A BIG part of the high school experience for many students is joining a sport. Lancers should step out of their comfort zone and explore new environments as they enter high school. The fees between sports and clubs are drastically different. For valid reasons, every program is very different, and the costs really depend on which program students join.

Sport fees go towards travel, gear and equipment, sport officials, and other things that build the program. With clubs, costs depend on the club, its level of competition, and the equipment needed. Being part of any organization, sport, or club is such a great experience, and I always want students to have that opportunity.

Opie is one of the athletic directors at Granger and loves to keep up with all the teams. You’ll definitely see him there at that game. He says that athletics is a self-funding program. This means students’ sports fees go toward their specific program and cover costs like buses and officials. “Historically, five years ago, you would have had to pay a $60 fee at the beginning of the school year just for being a student. Everyone had to pay that fee, so imagine 3,000 people paying 60 bucks. That’s a lot of money. The reason the fees have gone up is that that money in the past covered buses and officials, but that big pot of money is gone,” Opie said.

With fees going up, it affects all students, especially in sports. Many students already have trouble paying school fees, and this increase makes it much worse. “A big drop in participation is happening because of the fees, just the fact that things are way more expensive now. I mean, they’ve almost tripled in cost for some programs, as kids can’t afford to pay that fee, they just don’t play,” Opie said.

It’s sad to see players participating less and less, but there are many ways to get help and support. Schools love to see students involved, having fun, and enjoying thrilling experiences. Opie says that kids can work with coaches on fundraisers happening at the time. Also, the athletic program runs a big banner fundraiser that helps cover many of the fees.

Angel Marquez (12) is the senior class president and plays for the Granger boys soccer team. Being part of both, he can understand both sides of fees going up and how it affects students. “I personally have a fee waiver, but for others, I feel like it does have a big impact because if people want to play a sport, but don’t have the money for it and aren’t able to play, that can cause problems in the teams,” he said.