How much does your kid pay to play?

[alph]

The other day my daughter had a soccer game in a neighboring town.  They won, 5-0.  The other team obviously did not have the talent, or training that our girls have had, and it showed.  I’m sure the score could have been much higher than 5, but they had an excellent goalie, a freshman to boot!!  (no pun intended.) 

After the game I asked one of the parents from that town how much does his child “pay to play”?  he said “nothing”, and that they had 36 girls on their JV soccer team, by the way they ALL got to play too.  We’ve got about 20, and each one of ‘em pays $200 per season to play JUST soccer.  Now, it’s gets you wondering, why one school charges and another doesn’t.  Why does one school have 36 kids enjoying the ability to play a high school sport, when another school that has a much bigger district, has to charge the parents so much for the kids to play a school sport?  Then I started thinking of the caliber of the player.  The kids on the Eau Claire school district soccer teams have parents that have spent thousands of dollars a year on soccer camp, tournaments, hotel stays out of town let alone gas money to get to these games, uniforms, equipment, etc. etc…..  Most of the parents are professionals, doctors, lawyers and school principals, so spending thousands of dollars isn’t a big deal if their child wants to play a high school sport.

But, what about the middle class kid?   The kid who has parents that don’t make enough to send their child to camp, and special training courses offered by retired professional soccer players?  Not the poor kids, the ones on welfare, they get government subsidies; they don’t pay the $200 fee to play school sports, heck they even get their lunch paid for.  I’m talking about the middle class kids, the kids that have parents that work nights and weekends, that don’t qualify for government subsidies. What message are we sending those kids? 

The kicker now is the Eau Claire school district wants to get electronic billboard signs for each school when they charge some students up to $300 just to play one sport (the football and hockey players pay more), plus $75 just to park in the parking lot at the high schools?  Where does all that money go?

The district has two high schools, three middle schools and several elementary schools.   Each building has a principal, one middle school has 5 principals that I know of, and the average pay for a principal is $135,000 per year.  Hell, my mother wanted me to be a Doctor or Lawyer; I should have become a school principal!!

[wiggydotcom]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but it sounds like your kid's school is a microcosm of
both society--and government. I'd be willing to guess that other school you played is more about participation for all...and at your kid's school, I'd bet a very high priority is placed on winning conference titles and doing well in state playoffs.

Which way is better? I'd say opinions would be split on the issue, depending on the talent level of their kids. JMHO.

[Skinhead]

I believe your governer might have some opinions on the questions you ask.

[Jack]

Back 25 yrs ago, when my kids were in school, I was on a district parents committee.  I found that schools in poor areas were given playground equipment, sports equipment, uniforms, etc.  Parents were even given taxi rides to games they wished to attend and to parent-teacher conferences.  My kids' school required parents to pay for these things for themselves unless they were on welfare, then the school would pay.  Seemed unfair at the time but what the school was actually doing was giving these poor kids the opportunity and encouraging their parents to participate in their kids education and activities.  Kids can't do it by themselves, rich or poor.

[ptgb]

...What message are we sending those kids?  ...

Teaches them life ain't fair.... better get used to it!

Isn't that what a certain "party" (and their zealots) is/are trying to tell us everyday...

[HayHauler]

We are not rich by no stretch of the imagination, but managed to get our son to soccer games almost every weekend for 8 years or so.  We went out of town 8-10 weekends a year and always spent Thanksgiving in San Antonio, TX for a huge tournament out at the polo fields.  We got no help and didn't ask for any.
I wouldn't trade those years for ANYTHING!  Soccer and our son was our life and it was a good one.
Jimmy3 just graduated college last December (Masters in Accounting), got a job that started Jan. 3, and will be moving out next month.  Dad is very proud!

Alph, my main point is that I wouldn't trade those times for anything looking back on them.  I had my doubts at the time, but not any more.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[cookiedough]

Alph,  you live in a much bigger school system with higher paying teachers and faculty overall, but to have 5 prinicipals in 1 school building is crazy paying each one over 100K.  There is where most of your money goes I bet.  Our school administrator, not principal, is good at what she does with all her master degrees but to pay her 115K per year for our small school system to me seems crazy high. She could retire right now in her late 50's and live comfortably seeing as she lives a modest life with no kids and no expenses and doesn't seem to spend money on clothes or vehicles that I see since she is our neighbor also.  Maybe she travels a lot but doubt it.

Times have surely changed since you and I went to school.  Our fee to attend school was 5 bucks per kid and sports were free, at least in my school anyways.  But, we in school back then never got new uniforms or eqmt. for sports, all hammy downs for like 10 years or more.  I even had to borrow the other baseball teams catchers mitt for 3 years straight since the webbing kept ripping out - now that is poor.  Nowadays, lucky to see the same baseball bat or uniforms to last more than 3 years without getting all new eqmt. NOT needed.  Our small school systems in southern WI have all different fees for playing sports.  It is in our H.S. 50 bucks per sport with a maximum per family of 200 bucks regardless of number of kids but we have like 30 kids per grade is all barely enough to make a team of any sport literally.  What really gets my goat is all the extra curricular activities they have now outside of sports requiring even more money out of our pockets seems almost monthly they go there and do this and need big bucks to attend.  For instance, the trips like our daughter did last year in middle school which almost all parents, except a few much poorer parents, shelled out like 1000 bucks per kid to take a week long bus ride to Washington D.C. and the band trip to other states far away like New York costing over 1,000 bucks as well each.  All this extra curricular activities is not needed and is just for pure enjoyment mostly but is somewhat educational, but we feel not needed.   Luckily for me, our girl enjoys doing all this extra stuff but so far, our younger son has no interest in sight seeing Washington DC or band trips costing 1,000's not really needed.  Thankfully we did not have 2 girls driving me crazy and broke.

Now, I know a lady I work with in Freeport IL always bitching at work complaining her 5th grader needs this and that and travels professionally and hires a soccer coach to help her game along.  She is good, but at what cost?  Is it really worth shelling out 1,000's of dollars per year in travel expense and coaches and fees for any sport?  I think NOT.  It is highly unlikely being broke like she claims she is that her child will play professional soccer or even college for that matter and she is ONLY 11 years old now.  The other gals in the office totally agree that soccer rules that families life and sometimes you have to as a parent put your foot down and say enough is enough.   I guess everyone has their opinion of what is more important, food on the table and paying bills and being able to repair a P.O.S. vehicle like that lady has  or  having their kids to play sports regardless of costs?  I personally don't mind shelling out 50 bucks per sport and the fees of 150 bucks or so per child to attend school for the year, but when it comes to spending 1,000's per child to go on field trips even if somewhat educational I feel is just plain crazy and wrong.  My .02 cents.

[The Anvil]

I believe your governer might have some opinions on the questions you ask.

These things are typically done district by district. There's a good chance that the kids who don't pay to play are in a district with funded boosters and a good fundraising network. I don't think the governor will have anything to do about it.

Frankly, I'd like to see something done about this soccer scourge that's infecting America. F**king Euro-weenie sport.

[fudgie]

No kids here but I do know I usually throw out a Benjamin or 2 when I go out and 'play'.  

[cookiedough]

Anvil,  I agree on your statement about booster groups helping in some schools more than others doing fundraisers, but to put one sport above the other is plain wrong.  Yah, I was a sports fanatic 20+ years ago starting on varsity all 4 years baseball and football and razzing when in high school on the not so 'macho' sports like cross country who usually had the skinny, wimpier kids.  But, you are a grown up now and so am I and to put one sport above the other is plain wrong.  Yah, do I wish my daughter would go out for softball and volleyball and even basketball instead of just track, yes.  She would start easily in softball and volleyball being that she is good at both, but I try not to push her into it that much since she just plain doesn't want to go out period.  She likes track and I am o.k. with it as long as each child goes out or attempts to go out for at least one sport thru high school.  I was all gung hoo with my 11 year old wanting to go out for football seeing as how I loved that sport myself.  He quit shortly after starting stating he didn't like it and instead choose basketball which he is not that good at, but so-so at best along with baseball.  To force any child to go into a sport of the parents choosing is just plain wrong and as an adult, you should know that soccer or track or even cheerleading (now called dance class in our school) is not anymore nor less important than football or baseball/basketball.  

[Thespian]

The other day my daughter had a soccer game in a neighboring town.  They won, 5-0.  The other team obviously did not have the talent, or training that our girls have had, and it showed.  I’m sure the score could have been much higher than 5, but they had an excellent goalie, a freshman to boot!!  (no pun intended.)  

After the game I asked one of the parents from that town how much does his child “pay to play”?  he said “nothing”, and that they had 36 girls on their JV soccer team, by the way they ALL got to play too.  We’ve got about 20, and each one of ‘em pays $200 per season to play JUST soccer.  Now, it’s gets you wondering, why one school charges and another doesn’t.  Why does one school have 36 kids enjoying the ability to play a high school sport, when another school that has a much bigger district, has to charge the parents so much for the kids to play a school sport?  Then I started thinking of the caliber of the player.  The kids on the Eau Claire school district soccer teams have parents that have spent thousands of dollars a year on soccer camp, tournaments, hotel stays out of town let alone gas money to get to these games, uniforms, equipment, etc. etc…..  Most of the parents are professionals, doctors, lawyers and school principals, so spending thousands of dollars isn’t a big deal if their child wants to play a high school sport.

But, what about the middle class kid?   The kid who has parents that don’t make enough to send their child to camp, and special training courses offered by retired professional soccer players?  Not the poor kids, the ones on welfare, they get government subsidies; they don’t pay the $200 fee to play school sports, heck they even get their lunch paid for.  I’m talking about the middle class kids, the kids that have parents that work nights and weekends, that don’t qualify for government subsidies. What message are we sending those kids?  

The kicker now is the Eau Claire school district wants to get electronic billboard signs for each school when they charge some students up to $300 just to play one sport (the football and hockey players pay more), plus $75 just to park in the parking lot at the high schools?  Where does all that money go?

The district has two high schools, three middle schools and several elementary schools.   Each building has a principal, one middle school has 5 principals that I know of, and the average pay for a principal is $135,000 per year.  Hell, my mother wanted me to be a Doctor or Lawyer; I should have become a school principal!!

[/quote
Sounded high to me.

http://www1.salary.com/School-Principal-Salary.html

[WamegoRob]

Where does all that money go?...and the average pay for a principal is $135,000 per year.

So the soccer team pays for about two weeks pay for one principal... and you have 29 principals in the district. 

According to this data on your newspaper's website, your school district pays pretty darn well... District Administrator pulls in nearly $221k (salary + bennies) and the lowest paid teacher makes $75k.  Here's a summary:

Average/Total Yearly Total Compensation
$146k/$1.1M Directors/Administrators/Coordinators at the district office ( 8 )
$121k/$2.3M Principals ( 19 )
$115k/$1.1M Asst. Principals ( 9 )
$97k/$2.2M Support Staff ( 23 )
$96k/$481k Guidance Counselor ( 5 )
$96k/$12.2M Teachers ( 127 )

If you want more data than through which most would care to sort, check out this spreadsheet.

[KSDragonRider]

My oldest will be in kindergarden next year.  half days are free with our regular school fees.  All days are 125 a month on top of regular school fees. All sports are around 100 bucks each for jr. high and high school.  We are in a very small school district so all who have the funds to play, get to play. 

For us the xtra money for kindergarden is a little rough, but it is cheaper than paying a sitter for half days all month.  And an extra 20 bucks a month on top of that gets her in the after school program, so there will be no day care and we can pick her up on the way home from work. 

I know other schools in are area have a different fee schedule, but ours is the same for sports, musical groups, band, and everything else.

[Gear Jammer]

No kids here but I do know I usually throw out a Benjamin or 2 when I go out and 'play'.  

Hope you're very generous Fudgie 

[fudgie]

No kids here but I do know I usually throw out a Benjamin or 2 when I go out and 'play'.  

Hope you're very generous Fudgie 

um yea you could say that. Tipped the waitress $30 on top of my buds $50 tip when we were there 2 weeks ago.  But we were there for 6 hrs. 

[john]

 F**king Euro-weenie sport.                 

[alph]

i just don't think any kid should have to pay to play.  i think of the kids that ARE good at sports, but who have parents that can't afford the fee, not because they're poor, but because they live on that tight of a budget.  i think about the kids that don't know if they're good at something, and will never have the opertonity to find out only because they couldn't afford it.  or the kids that end up on drugs 'cause the "Jocks" picked on them and belittled them......

i just see the whole thing as a seperation of the masses, a larger lower and upper class, with a dwindling middle......  it's probably more detrimental to the american way then the loss of jobs to china.

(just me thinking out loud again..... sorry, it's late....)

[MP]

I totally agree, alph.  I do know some of the districts do waive fees if you cannot afford them.

MP

[cookiedough]

Our much smaller school and most school systems I'm sure around us have a family limit, doesn't Eau Claire school systems?  Personally, I think 200 bucks to play any sport per child is a rip off and crazy.  50 bucks for us per sport with a family limit regardless of kids and number of sports 200 bucks or under is justified and rightfully so with all the other payments being shelled out in our school system for other non-sport activities.  I see your point on middle class seeming to have to foot the bill for everything, but unfortunately, the middle class has done this for decades.  Heck, if my wife didn't make quite as much as she does, we would qualify for reduced lunch fees for our 2 kids.  At 2.50 per standard lunch and the all you can eat buffet of 3.20 per child,  we shell out tons of money just for lunch fees in a year.