Ann Arbor student-athletes may pay to play to cover budget shortfall

A pay-to-play system - along with cuts in weekend transportation to games within Washtenaw County along with the consolidation of some sports programs - would trim $500,000 from the district's $3.6 million athletic budget.

Of the overall budget, $3.2 million comes from subsidies from the district's general fund.

Ann Arbor student-athletes already pay money to their respective team's booster clubs. Those funds are handled by parent-run booster organizations rather than the district.

But if local student-athletes are asked to pay another $150 in order to take part in high school athletics, coaches such as Maureen Isaac - who oversees Skyline High School's swimming program - fear additional costs will lead to a drop in participation.

"The team fee is tough enough (to come up with) already without asking them to pay (a pay-to-play fee)," Isaac said Thursday night. "If we're already asking them to pay $120 (for sports) and then we're going to ask them for another $150, I think that's going to preclude some of them from playing."

At Skyline, each of Isaac's 35 swimmers pays $120 to participate - a fee that covers their swimsuit, swim caps and other needs. Student-athletes also sold pizza coupons. While some students' parents chose to participate in the fundraiser, others covered the amount with a personal check.

Now, if the pay-to-play proposal goes into effect, parents may kick in more in order for their student-athletes to participate. Many parents may not have a problem with that, according to Pioneer athletic director Lorin Cartwright, who oversees a department at a school where 65 percent of the student population plays sports.

Especially if the alternative is eliminating high school sports.

"Parents want to support their kids, and if the opportunity was there to pay a little bit and have their kid play or not have the opportunity to play and nothing for their kid to do, I think they would want to do that," Cartwright said in a meeting with AnnArbor.com last month.

Pioneer basketball coach Rex Stanczak believes pay to play could have adverse effects. This year, Pioneer basketball players paid $150 in team fees - a drop of $25 from last year's figure adjusted to the tough economy.

But if the alternative to pay to play is cutting some of the 30 sports schools such as Pioneer and Huron offer students, Stanczak believes the district has to look into different ways of saving money.

"It's a really tough situation we're in," Stanczak said Thursday night. "It's just really tough."

Huron athletic director Dottie Davis sees another potential issue. For some parents, paying to participate means an assurance of playing time.

"The biggest complaint I get as an athletic director is about playing time," Davis said Thursday night. "We're going to have to be clear that paying does not mean playing time."

In small-group settings at Thursday's meeting, some parents had concerns over the equity with the $150 flat fee. Complaints came not with the fee but with the fact that some athletes may play multiple sports without having to pay more money than those that participate in more than one sport.

Davis said she generally was encouraged by parents' attitudes concerning the possible shift to pay to play. Huron boys basketball coach Waleed Samaha can understand why.

Samaha's boys basketball players don't pay a fee to participate, but are asked to help with fundraising. Samaha's team raised $12,000 to cover its costs this season, which include equipment, uniforms and travel costs.

"I think given the economic conditions we're in, I think people understand (a pay-to-play concept)," Samaha said Thursday. "You don't want to have to look at cutting athletics (all together), because it's an extension of the school day and because of the lessons kids learn from playing sports.

"Athletics are such a meaningful part of the overall high school experience, and so I don't think asking people to pay for that isn't out of the realm of expectation."

More coverage: • Ann Arbor superintendent outlines draft plan that cuts 34 teachers, institutes pay-to-play sports • Ann Arbor budget plans contain potentially controversial moves • Background on the district's budget.

AnnArbor.com education reporter David Jesse contributed to this report. Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at jeffarnold@annarbor.com or 734-623-2554. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.