Without Support, Albany Athletic Boosters Could Fold

The community group that paid for half of Albany High School's athletics budget last year is teetering on extinction as few parents have stepped in to continue the work.

Albany High's Athletics Boosters officers are looking for replacements, or at least bench strength, after slogging through a tough year of volunteer work to save school sports, organizing two golf tournaments and reaching out to athletes' parents to fund a gaping hole left by state budget cuts.

Their efforts paid off with $90,460 raised last year and another $34,000 so far this year. But now the officers and a handful of other volunteers are exhausted. At the group's most recent meeting, only a handful of people showed up.

"It's going into dormancy, kind of, until we have people stepping up," said Boosters communications officer Astrid Juengling.

"We've all been talking to people to see what interest is out there," said Boosters treasurer Jim Quinn, whose daughter is on the soccer team. "There certainly isn't an appetite (among us) to continue to do this work on our own."

Without the Boosters, however, Albany High sports could be in trouble. The group's fundraising has prevented the school from having to eliminate any sports. The school cannot legally solicit funds, so Boosters efforts are vital to keeping programs afloat. Officials have not said how long the sports program can survive without outside help.

With the state budget again in the red and the Albany Unified School District budget no more flush than it was last year, fundraising groups such as the Boosters are sorely needed. Several other local fundraising groups exist to support academics and music.

High School principal Ted Barone said he plans to organize a meeting of athletes' parents, coaches and school staff to figure out how to proceed. He said he believes parents and the community want to support high school sports.

Juengling, whose son runs cross country and plays soccer, said it takes $180,000 to $200,000 to run the Albany High sports program.

"About $180,000 is barebones what is needed for coaches stipends and other necessary costs," like safety equipment, transportation and game officials, she said. "The district gave us $90,000 last year," leaving the Boosters and the high school to figure out where to get another $90,000.

Boosters co-presidents Mike Crowley, father of a football player, and Terri Jacobson, whose daughter is a cheerleader, did not respond to e-mailed questions.

Last year when the state slashed education spending and it looked like sports were in jeopardy, the Boosters established a plan and asked parents of athletes to contribute $300 to help children participate in sports. Those donations were turned in directly to the school. The Boosters also held its first golf tournament, which netted $42,000. With parent donations of $48,460 and gate fees making up the rest, the Boosters and the high school were able to reach the $90,000 needed to keep the sports program intact.

This year the programs seem to be in about the same boat, said Quinn, the treasurer, and the Boosters have again asked for contributions from parents.

One possibility that might galvanize parents, Quinn and Juengling said, is if each team did its own fundraising. Federal regulations about equity between girls and boys sports restrict how that is carried out, they said, but it could be explored.

"I think there's an attitude among parents that they're really interested in supporting their kids' teams," Quinn said. "So one solution could be for each team to do its own fundraising and have the school pay stipends for coaches."

An informal poll of a few parents found most leaned toward supporting individual teams over sports as a whole, although one parent said he would have to think about it more thoroughly.

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