Part I: Pay-To-Play Here: The Days of Free High School Sports Are Gone!

This past June, in the prep section of USA Today, an article ran whose subject is likely to become a hot topic amongst schools and their surrounding communities as economic mismanagement collides head on with school districts trying to meet financial responsibilities.

The article, "With budgets tight, pay-to-play fees gain currency as way to avoid cuts" by Jim Halley, details the current approach of requiring athletes to pay fees interested in playing a high school sport.

One major concern over this escalating practice, one I share, centers on the possible loss of an opportunity to athletes whose families cannot afford the fees. It was one thing when participating in high school sports went from free (or minimal fee), as it was back in my day, to a $15 or $25 registration fee.

This $15-$25 scenario seems to be going the way of the dinosaur, as Halley's article reports that fees at four Farmington, Michigan public high schools have recently been raised to $300.

Presently there is a wide range of fees with each district charging based on their own financial need. Personally, I could see costs to parents going beyond the $300 mentioned above if budgets continue to be stressed over the next several years.

With the type of expenses we are discussing, and the possibility of it continuing to accelerate, even middle class families will be stretching budgets to meet costs for their kids to play high school sports. Just imagine a family with three, four, or five interested athletes of multiple sports.

Wow!

Bringing some personal relevancy to our discussion, the high school where I teach (Downers Grove South in Illinois) is facing similar budgetary issues. We do require athletic fees and have done so for many years.

If I am not mistaken, our registration fees were around $40 per athlete at the beginning of this decade. Over the last nine or so years, they have risen to $105 (last year's cost), with an expected increase of $10 for the 2010-2011 school year. This brings the cost up to $115 per season.

Yep, you read that right, a $115 fee is per athlete, and per season. Ouch!

Something else you should be made aware of is that fee our student athletes' families pay does not include the equipment they need for practice (shoes, practice clothes, etc.) and booster fees—many of our coaches rely on their booster clubs for financial support, and anything else that comes up (as it always does). In essence, the $115 fee is not such where players pay money and receive their athletic needs in return, since they are already provided for free.

Don't miss Part II of Pay-To-Play Here: The Days of Free High School Sports Are Gone!