Does anyone else belong to an athletic boosters group at a HS? This is my DD's second year in the school, but we missed "Fee Night" the first year and didn't know about joining the athletic boosters. She's JV, but I found out today that part of my dues goes to support three banquets a year -- for varsity athletes only. I'm biased, I recognize that, but this kind of annoys me. Why only celebrate varsity athletes and not all the athletes? Is this typical?

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Reading is Fundamental.

I was booster club rep until this year, I can tell you how ours was run,,,,,,,,we dont collect money like that,in September we send out lottery tickets to each student that was in
the sport from last year, when say soccer is going on there is a stand that they sell food from
and some is donated and some is bought there is money from that, at the end of the season
for the banquet we need to buy trophys and pay for the banquet a paper goes out to the parents that they have to pay a certain dollar amount and the althlete goes free, the problem with this system is there is never anyone to work the stands its the same people
working, with your system and the money upfront seems easier but why are you paying for varsity athletes banquets ours is 9th grade and up so its all one big banquet.

Yes, exactly my thoughts! Why aren't they celebrating all the fall athletes instead of just the varsity who already, face it, get way more attention than the JV & frosh squads!

In our school, my DD (in theory) could ONLY make JV in 9th and 10 th grades and ONLY varsity (or nothing) in 11th and 12th (although the coach somehow made exceptions for the two 9th and 10th graders she really wanted, nice example, huh?).

So next year she'll be varsity or nothing . . . not sure whether I'll re-join the boosters. This is really just wrong, IMO. But there's a lot of this kind of garbage going on at this school with the athletic stuff -- at least, with the cheerleading stuff.

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Reading is Fundamental.

We just have one sports banquet at the end of the year and all athletes are invited. I'm not in the Booster Club and don't know if they pay fees. We just have one in HS and so far all he has done is play JV soccer (last year - he's a sophomore now). Varsity isn't dependent on your year - it is entirely ability-driven. There were a couple of freshman guys who played on both the V and JV teams last spring who will likely be V-only this year. Only when they are seniors is it V or nothing.

I agree that often it seems, unfortunately, that sports are only for those who excel at them. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned from winning, losing, and playing the game, and if our tax dollars seem to only end up allowing those lessons to be experienced by the handful of kids who have been blessed with natural athletic ability and all others need not apply... I just don't think that's equitible (sp?).

I wouldn't have a problem with varsity sports being ability driven, but I have a real problem with the age segregation that the varsity coach honors only when it suits her. Recently, varsity and JV were both in a competition and JV was down one girl who broke her nose. The varsity lost one to illness and the varsity coach pulled another JV girl to varsity, giving varsity a full squad and leaving JV down two. That seems unfair to me. I was very happy when varsity placed first out of only two squads (so, really, kind of big whoop), but JV placed 2nd out of 15, even with two girls missing. IMO, that made JV's performance really impressive. Of course, who do you hear about on Monday? Varsity, varsity, varsity. DD is so discouraged she thinks she may not even try out next year.

Another problem, of course, is I'm paying for some other kid's banquet while my kid gets nothing at all. All or none should be the rule in a banquet that parents are paying for, I think!

Anyway, thanks for listening to my vent. Glad to hear that it's not done this way in all schools.

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Reading is Fundamental.

Redistribution of wealth... what a strange theory.

It will be your DD's turn to enjoy the dues of other parents when she reaches the appropriate level.
I don't think you're being biased. I think your idea of all inclusive honor of all athletes is awesome and if you made that suggestion in the proper channels maybe they would change.
Each person willing to train and represent a school to the best of their ablility should be recognized for their accomplishments.

X

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Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Our sports banquets include varsity, jv, and 9th grade as well if they have a separate team. They are marathon sessions due to sheer numbers, but most parents go to support their student-athlete.

Our team banquets always included athletes at all levels. The JV supported the varsity and vice versa--very important lesson.