Community help needed to keep school sports alive

To The Eagle:

The Pay To Participate (PTP) plan has helped to keep sports going in our small community, even though it has decreased the amount of students who come out for sports.

The fans in our town look forward to coming to Wahkiakum sports and the sad truth of it all is that without the PTP there would not be as many sports available. Due to budget constraints of the school districts, we have had to tighten the extracurricular expenditures and certain sports were on their way to the chopping block. Due in part to the PTP, low turn-out sports such as track & field are still viable.

The passion for athletics in our community is widely known, and the stands are always full for football and basketball. If those sports were eliminated because our school district could not afford to keep them going, it would not only affect the athletes in our school, but the fans in our community. When I look into the stands and I see several generations of families watching the next generation, I cannot imagine this town without sports.

From the point of view of an athlete, I have learned many life lessons from the sports I have played. I have learned patience, perseverance, and the value of hard work. I have also reaped the rewards that come from that hard work. I have gained a maturity that will serve me well in the future by having responsibilities as a captain of my teams.

There are many athletes who cannot afford the PTP, and that is the main problem with the PTP plan. Ideas such as community fund raising and donations could help lessen the impact the PTP has on a number of students who wish to be athletes, but do not have the means to do so. We as a community need to pull together and ensure all students have the opportunity to grow as individuals through athletics.

Brett Chaput

Cathlamet