Running Costs

Hour 7 Journalism | The Harbinger Online

By Patrick Hornung

Every year the Shawnee Mission East All Sports Booster Board has weekly meetings to decide how much money should be given to each varsity sport. Athletic Director Sam Brown and 48 other SME parents are all present at the meeting. They also decide on what to buy the various teams.

The Booster Board decided to give each sport $1,200 to spend at the coaches’ discretion.

“At the end of the meeting, every board member was satisfied that each team was given a fair amount of money,” AD Brown said.

Brown understands that the money given to a team is sometimes not enough to cover equipment needs.

“I get that some sports like baseball and football have more needs than other sports,” Brown said. “That’s why they have their own support groups.”

The baseball team uses the Bullpen Club, a parent run organization, to help cover equipment costs.

“The Bullpen Club tries to help with buying extra baseballs, batting practice nets, extra infield dirt, extra pitcher’s mound clay and rakes for the infield,” Bullpen Club Treasurer Brian Burns said.

Infield dirt is needed when it rains. The rain washes away the top layer of dirt, and then is replaced with new dirt. The pitcher’s mound clay is spread on the mound after each scrimmage or game to fill in holes or divots the pitchers create when they are pitching.

“The field needs constant care, whether it’s mowing the grass or raking the infield dirt or even a simple thing as watering the grass,” Manager of the baseball team, Sophomore Zac Conklin said.

“We need more money, but with the current budget cuts there just isn’t enough left for more,” Head Coach Jerrod Ryherd said.

“The Booster Board would like to give more money to the sports that need it, but it’s not fair to give football or baseball more money than bowling or gymnastics,” Brown said.

Other sports, like swimming don’t use money for equipment needs.

“After our meets in Topeka, Wiley [Wright] takes us to McDonald’s and we spend about $400 dollars as a team,” Junior Troy DeMoss said.

If the $1,200 dollars isn’t spent, it is handed back into Brown.

“I usually hand in around $500 a year, depending on how many guys are on the team,” Swimming coach Wiley Wright said.
After Brown collects the extra money, it goes back into the Booster Board budget for the rest of the year.

“All of the extra money lets Booster Board buy equipment for the teams that need it,” Brown said.

Ryherd would like to get a new stadium so his team can play all of their home games at East.

“I don’t see it happening soon, but maybe it will begin in five years or so,” Ryherd said.

“Right now we are lucky to get so much support from the school and parents. Not many schools have organizations that help cover expenses for school sports,” Ryherd said.