty impressive. I would not be surprised if she challenged the 4:03/4:04 unofficial/official hs records this season if she can draft in a faster race.

Dear Mom of Kate's friend,

re: "I hope she does not see the negativity on this page and goes and has the race of her life in Eugene." - I agree with that.

People should not be talking about Kate and most people are not. The majority of the post are about the money and her entourage Please note the following:

- I followed my kids all over the place to competitions in multiple sports. Between my son's 2 sports, he traveled more than Kate. 90% of the time, it was just me; my wife came along a couple of times. I never received a dime in support and never asked for any. In fact, on more than one occasion, I helped pay for his coach. Btw, one of those trips was the USATF National Championship, which is basically the same as the Olympic Trials.

- Although I never needed any funding myself, I was blessed to be an above average wage earner. However, in many cases my athlete's situation was different. I've coached athletes who's family was on welfare and by every means necessary made it to the competitions. I've participated in numerous fund raisers for other athletes who in some cases attended competitions without their parent or a coach. I was by default their chaperone.

- Quite often we drove to competitions, brought some of our own food, shared a 2 room hotel suite with another family, etc. We have even stayed in college dormitories when schools made them available. Most of the kids I coached are now adults, when I run into them, they have fond memories of those times.

- Roughing it is not optimal and is not what I recommend, but you do what you have to do. Most people consider it an honor to have an athlete compete in the USOT and don't mind spending their own money if they have it. I would bet half of the un sponsored athletes don't have their coach with them and only athletes like Allyson Felix and Galen Rupp for example are traveling with their personal massage therapist.

None of this should have anything to do with Kate, it's unfortunate her name is attached and I'm sure she is as sweet a kid as you say she is. However, it does strike people as unfair when people from one of the most affluent areas in America is asking people to pay for a first class experience. Perhaps no questions would have been asked if you excluded the entourage and asked for about half the amount of money. - Hopefully this adds some perspective and welcome to the Letsrun Community, which tends to get up in arms about a lot of things, so don't take any negative post about Kate to serious.

Why do I read these posts?! wrote:

"My kids want once in a lifetime opportunities, will you fund them?"

This is too easy. The answer to your question is no. 1) they are probably arent good enough and 2) you probably havent lived a life of service to others that would inspire someone to create a fundraising page on your behalf.

And exactly what service to others involves running around the track? As far as I can the only service to others she provides is to get her personal masseuse to rub her goodies in Eugene.

If it was $3,500 for the coach I'd feel fine about it. The idea of sending a massage guy or whatever just reaks of entitlement.

Now there is some serious cynicism I can get behind. If the was the tenor of the rest of these posts, I would have not felt compelled to respond. I don't know enough about gofundme and other sites of that ilk to have an opinion. Most of the other posters were concerned about the entitlement of the coaches (the masseuse is definitely a hot button word in this) and they are right : it is about entitlement. People are entitled to request money and spend their money as they choose. But please save your ire for force entitlements, not those given freely. As far as the guy who thought I was referring to the service of Kate to others, please read slower and realize that I was obviously referring to the service the coaches have given to the hundreds of kids who have gone through their program.

You thought I was referring to her when I talked about a lifetime of service to others and not her coach and teacher? I have to stop corresponding with you now. I quit.