Can someone explain why teen kids need to fundraise $1,000 for a public school sport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD was fundraising to cover travel expenses to a tournament the school will not pay for (hotel and dinner). Some girls didn’t participate at all in the fundraising and some only raised $50. Each player had a goal of $500. We didn’t need this much money from each player but because some just didn’t participate others had to make up the difference.

If parents want kids to do things like this, they should be prepared to pay. I'd pay whatever my kids expenses were. I mean, all throughout youth sports, parents pay happily. Why should it be different in HS? I think in most sports there is an expectation that the school covers somewhere between some and all of the cost but if its not all covered, just pretend its another club sport and write a check for you part of the costs.

I just don't do fundraisers, sorry. Just get the amount needed for each player from each player. If the cost is $2000 and there are 10 kids...bring your $200 or don't come on the trip.

And I think the first thing to do in cases where its known funds will be needed is to have a participation fee. Pay to play. Then any travel or unusual expenses can be collected later.

How charitable of you. You must be wealthy and live in a wealthy area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh boy…do I have opinions on this! Yes, high school sports are so messed up. In so many ways. It’s far different than when you grew up, OP.

But, to answer your question Our affluent district does NOT fund sports. There is some money in the budget (field maintenance and facilities), but all extra’s get paid for by booster club and team fundraising. Uniforms, transportation, equipment, balls, scoreboard replacement, and many field improvements- many of these larger items are funded by booster clubs).

Your niece & nephew are required to hit up friends/family. My kid’s team just sat in the gym during practice and the coach made all players send out these emails. They probably don’t care if you donate or not (although are touched if you do!) They’re most likely extremely embarrassed to send you the emails, and are praying you don’t think it’s too cringy.

I grew up in the 80s and the band sold hoagies to buy uniforms; the cheerleaders sold candy for uniforms; the football team was showered with gifts from the school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Districts don't fully fund sports. Even FCPS high schools have booster clubs to make up the difference

And there are sports like crew which aren’t even supported by our boosters. $1350 to row, plus we have to raise another minimum $250.

I hate the fundraising that is required of school sports, band, chorus, theater, etc. it’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

If our politicians would invest in our children’s public educational system… we wouldn’t need any private schools. They only care about themselves and their families.

[Anonymous]

DC's school explicitly told them to hit up uncles, aunts, "dad's best friend," etc.
Every player has a minimum they need to meet. Public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh boy…do I have opinions on this! Yes, high school sports are so messed up. In so many ways. It’s far different than when you grew up, OP.

But, to answer your question Our affluent district does NOT fund sports. There is some money in the budget (field maintenance and facilities), but all extra’s get paid for by booster club and team fundraising. Uniforms, transportation, equipment, balls, scoreboard replacement, and many field improvements- many of these larger items are funded by booster clubs).

Your niece & nephew are required to hit up friends/family. My kid’s team just sat in the gym during practice and the coach made all players send out these emails. They probably don’t care if you donate or not (although are touched if you do!) They’re most likely extremely embarrassed to send you the emails, and are praying you don’t think it’s too cringy.

I grew up in the 80s and the band sold hoagies to buy uniforms; the cheerleaders sold candy for uniforms; the football team was showered with gifts from the school district.

Maybe from the school district, maybe not. When I swam and ran track, we got ratty old warmups and uniforms and turned them in after each meet - because those sports don’t being in money. Football boosters renovated the field, build new stands, upgraded practice field and funded a decent weight room (that other teams also used).

Members of my son’s basketball team got warmups, shooting shirts, shoes and backpacks that they get to keep, paid for by Nike. Nike also bought uniforms, but kids didn’t get to keep those, but the team had like 5 different uniforms in different colors. I think they also helped fund shot clocks and improvements to the gym. Seeing big Nine logos everywhere at a public school is kinda off putting, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of pressure on the kids to fundraise. I'm probably going to make a thread about this after the season is over...but I need my kid to get through the season first.
My kid's team was highly pressured to send out emails to friend sand family asking for donations. It's awful. I WISH the coach had just said "We'd like each player to raise X amount of money"--we would have just written a check! But instead the pressure is on to outsource these donations.
And no, we don't know where the money is going. It's not like they say "We are trying to buy new uniforms so we need $10k" or something. We are just supposed to get our friends and family to donate money for some unknown purpose.

[Anonymous]

^
"friend sand family" was supposed to say:
"friends AND family"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh boy…do I have opinions on this! Yes, high school sports are so messed up. In so many ways. It’s far different than when you grew up, OP.

But, to answer your question Our affluent district does NOT fund sports. There is some money in the budget (field maintenance and facilities), but all extra’s get paid for by booster club and team fundraising. Uniforms, transportation, equipment, balls, scoreboard replacement, and many field improvements- many of these larger items are funded by booster clubs).

Your niece & nephew are required to hit up friends/family. My kid’s team just sat in the gym during practice and the coach made all players send out these emails. They probably don’t care if you donate or not (although are touched if you do!) They’re most likely extremely embarrassed to send you the emails, and are praying you don’t think it’s too cringy.

I grew up in the 80s and the band sold hoagies to buy uniforms; the cheerleaders sold candy for uniforms; the football team was showered with gifts from the school district.

That was before title IX attorneys worked on contingency.

[Anonymous]

At least they’re fundraising for public school system sports. I disagree with aggressive fundraising by travel sports teams (my son’s former AAU basketball team) requiring every player to hit up relatives and friends to give them a set amount ($25 or more) towards their annual tournament fees, in addition to the regular travel expenses paid by parents. The coaches disapproved of parents just writing a check.

I didn’t dare ask our friends and family who had to pay sports and activities expenses for their own kids, or older relatives who knew we could easily cover the travel costs.

[Anonymous]

most high school activities have to fund raise. band, drill team, etc. some sell coffee before school, some host drill team camps for kids.

it's normal. do you think taxes support all the school activities? they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least they’re fundraising for public school system sports. I disagree with aggressive fundraising by travel sports teams (my son’s former AAU basketball team) requiring every player to hit up relatives and friends to give them a set amount ($25 or more) towards their annual tournament fees, in addition to the regular travel expenses paid by parents. The coaches disapproved of parents just writing a check.

I didn’t dare ask our friends and family who had to pay sports and activities expenses for their own kids, or older relatives who knew we could easily cover the travel costs.

Why is this? We really do not have family to ask for this, but we are willing to write the check ourselves. Why to the coaches care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of pressure on the kids to fundraise. I'm probably going to make a thread about this after the season is over...but I need my kid to get through the season first.
My kid's team was highly pressured to send out emails to friend sand family asking for donations. It's awful. I WISH the coach had just said "We'd like each player to raise X amount of money"--we would have just written a check! But instead the pressure is on to outsource these donations.
And no, we don't know where the money is going. It's not like they say "We are trying to buy new uniforms so we need $10k" or something. We are just supposed to get our friends and family to donate money for some unknown purpose.

The unknown purpose is what gets me. I think they need to outline what exactly they want to do with the money and have a plan for it before asking for this.
Our DC's old school also had a broad "fund sports programs" request which was off putting.

[Anonymous]

I have a cousin in the midwest who is always asking for sponsors for her cheerleading squad she coaches at school. And for herself to go to cheer camp. And her daughter to go to cheer camp. I find it so weird.

[Anonymous]

I wonder about that too, HS sports players and even the band members knock on doors asking for money in Mclean. The parents can't bankroll them?