Dear Reader, 

Have you ever considered how much money each of your sports teams receives? Trick question: All schools are legally required to give the same amount of money to their sports teams. So, how and why are some teams able to purchase brand new equipment, while others are struggling to make ends meet? 

According to the Athletic Director Mr. Laframboise, “I just get a pocket of money, and the sports get whatever they need to be able to compete.” He also stated that “. . . all sports are a little bit different.” For example, players in sports such as basketball need basketballs and uniforms to compete, whereas football, or softball may need more equipment, and therefore, are allotted slightly more money. 

So, why are some sports teams able to get non-essential or extra equipment? Based on the evidence, there could be two answers. First, the fundraising that the teams are doing. “When you see extra things, come out to a sport. . . that is all done by fundraising,” said Mr. Laframboise. And, “Some teams are very successful with their fundraising.” What we do know is that fundraising is what sets a team apart. 

The second possible reason for such a gap between sports is the admission costs. As many students know, some sports like volleyball, basketball, and football have a $5 admission fee, while others like soccer are free. So if these fees are the cause of such an imbalance, then there could be multiple solutions to give each team what it needs. If the school stopped charging all together this would equalize all of the sports; however it could cause a serious decrease in funding. Second, all sports could start charging an admission fee. Again, this would equalize the playing field—pardon the wordplay—but this also has its downsides as it could discourage attendance. 

So, what do you think could be a solution? Should we leave the system as it is? Should we change it? In what ways?

From,

The Devils Advocate