Board approves participation fee to pay for athletic trainer
Members of the Rogers City Area Schools Board of Education have approved a two year agreement with Alpena General Hospital which will continue to provide an athletic trainer for regular-season games at $4,500 a year. The board also established a new participation fee that will fund the cost of the program. Student athletes will be required to pay $20 for each sport they participate in that utilizes the services of the athletic trainer, with a cap of $50 for athletes involved in three sports. Athletic director Pat Lamb proposed the participation fee at Monday?s school board meeting.
?THIS WOULD go a long ways into paying for most, if not all of the athletic trainer?s services,? said Lamb. The contract with AGH has two changes from last year. There is an increase of $500 per year and an additional fee of $100 per tournament, for any regional or state tournament events the trainer attends. The participation fee applies to varsity boys and girls basketball, volleyball, football, wrestling, softball and baseball.
?It?s almost like buying an insurance policy,? said president Scott McLennan. ?You need to have that person there. In order to pay for it, during tight financial times, we?re asking the parents and the students to assist in that.? Brian Chabot will begin his second year as the district athletic trainer at the beginning of the 2003-04 school year.
BOARD MEMBER Dana LaBar expressed his concern over the increasing costs and wanted to know how much the board was willing to spend to continue to provide the service. Alpena General Hospital initially offered the program at no cost six years ago. The following year it went up to $1,500.
?There was a lot of concern six years ago that we were going to be getting into something that would continually get more and more expensive,? said LaBar. ?I keep hearing how wonderful it is, and how comfortable they (parents) are (with it), but how long are we going to provide for it? When do we stop??
NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS have been provided to the athletes, newsletters have been prepared for coaches, and services have been expanded in the time the program has been in Rogers City, responded Lamb. ?Personally, I can?t say enough about the service that he provides,? Lamb said of Chabot.
?They are providing evaluations, they are sending our student athletes to the correct facility to get treated, and they also are doing follow up,? said Lamb. Chabot has done follow-up well into the evening of football game nights, Lamb said.
?HE HAS GONE above and beyond what his contract states, as far as following up on athletic injuries,? said Lamb. The extra fee for the tournaments wasn?t a problem, Lamb believes, because trainers are usually provided at regional and state events. If need be, the $100 would come from the activity account of the team advancing in the tournament. If a student cannot cover the participation fee, it was suggested the money come from the activity account through the sport they are involved in. McLennan added, ?it?s important that we not deny any students.?
IN OTHER SPORTS related items: ? Ticket prices for senior citizens and students were returned to $4, after being reduced last school year. Lowering the ticket prices to $3 cost the district $3,500. All varsity sporting events will be $4, except for children six and under, who will be admitted free. Junior varsity is $3 for all; junior high, $2. A family of three or more will pay $12 to attend a varsity event and $9 for a JV event. The season passes were raised $10 across the board, except for the student pass, which was lowered $10, in an attempt to try and get
?Our student involvement has been really low,? said Lamb. Family passes will be $145; couples pass, $120; adult pass, $80; student pass, $20; single senior, $50; senior couple?s, $85.
? Randy Martens will replace Charlie Fairbanks as the cross country coach and Brian Chabot will take over for Chad Coolman as the volunteer golf coach this fall. Lamb is still looking for head and assistant JV football coaches. The positions were posted with no applicants by the deadline.
? Sports physicals took place June 2 and 3 with 88 students taking advantage of the free service.
? A membership resolution for the Michigan High School Athletic Association was approved by the board so the Hurons can continue to participate in MHSAA post-season events.