How Sports Funding is Determined at Leonia High School
Funding for Leonia High School’s sports teams varies from sport to sport. However, this is not due to favoritism, but rather because of the different factors that go into managing a high school sport. “Every program gets what they need to be successful,” says Mr. Perrotta, the athletic director of Leonia High School. Mrs. Adler, a member of the Leonia Sports Booster Club and an aid at the school also said that even with the different requirements of each team and the corresponding funding that goes into it, the booster club has “never turned anyone down,” giving each and every team the money they need when they need it.
Mr. Perrotta briefly explained in his interview that each sports team has specific needs, uniforms, and equipment. These factors tend to vary for every team, with some teams having more athletes and some requiring more frequent replacement of equipment. For example, funding for the baseball team and the girls’ tennis team may have a discrepancy due to many baseball balls that are lost from fouls and frequent replacements that result from it, while less funding may go into the equipment for the girls’ tennis team because of the fact that most girls bring their own tennis rackets. Funding for a team also includes transportation, the coach’s salary, and paying officials, who for sports like basketball are needed every game. Another example is the swim team, which needs to dedicate $9000-9500 to pool time every year.
An unfortunate truth in schools all over the country is that there are challenges in funding for sports teams. In many cases, some teams receive more funding than others, causing the belief that favoritism prevails even in the world of school sports. While this is fortunately not the case for Leonia High School, help is always welcomed by the world of fundraising. Mrs. Adler said that a major goal of the Sports Boosters is to “keep children physically active and give them sportsmanlike goals and objectives.”
The Leonia Sports Booster Club hosts a variety of fundraisers that are open to all. There are carnivals, dinners, dances, the Tree Sale, and some fundraisers that take place in the Leonia Recreation Center. Students, especially student athletes, are free and even encouraged to participate in these fundraisers so that everyone can take part in the community effort that makes up Leonia sports.
A special thanks from Mr. Perrotta, the team coaches, and student athletes to Mrs. Adler and the Leonia Sports Booster Club for their ongoing support for Leonia High School’s sports teams.
