In Southern California, one high school booster club has taken on an ambitious task. The Scorpion Athletic Booster Club (SABC) in Camarillo began fundraising this fall for their Turf Field Project, a $1.7 million plan to install artificial turf on the Camarillo High School athletic field and resurface the track. The center of the field has been worn through by years of games and practices, and students even complain that the dirt patches are dangerous. The SABC acknowledges that the school … [Read more...]
posted on September 20, 2013 by
31 Life Lessons of Sports
This summer I went to my college reunion and noted that 100% of the classmates I spoke with had participated in one or more extracurricular activities in high school. Every single person I spoke to credited those experiences with playing a role in their success, whether they were a magazine editor, an economist, or a stay-at-home home dad. Most of Boosterland’s readers will have a few reasons why they think extracurriculars are crucial for development. I’d like to compile them here as food for … [Read more...]
posted on August 1, 2013 by
Mission to Metrics 3: Beyond GPA & Winning (Sports)
Athletic booster clubs value winning on the field and in the classroom. How can they show it? I sometimes question why extracurriculars, particularly athletic programs, feel the need to justify their existence based on participants’ grades. After all, sports teach us how to work with teammates, make friends, adjust strategy on the fly, lose gracefully, and win gracefully. Perhaps that’s why some schools are actually lowering GPA standards for athletes, so as not to alienate struggling … [Read more...]
posted on July 25, 2013 by
Live Audio Broadcasting
Smith, number 10, fakes. Breaks. He’s closing in on the end zone. Touchdown! Broadcasting high school sports games is a great idea. I've been in touch with booster clubs that are planning live audio broadcasts of their football games this fall. It’s fun to set up and do the actual commenting. Then family members can listen to the game anywhere, whether from a university on the other side of the country or a military outpost on the other side of the world. Other booster clubs might find audio … [Read more...]
