SOS to save our sports

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December 1, 2009 • Eric Nguyen  
Filed under Student Life

With the $42 million that education needs to alleviate, the athletics programs seems to be the first choice to be removed.  Public meetings were held and there was a need to cut $800,000 or more from the budget though student sports.  As for the new 2010-2011 school year, all freshman sports, JV boys’/girls’ soccer, track, wrestling, as well as aquatics, golf, and boys’ volleyball are seen to be eliminated at all schools including Cosumnes Oaks and several schools are eliminating several sports of their own.

For the coming years, the District plans to cut 33 percent of the costs for the school Athletics Program.  The Athletic Budget Team had created Athletic Lenses to view the percent of student athletes that would be affected but kept equal throughout all nine of the high schools in the Elk Grove District.  The complete elimination of aquatics, golf, and boys’ volleyball were only proposed cuts to help reach the $800,000 annual goal yet some of the proposed sports have controversial reason for being cut.  What the Athletic budget Team believes is the biggest figure to eliminate maybe a miscalculation.  Jim Smrekar, the EGUSD Athletic Director, believes that the swimming and diving sport costs nearly one hundred grand a year but all swimming coaches see is the expense for the use of five pools which is a bit over one tenth of the figure.  The uniform is purchased by the students and the equipment is bought with money that is gained though fundraising.  The complete removal is swimming as well as JV Track had left only sports that require tryouts which prevent many students whom don’t specialize in that sport to participate during the spring season.  This also prevents students who excel in these sports to receive such recognition from colleges or the school itself any further.

            What seems to be an ethical and reasonable decision to help lighten the current debt on the district becomes a stand against reason for the sake of money.  The rate for holding the swimming program may be different then indicated and such removal may be unnecessary.  School sports should be defended as it is a part of an enriching education in which it positively displays physical activity as well being an inseparable part of the high school experience.

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