Increased athletics fee does not deter player participation

February 14, 2014

Uncategorized

The Brookline Finance Department raised the athletics participation fee from $200 to $300, making the fee one of the most expensive for schools in the Bay State Conference. Graphic by Barker Colbert-Regan.

This year Brookline’s Finance Department raised the participation fee for sports at the high school from $200 to $300 per athlete.

According to Athletic Director Pete Rittenburg, the plans to increase the fees were brought up last year during yearly budget meetings.

“It was part of last year’s budgeting process, and the fees are nothing new,” Rittenburg said. “It’s just that the amount’s gone up.”

After last year’s budget meetings, the town reevaluated the budget, and $300 was the amount that came out, Rittenburg said.

Rittenburg said that this is the biggest fee increase he has seen during his time at the high school. Previous increases have been from $125 to $175, and $175 to $200, according to Rittenburg.

However, while diminished athlete participation was a concern for the athletics department, participation actually went up during the fall of 2013, the first season that the increased fee came into effect.

“Based on the fall, [athlete participation] was up by as much as 10 percent, and the winter is up slightly as well,” Rittenburg said.

Athletes’ opinions on the issue, however, are mixed. Senior Spencer Grant, who plays lacrosse and golf, said that the change in the fee has affected some of his fellow teammates.

“I know for a fact that the kids who struggle financially, it was a big issue for them,” Grant said.

Junior Carlo Spinelli, who also plays golf, said he has heard of some opposition to the change but found the fee increase justifiable.

“I felt that for my sport, it was a fair price because we played at some amazing venues,” Spinelli said. “I didn’t hear my teammates complain, but I heard of others who did.”
This school year, Rittenburg said he has also seen a rise in partial and full fee waiver requests, but does not know the exact number.

Parent concerns about the new fee have not reached Rittenburg’s office, and Rittenburg remains positive about the future of the new fee increase.
Both he and Town Hall pay attention to waivers.

“How does a change in policy affect whatever the group is,” Rittenburg said. “The waiver offerings circumvent concerns: You can pick the amount, in a sense, you are able to pay.”

Anthony Poluyanoff can be contacted at [email protected].