If you’re not following us on Twitter you’re completely missing out on all of the hubbub over here at East Ridge Printing. We’re gearing up to launch a new division that specializes in products for sports boosters, and we’re extremely excited about it. Since we started sinking our teeth into this project, however, I’ve been surprised over and over again by the sheer number of people who have never heard of sports booster clubs!
Curious about our new product line? Sit tight, and stay tuned. As soon as we have a definitive launch date I’ll tell you all about it!
Will school budget cuts stop him from playing high school ball?
Sweeping School Budget Cuts
Families with kids in the public school system are already well aware of the effects that sweeping state budget cuts have had on their operating budgets. Educational institutions lost over $50 billion in funding nationwide last year alone. Schools are trimming the fat left, right and sideways, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. My daughter’s kindergarten class was actually actively soliciting donations of printer paper to print out their worksheets, since the school had imposed a strict limit on the number of copies teachers were able to make!
Extra-curricular activities are the first to take the hit when schools start cutting down, and those cuts have completely exterminated after-school sports programs in at least one Boston school and have driven many other schools to consider shutting down their Jr. High and Jr. Varsity programs. If our economy doesn’t get back on track soon, after-school sports programs may be phased out completely.
Sports Booster Clubs: Stepping In to Save the Day
Sports Booster Clubs pick up where the state’s allotted school budget leaves off, driving fundraising efforts to keep sports programs alive and well in the school. From trips and transportation to equipment, uniforms and competition fees, the money raised by these organizations may be the only thing keeping the next generation in cleats.
If you’ve ever gone to a basketball game and bought a drink, bought candy to support your local marching band or swung through the cheerleader car wash on the corner, you’ve done your part to support your local sports boosters. They’re not reserved for high schools; elementary schools, colleges and even professional sports teams have their own boosters backing them up! So the next time you’re at a game, look around and see if you can’t spot their sports booster clubs in action.