Reader comments
High school sports: We need to find a more uniform way

I agree with Donaldson for once. Utah needs to look to other states with much smaller per capita incomes who produce much more for their children. We also need to look at ourselves. Our culture here dictates that we be as thrifty as possible (aka CHEAP) and that shows in our programs. My daughters play sports and I believe the disparity between the genders comes straight from the amount of effort we spend we as parents. If we want stadiums for our girls we should spend the same effort getting them built as the boys. Instead most spend time just complaining about the lack of equality.

Sure small schools may have fewer programs and facilities. But your kid will make the basketball team and have a great team. Not the case at Bingham or Lone Peak. As a percentage, a much smaller group will get the chance to play. Aside from that, you sound like a socialist - redistribution of wealth. It isn't just about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" anymore - the list goes on forever. Not so! Some of us like living in small towns. If you want your kid to have those facilities, move to South Jordan.

Good article. You are right. But its okay. There is more to life than sports. Education disparity is a much more important issue in my mind.

Not only will it not ever be equal, it shouldn't be. What you have to realize is that coaches, players, and parents do most of the building of the program and facilities. Most of the turf fields that are going in are funded by donations that football and athletic boosters. Coaches and booster clubs correlate to raise the funds and make a nice community facility. Why should one school or district pay for a facility that another school's coaches and booster's paid for. A baseball program with 60 players and parents working together is going to have a nicer facility, uniforms, and more raised funds than a softball program with 20 players.
While Dondaldson's idea is koom-bay-ah, it is never going to happen because Principals,A.D.'s, and coaches control athletics at the school levels and as in any field, there are going to be better qualified individuals acting in these capacities at one school than there is at another. These individuals and communities deserve to benefit on the field if their Principals, A.D.'s, Coaches, and boosters work to put them in that position. Let the other schools catch up.

Your view is refreshing. I agree completely with your comment. If parents, coaches, and players work together you can build a great program, facility, etc. I am glad you don't sit around and complain like others.
In contrast to that note, if you are a parent of a female athlete and feel that your program is getting the short end of the stick, just make a Title IX. complaint. Parents of female athletes in Davis County did that and the district was forced to pay over $1 Million to upgrade every female program facility in the district to equal that of the boy's, regardless of who built the boy's facilities. Just a thought.

Isn't Carbon leaving Region 8?

One way would be to allow more input and say about the sale of the natural resources found on Federal Lands within the State... How they are alloted and the prices that they are sold at. Those resouces on State Trust lands are just as equally valuable. Regardless... there must be an increase in the States royalties...and all the State schools should get a good piece of of that. Our Natural resources are being sold off at sub marginal prices which allow private sector Corporations to reap huge profits that do not give back enough to the States. with Federal Lands. BUT WE will need to have more controls on the Exportation and Importation of goods and services like we had in the 50's 60's and 70's to do it. When we gave away... sold... and exported our technology and then turned around and removed those protections, we took a shortsighted road to the mess that we have now. We allowed corporations to reap short term profits and lost our dominance in in technology and manufacturing production. It's time for the States to take back their Natural Resources from the Federal Government.

Sharing in school fees doesn't solve the problem. Case in point, and it is very well documented. The Kahuku High School renown for it's football team is a Title 1 school. It pools their students from 5 communities with a cumulative population of 15,000 residents (if that). They have some of the worse facilities imaginable, yet through community and parent support they have new uniforms every 2 years, they travel every other year. The point is, if a school wishes to have better opportunities for it's student body, rally the forces that could impact the desired outcome....parents, local businesses, alumni, etc.

this is a decent article, but honestly when you try to ever compare 1a 2a 3a to the big schools.... they dont have money because they choose to live out in the boonies and live in small towns, the right parents who want there kids to have the best chance to succeed move them to the best area suited for there talents, like football alta bingham skyline, wrestling up north, golf down south its just smart parenting and area so this article cant be right when you should never come pare them schools in anything

Didn't Shawn Bradley come out of Carbon? If not Carbon, it was another small high school. Frankly, if you have the talent the universities' and pros' scouts will find you.

some kids may have nice equipment to play on or have parents who can spend thousands on schooling. But when it comes down to who the best is, its the one who will do anything to win if its from football in the fall to soccer in the spring its not the equipment or the facilities that makes the athlete. Its the atitude of the athlete.

Amy, you need to get over your equality obsession. Write about something that matters.

He came from Emery High.

Ok Shawn Bradley came from Emery High School, which is currently a 3A high school as is Carbon High.

Still if the student athlete has the talent, the scouts will find you.

"Are we so dedicated to the idea of "local control" that we don't care if kids in Sanpete County have fewer opportunities than teens going to school in St. George?"

Yes. Local control is key. If parents and kids care enough about sports, then they can move into the area of a different school.