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It’s tough to make the high school squad these days. Thanks to the explosion of both recreational and club sports, the competition for a spot on the team is fierce. Athletes have to earn their place. If they do make the roster, hopefully their parents earn enough money to keep them there. The cost of supporting your young athlete becomes a line item on your monthly budget by high school; it may rival your car payment or even your mortgage payment if your child participates in more than one sport. For example, at Mission Viejo High School, expect to shell out $750 if your son plays varsity football. Big bucks, but in this case at least your son can say he plays on the powerhouse team that holds the record for the most consecutive wins in Orange County. Parents of players at the lower levels pay $375, but that doesn’t include the myriad of fund-raisers they also must support. Deborah Willard, the mother of a senior at Trabuco High School, paid $600 for her son Ross to play football last season. A hefty sum, especially when your child isn’t a starter. “If you’ve got a team that’s 50 or 60 kids they only need 11 guys out there,” Willard explains. “Toward the end of the season, he did play.” She says that helped take the pinch out of the pocketbook. She also has two daughters involved in recreational sports. Yes, it’s expensive, Willard admits. But she adds, “We’re used to it. Write a check here, write a check there we did the rec sports before they got to high school. We were already paying for all of it.” Doing the math Across town at El Toro High school, it costs about $35,000 to operate the baseball program each season. With limited funds from the district (officials pay for only three of the seven coaches needed to run the varsity, JV and frosh/soph teams and a few other minor expenses), the remainder of the funds necessary must be raised through fees and fund-raisers. With just 50 players on the roster, each player kicks in about $400, some of which can be earned back through fund-raisers if both parent and player are willing to go door-to-door selling everything from Christmas trees to discount cards for local restaurants. That doesn’t include the cost to outfit a ballplayer with practice uniforms, cleats and equipment. Parents should plan on another $200 to cover that. Then there’s the $75 bus transportation fee. Of course, in order to make the team in the first place, you’ve probably already invested in private instruction such as batting or pitching lessons. Total cost to play…well over $700, give or take one or two tournament fees thrown in. And that’s if you have one child playing. This reporter, though thrilled both my boys are playing, is trying to figure out how to pay for college when the cost of supporting their high school athletic careers is so expensive. (Note: Expensive, yes, but seeing my oldest slip his letterman’s jacket on the first time was, as the commercial says, “priceless.”) Higher costs today If you’re thinking, “My parents didn’t have to pay this much when I was in high school,” you’re right. Proposition 13 did away with many of the funds that previously supported extracurricular programs like athletics, but that’s not the real reason for the high cost. According to Tom White, athletic director for the Capistrano Unified School District and chairman of the CIF Ethics in Sports Committee, “The cost of co-curricular activities has grown almost exponentially in regard to the expectation.” In other words, parents and players are demanding more from athletic programs. More experienced coaching, nicer uniforms, specialized training, all of which cost more money. “In our community,” White says, speaking of the south Orange County area, “the expectations are very high.” He adds that the funds available aren’t commensurate with the community’s expectations. “This [expectation] didn’t start with high school,” White says. “This starts with youth sports: Little League, Pop Warner, Junior All American, NJB and club sports. The enormous appetite for all the bells and whistles and special coaching starts at the youth level, and by the time kids get to high school, their expectations exceed the experience.” Deborah Willard’s experience supports White’s claim. “What’s expected is a higher level than what parents expected 20 years ago,” she says. “Parents are more willing now to pay for these things. We’re used to it.” White explains that the growth of these programs has required that parents provide additional financing for the activities. He stressed, however, that in the Capistrano district, “No student is denied the opportunity to participate because of an inability to make donations (to the program).” For this reason, at some schools, El Toro High School included, fund-raisers are conducted to allow the families the chance to earn back the money they invest. From selling Christmas trees (which brings in more than $12,000 in profits to the El Toro baseball program) to hosting holiday boutiques, creative fund-raising abounds. The candy bar sales of our youth just don’t bring in enough money to support the high-level programs we demand. No way around it Ann Peacock, former treasurer for El Toro’s baseball program, points out the necessity for fund-raising. “A lot of parents think most things are paid for through the district. They don’t realize we have to pay for a gardener every month.” She says that cost averages about $5,000 per year for mowing and treatment of the infield grass. What used to be paid for through the school now has to be paid for by the parents. For most, however, the cost is worth the experience. Not only do high school athletes benefit from the physical workout, they glean much more from their participation. “I’m a firm believer that high school sports and co-curricular activities are an essential part of the education process,” White says. “The experience cannot be duplicated and it’s very important to the development of the young person.” He also believes that every young person needs a niche in today’s high schools. “And, I believe that niche has to be outside of the classroom, but related to the school’s identity. There’s a connection to the community and there are incredible benefits in terms of growth, development and socialization.” Kimberly A. Porrazzo of Lake Forest is a senior writer with Churm Publishing, Inc. |
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