“Winning is definitely more expensive than losing,” quips Dr. Justin Robertson, Red Bank High School principal.
Just ask his school’s wrestling team.
Times Free Press columnist Jay Greeson recently penned an op-ed on the team’s struggles to afford championship rings following their victory at the state tournament. While school officials say the article, which ran March 4, helped raise awareness of the issue – and funds – there is still a ways to go.
“The article absolutely had an effect. We had several donations and calls that day and the days afterwards,” said Assistant Principal Elaine Harper. “We even had individual donations enough for one ring, so there was definitely an impact.”
Each ring costs roughly $325. The school is looking to purchase one for every wrestler and coach to commemorate the team’s success.
“We’re a little more than halfway to what we need, give or take a few hundred dollars,” Robertson said last WHEN. “We’ve raised about $3,000. Hopefully we’ll continue to get donations and calls.”
The school is also planning several fundraisers, including a dinner donated by local barbecue restaurant Smokey Bones, to which the school will sell tickets to the public; and selling coffee to students at the school library.
“They [the wrestling team] achieved a huge accomplishment, and I know it was very important for these young men,” said Robertson. “They all worked hard together, and we owe it to them to be able to support them.”
The primary issue, he said, is that the team doesn’t receive any funding for this sort of venture from the state or local level. While the school does receive funding from the county to pay for coaches, the wrestling team is left financially responsible for referee fees, hotel and travel costs and extraneous costs such as the championship rings.
While a rough estimation, Robertson said a wrestling season could cost up to $13,000.
“I think there’s a happy medium for the finances of the team,” he added. “There does need to be more support at the state and local level for sports and athletic activities.”
The wrestling team, as well as the other sports teams at the school, has done door-to-door sales, car washes and organized summer camps to help pay for their seasons.
The teams’ efforts to fundraise, though, does have some considerable effect on team unity. Robertson said he believes the student-athletes take better care of their equipment if they were the ones to raise money to purchase it.
Ultimately, he said, he believes the school and the wrestling team will raise enough funds for the rings.
“Failure isn’t really an option,” Robertson said with a laugh. “We’ll definitely order the rings. It will probably end up being pretty close, but I’m confident with the community rallying around these young men, we’ll get it done.”