Pay to play sports here to stay

Under heavy budget pressure, CVHS asks student athletes to pay higher contributions according to a new tier system this year.

Tier one sports (cross country, track, swimming, boys tennis) will try to collect $225 per athlete. Tier two sports (girls basketball, boys soccer, girls soccer, boys wrestling, badminton, baseball) charge $275 per athlete. Most expensive are tier three sports (football, volleyball, boys basketball, girls tennis, girls golf, boys golf, softball, boys volleyball, girls wrestling), requiring $325 per athlete.

 These prices are greater than the contributions asked for last year. Not only is the price higher, but unless each athlete pays, there is no guarantee that the sport will exist for 2011-2012 and beyond.

Sports at CVHS mean a great deal to many students. When budgets cuts came, CHVS almost lost its athletics program as the district cut sports funding. Many students felt like if they didn’t have sports, there would be no need for them to go to school. Some even said they might as well be homeschooled. Luckily, help from Boosters, athletes, and others saved sports for this year.

During the 2009-10 school year, students were asked to pay a contribution to play in school sports. If the student played one sport, the amount was $150. An additional $100 was added if the student played a second sport, and another additional $50 for a third.

This contribution was a general payment asked by all sport teams. It was not required, and many families did not pay.

“We’re doing a fundraiser to help out with [the fee], but I feel like it’s unfair because many kids that are poor and middle class play football this year but they can’t even pay half of the fee,” said football captain Victor Quintana.

Sports are a part of public education and, up until now, have always been free. Many teams are doing fundraisers and trying to find ways to pay for costs, but that may not be enough.