The majority of studies show that sports are highly beneficial for high school students, as they not only supply physical fitness but also help your brain grow, which improves overall academic performance. Sports participation in the U.S. is actually on the rise and yet, rising costs for equipment and team fees have become a financial barrier for students from middle or lower-income households who’d like to participate in a sport.
“I’ve seen people hesitate to try out or commit to [a sport] because they don’t know whether they’re dedicated enough to cover the expenses for the entire season,” said junior and golfer Advika Singh.
According to the California Code of Regulations, “a pupil enrolled in a school shall not be required to pay any fee, deposit, or other charge not specifically authorized by law,” meaning that public schools cannot require fees for educational activities, including extracurriculars, but may request voluntary donations or have loaner gear.
San Mateo Union High School District does supply much of the necessary equipment for students.
“I can’t remember a case where a kid has not been able to play a sport because they don’t have the equipment,” said athletic director Steve Sell. “That doesn’t happen in our district. And we’re very fortunate that way.”
Football is one sport at Aragon where a lot of the equipment is provided, allowing both the varsity and junior varsity teams to have about 50 players each.
“At least for football, the gear isn’t bad,” said sophomore and varsity football player Kymani Nabung. “It’s not outdated at all.”
Still, with some sports, the costs per player have risen sharply with inflation.
“Tennis does have a little more equipment to get,” said girls and boys tennis coach David Owdom. “When you play basketball, you only need the basketball and some shoes, but [since tennis needs more equipment,] it can impact some people, because I know not everybody’s doing well out there.”
Students can dabble in a sport inexpensively by purchasing low-quality equipment or borrowing some from teammates. However, many who stick with sports get serious about them. That’s when the financial factor comes in.
“To really get good at something it takes a lot of effort from you, but you also need proper coaching, and proper coaching can be expensive,” said freshman and tennis player Mira Metzger.
High school teams are very selective, given there are only a set number of spots per sport. Aragon is no exception, meaning that athletes must be very competitive in order to make a team. Oftentimes, this high level can only be achieved through good coaching and proper equipment. Since these resources are expensive and even unaffordable for some, people can end up missing out on a sport due to financial constraints.
“When you can’t really afford the equipment or you can’t get the money to fully dedicate yourself to the sport, [the school is] losing people that might have been a really valuable addition to [the] team,” Singh said.
Rising costs have also changed the way Aragon and the district handle money regarding the athletics program.
“Our district has adjusted their spending to account for the inflation,” Sell said. “We have to be a lot more careful and a lot more discerning about what is really needed and what is wanted.”
Aragon does provide support with its athletic boosters club, but the club can’t spend all its time searching for those in need. If a student needs help, they must ask.
“I think if somebody reached out to [us], we would accommodate them, because Aragon is really good about doing that,” Owdom said. “We can probably find a way to fix you up … [it’s] just a matter of speaking up a little bit.”
