When the football program wanted new uniforms, coach Keith Rawlings, unable to get the $20,000 to pay for them from the school, organized a “schedule card” drive, selling cards of coupons from local businesses. An outside company sold the advertising, and enough money was raised to buy the uniforms.
With the cost of transportation, hiring officials and league fees all up this year, the Athletic Department’s operating budget was raised 10 percent, but still forced to cut water polo, men’s fresh/soph basketball and soccer, and lower spending for each team to meet the budget. Teams were asked to fundraise to cover additional expenses.
Water polo was cut because of the expense of pool time and the lack of participation. “We were participating as a varsity team in a JV league,” athletic director Larry Dukes said.
Getting rid of the fresh/soph teams caused some “disappointment,” according to Dukes, but “we hope to replace them with intramural teams. We struggled to maintain them because there is not enough field and gym space. In the winter, with four basketball, two wrestling, and two cheer teams to fit in the gym, we’d be practicing until 8 or 8:30 at night.” He added, “It’s not fair to have fresh/soph teams for boys and not girls.”
Dukes is “not looking to cut anymore sports.” To make up for the lack of money, Dukes is pushing fundraising, like that demonstrated by the football team. The department already hosts the 3–on-3 tournament and golf tournament, as well as receiving restricted giving.
Fundraising as a major source of revenue will continue. “This is the way of the future as the cost of athletics at a school continues to explode,” Dukes said. “Everyone wants to keep getting new uniforms and equipment, going out of state for competitions and training trips, but the only way this is going to happen is if teams are creative in fundraising. The school budget isn’t the place to look for the money.”
Dukes suggested that instead of paying a company to host a competition, local schools could come together to host them, further reducing the cost. This method is theoretically going to be applied in the winter because the cheerleading team is in talks of hosting the Independent Schools competition. “If every coach in ever program used that type of thinking, we would have lots of extra dollars in the budget,” Dukes said.
According to Dukes, sports most affected include wrestling, track and field, cross country, cheerleading, and equestrian, because of the number of tournaments they attend and the cost of entering. However, he added that cheerleading, football, soccer, and the equestrian team were “not hurt at all” by the cuts because of their fundraising efforts.
Rawlings’s schedule cards cost $20 to buy, $15 of which the team got back. “If a team is willing to work and put effort in, they should reap the benefits of fundraising,” he said.
However, he displayed some frustration towards fundraising. “I want turf and lights— something the school said they would eventually buy.”
Baseball has fully embraced the new culture of fundraising. “We have to go out and try to raise money to offset the costs. A dozen baseballs cost you 50 or 60 dollars. I don’t want to just put out garbage, these kids deserve the best,” first year head coach Joe Stetka said. Stetka hopes to take the team on a training trip to South Carolina, a desire which is fueling the fundraising drive. He also hopes to purchase a two wheel pitching machine.
The cheerleading program, after money to pay for entry fees for all competitions but Maryland Independent Schools was cut, looked to fundraising for money to pay for competitions as well as tumbling equipment, like an air mat.
Coach Sandra Jones organized “Flip for a Tip,” “Throw for Dough,” and the crab raffle during the JC fair, as well as two carwashes over the summer. Currently, the program is raising money through “Spirit Sales,” selling off old uniforms, eye black, glow sticks, seat cushions, noise makers, pom-poms, and beads.
Jones, however, sees a flaw in the fundraising system. “If every team does as much fundraising as we do, it’ll be more difficult because the community is only so big. The money has to come from somewhere,” she said.
The boy’s basketball team, under coach Tony Martin, is the only “self-funded athletic program.” The program is in the second cycle of a three year contract with Nike, who pays for equipment, shoes, socks, bags, sweat suits, etc. for the team. Martin was able to get this deal thanks to previous contacts following his work at a Nike All-American camp. All travel fees, beyond local games, are paid for by specific tournaments.
If the budget was divided up equally, each sport would get approximately $2,000. However, operational costs differ depending on the team. Dukes tried to “position dollars so the sports can operate, and any extra money goes into a rotation for uniforms and equipment.” Although sports like track and field have minimum costs for uniforms, transportation for such large teams gets expensive.
The athletic department is still looking into replacing uniforms that are six or seven years old. “Under squads suffer the most; JV uniforms at all schools tend to be hand me downs and we’re no exception,” said Dukes.
Dukes added, “I don’t want to drop any more programs, and if we have to wear old uniforms to prevent that, then we will.”
Kate Froehlich can be reached for comment at [email protected].