Our football team has made the playoffs. This isn't really anything new--we've made the playoffs for the past few years. We usually lose in the first round, so it's not a big deal.
This year, we won the first playoff game, so our entire town is in a tizzy. Our first game was against a team we'd lost to in the regular season, so it was nice to win, and we won on their field. Very cool.
This next game is in Vail, AZ. About a five hour drive from Prescott Valley. Ouch! We played in southern Arizona two years ago and lost pretty badly. The football coach thinks it's because we took a five hour bus ride and then had to go and play right after.
This year, he's decided to "do it right." They've chartered NICE coach buses to leave today (Thursday--the game is tomorrow) and they're staying the night in Tucson. What they're doing tomorrow all day, I don't know. I do know they're eating at the Olive Garden for an early dinner before the game.
Who's paying for all of this? The football boosters, who somehow manage to raise over $20,000 a year. I can't figure out how they do this. My band boosters squeak out around $5000 a year, and that's in a good year.
This just seems like a waste to me. I'm sure that this trip is costing the boosters somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000 for a ONE night trip. I understand that this is a big game, but it's ONE NIGHT! Do you know what I could do with $5000? I could buy a tuba that I desperately need...I could buy sheet music for my pathetic library...the list could go on forever.
I understand that things will NEVER be equal...I get it. I do. I'm married to the "enemy" (so to speak) who sees the other side more clearly than I do. His philosophy is that if they raise the money, they should be able to spend it how they see fit. Meanwhile, our school is in desperate need of textbooks, kids are coming to school without coats, and I need a new tuba! :)
The band is going down to support the team, but guess what we're riding in?
3 comments:
As wrong as it is, that's the way it has always been, the arts department is always the first to suffer cuts, and the last to receive donations.
Yet how many times has it been proven that exposure to the arts makes kids MORE intelligent, and exposure to football makes them more likely to paint their chest red (or other color of choice) and make fools of themselves screaming themselves hoarse.
It's pathetic! I wish I could buy you a new tuba!
Our school district just spent 2 million on a renovation of (wait for it) the press box. It is now a climate controlled, two story monstrosity that dominates the skyline of our tiny community, testament to the idea that in Texas, football reigns supreme. All for a building that gets used 5 Fridays a year. Meanwhile, parents are asked to bring boxes of tissue and reams of paper in to school...
Now, our school district does have a TON of money (from 7th grade on they each get a laptop for their personal use - they have to turn it back in at the end of the year, but you know...) and the people who live here are relatively affluent. But it seems an egregious use of funds and effort to use it on things like this...
And I heard they were talking about buying a bus for the football team (only) to use for away games... Not just chartering, BUYING the thing...
I think that the Band Boosters should charge to use the bathrooms and for the people to sit or stand in the front row of the games.
Post a Comment