As diesel fuel prices creep closer to $4 a gallon, high school athletic officials are feeling a bigger drain on their budgets, and looking cautiously ahead to a time when they may face difficult decisions on where to make cuts.
The Fayetteville Observer contacted a number of Cape Fear region athletic directors this week to discuss the situation. None have taken any drastic measures yet, but all agreed that by fall, if prices continue to climb, they could face some unpleasant alternatives.
Que Tucker, deputy executive director of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, said schools across the state have not addressed any major concerns to the state association about rising prices, but added that didn’t mean they weren’t concerned about the problem.
“I think everybody is trying to get through this semester and this sports season,’’ Tucker said. “I know some boards of county commissioners are in the business right now of determing budgets and how much they’ll allocate out of local money for school systems.
“It’s a serious time in which we find ourselves right now.’’
Fred McDaniel, student activities director for the Cumberland County School, has already implemented one change many school systems will likely adopt. The county schools are cross-scheduling in all sports as much as possible and playing fewer non-conference games outside the county line.
The system is already doubling up on the use of busses, sending more than one team per bus to road games where possible.
“We may have to cut back on the number of games we play, but we don’t want to do that,’’ McDaniel said.
If games are cut from the schedule, McDaniel said that would likely start at the junior varsity level. “I know I sound like a politician, but it’s hard to say unless I know precisely what we’re doing to have down the road,’’ he said.
Tommy Britt, athletic director at Scotland High School, agreed with McDaniel that the first cuts would come to freshman and junior varsity programs. “If you do cut anybody out, you want to be fair and equal across the board,’’ he said.
Ronnie Chavis, athletic director for Robeson County, said he has encouraged his schools to cross-schedule, even though the county has schools with drastically different enrollments.
“Some of them don’t like a 1-A and a 2-A playing a 4-A,’’ he said.
“That’s something they need to look into.’’
Chavis thinks another thing schools need to consider when scheduling games with distant opponents is the gate. “People are not going to drive 70 or 80 miles to a game when the gas is $3.50,’’ he said. “Why would you go to Wilmington Ashley if you could schedule someone in Fayetteville?“
Chavis agreed cuts are possible, but said that would have a detrimental effect on the total program. “If your JV games are affected, that will affect the varsity if they don’t get to play a number of games,’’ he said.
Gary Brigman, athletic director at Hoke County, is trying to get through the rest of this year with the money he was already budgeted for transportation.
“I spend about $23,000 for transportation and I’m just about at the end of it,’’ he said. “I’m still in the black.’’
Brigman said the school did cancel one baseball game at Anson County, but he said that was more a problem with weather than fuel cost. “I’m glad we canceled it though,’’ he said.
Sampson County Schools is in the process of getting a new superintendent. Tommy Macon, who oversees high school athletics there, said he’ll be waiting for direction from his new boss on where to go regarding fuel costs.
“We haven’t made any adjustments that would affect our student athletes,’’ Macon said.
Phil Ferrell, who oversees athletics in Harnett County, said his system is urging a common sense approach for now. “I read an article that said gas will be $4 a gallon by July 4,’’ he said. “Who knows what it will be in the fall?’’
If gas prices are that high when football season starts, Ferrell thinks Harnett County and many other school systems will face the same dilemma. “We’ll really have to sit down and talk about it in depth; face things together as they come,’’ he said.
The Fayetteville Observer contacted a number of Cape Fear region athletic directors this week to discuss the situation. None have taken any drastic measures yet, but all agreed that by fall, if prices continue to climb, they could face some unpleasant alternatives.
Que Tucker, deputy executive director of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, said schools across the state have not addressed any major concerns to the state association about rising prices, but added that didn’t mean they weren’t concerned about the problem.
“I think everybody is trying to get through this semester and this sports season,’’ Tucker said. “I know some boards of county commissioners are in the business right now of determing budgets and how much they’ll allocate out of local money for school systems.
“It’s a serious time in which we find ourselves right now.’’
Fred McDaniel, student activities director for the Cumberland County School, has already implemented one change many school systems will likely adopt. The county schools are cross-scheduling in all sports as much as possible and playing fewer non-conference games outside the county line.
The system is already doubling up on the use of busses, sending more than one team per bus to road games where possible.
“We may have to cut back on the number of games we play, but we don’t want to do that,’’ McDaniel said.
If games are cut from the schedule, McDaniel said that would likely start at the junior varsity level. “I know I sound like a politician, but it’s hard to say unless I know precisely what we’re doing to have down the road,’’ he said.
Tommy Britt, athletic director at Scotland High School, agreed with McDaniel that the first cuts would come to freshman and junior varsity programs. “If you do cut anybody out, you want to be fair and equal across the board,’’ he said.
Ronnie Chavis, athletic director for Robeson County, said he has encouraged his schools to cross-schedule, even though the county has schools with drastically different enrollments.
“Some of them don’t like a 1-A and a 2-A playing a 4-A,’’ he said.
“That’s something they need to look into.’’
Chavis thinks another thing schools need to consider when scheduling games with distant opponents is the gate. “People are not going to drive 70 or 80 miles to a game when the gas is $3.50,’’ he said. “Why would you go to Wilmington Ashley if you could schedule someone in Fayetteville?“
Chavis agreed cuts are possible, but said that would have a detrimental effect on the total program. “If your JV games are affected, that will affect the varsity if they don’t get to play a number of games,’’ he said.
Gary Brigman, athletic director at Hoke County, is trying to get through the rest of this year with the money he was already budgeted for transportation.
“I spend about $23,000 for transportation and I’m just about at the end of it,’’ he said. “I’m still in the black.’’
Brigman said the school did cancel one baseball game at Anson County, but he said that was more a problem with weather than fuel cost. “I’m glad we canceled it though,’’ he said.
Sampson County Schools is in the process of getting a new superintendent. Tommy Macon, who oversees high school athletics there, said he’ll be waiting for direction from his new boss on where to go regarding fuel costs.
“We haven’t made any adjustments that would affect our student athletes,’’ Macon said.
Phil Ferrell, who oversees athletics in Harnett County, said his system is urging a common sense approach for now. “I read an article that said gas will be $4 a gallon by July 4,’’ he said. “Who knows what it will be in the fall?’’
If gas prices are that high when football season starts, Ferrell thinks Harnett County and many other school systems will face the same dilemma. “We’ll really have to sit down and talk about it in depth; face things together as they come,’’ he said.
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