OPINION
BY HUNTER ROBERSON, Freshman
Working at Cici’s Pizza for 10 percent of the night's receipts, making pancakes and selling tickets for them. These are some of the ways the Blythewood boys lacrosse team is trying to raise money.
The boys lacrosse team gets around $1,200 for all their gear and equipment throughout the year provided by the school.
It really isn't enough to cover everything.
The money goes into new lacrosse balls, which are about $400.
The balls are used in practice and there is always a need for new ones because ones that are used very often become “greasers,” meaning they become slick and hard to throw.
The money also is needed for score books and for food before games.
Then there is the film equipment, which is around $3,500 a year.
Kirk Thurston, head lacrosse coach, said the reason they buy and use this film is because it breaks down the film for the coaches and players looking to play at the college level can get clips of just them to show to the college.
The breaking down of the film allows the coaches more time to look at exactly what they need to show to the team to help them get better.
“To watch the film and break it down is very time consuming, while the company we use, Cross Over, will break it down for us,” Thurston said.
But what about new gear like helmets and jerseys?
Well that comes from fundraisers and the parents own out of pocket money.
To get new gear the team must participate and create fundraisers.
The boys lacrosse team often has many fundraisers, like working at Cici's, selling pancake tickets, selling barbecue tickets, and selling ad spots to local businesses.
The fundraisers might cost some money and the team does not get all of the money to go directly towards the team itself.
Often some of it goes to the supplies or the business that allows the team to do their fundraisers at their building.
Another way the team makes money is by selling gear like sweatshirts and hoodies.
“The main way we get money is through local advertisers and other advertisers putting ads in the programs at our home games.” Thurston said.
At home games the team will have programs handed out with the names of the students on the team and ads for local businesses.
The ads in the programs pay for most of the new jerseys, helmets and team bags.
But these fundraisers only raise so much and the parents of the players end up having to pay money from their own pocket.
The coaches might also spend money on lunches for the team, but last year the parents themselves had to spend money to get the lunches.
The parents can spend up to $200 on gear for their child.
Some of the things the parents might have to spend money on include a player pack, new lacrosse gear such as pads, gloves, and sticks, travel expenses to tournaments, and tournament cost.
The parents also have to spend money for themselves plus for the players, which they should not have to pay for, and tickets for the tournaments.
Parents also think that the players should be provided pads and other gear, similar to how football gets their pads provided.
Because there is no standard for the type of pads the students are wearing and they are not provided pads, some of the players use pads that might not be as safe as what the school might provide.
As people can see the lacrosse team does not get enough money to pay for all the expenses for the team and the coaches resulting in the parents and players having to pay for much of it.
These people should not have to pay for much of the equipment and games and the school should pay for most it.
While the team works at Cici’s for 10 percent of the pay, they still go on spending as much money as they need to play the game, but it is very costly.
