Being a swimmer, I’ve seen first hand all of the many things at the pool that are broken, old, and no longer working. I, along with many other members of the swim team, have always thought that the pool was neglected and that the other sports teams received better treatment. I wanted to find out where the money to fix things actually comes from, and how it’s divided among the sports.

I was surprised to find out that neither the pool, nor any other sport is neglected at RHS, and that all receive new equipment when it is necessary. Being a swimmer, I realized how biased I was, and that many other teams at Roosevelt are in need of a few new things as well. The truth is, however, that there is only so much money that can be spent.

There are many different factors that determine the amount of money used for a particular sport, the main one being safety. Common sense has always told me that of course possibly hazardous things should be fixed or replaced before anything else. What I’d never known was that before sports seasons start, all of the equipment and facilities are assessed by a crew of people who determine what is dangerous. All of these issues found concerning safety are typically fixed within a week of discovery. A safety issue concerning any sport at Roosevelt, from bowling to football, will always be fixed quickly and efficiently before any other money is spent.

The non-safety related necessities of each sport are the next factor taken into account. These necessities are typically bought by the sports department of RHS, and sometimes with help from the Board of Education. Since these things are needed for the sport to proceed, no money from the individual sports fundraisers is used.

Much of the money that is used for these changes is made through ticket sales for the team’s games, donations, and All-Sports Boosters fundraisers. While some teams such as football make a lot of money from each game, others such as golf make no profit. It wouldn’t be fair if the teams that were free to attend didn’t receive any equipment, so the money is used among all of the sports when needed.

All of the money that is made through fundraisers of a sport is used for things that may not be necessary for the sport to progress, but instead on things that are needed to help improve the team. For example, about two years ago the swim team bought new lane lines and flags with money raised through fundraisers. These things were replaced because they were beginning to fall apart, but it was not quite necessary.

Also, if a team wants warm-ups that they can keep, or some sort of team shirt, the money usually comes from the members of that team. The school buys uniforms that are reused each year, but not equipment or clothes that the participants can keep. This is a fair process, and saves money that can be used for other things that are needed.

Next time you think that the school neglects your team, remember that it’ll be your team’s turn to receive something new eventually. Even though you may not realize it, like I didn’t before, other teams may be in need of things more than yours. At the end of each season it is taken into account what will be needed for the sport to begin the next year, and those things are bought first. If you notice that your team is in need of something, fundraising is a great way to get it.