Never give up: a mindset shared by many coaches and athletes alike. But are certain sports requirements more promising in being able to stick to this mantra?
Rocklin High School (RHS) has a phenomenal athletics department. Our sports teams have won Section Championship titles, many athletes have competed at the State level, and teams have gone undefeated in their seasons. But, if you were asked to name a sport that had an undefeated season or got first in the Section, which sport comes to mind first? I’m guessing that you thought of football.
Frankly, football should be the sport at the forefront of your mind. It has a massive cultural impact on RHS and the entire country. However, there are hundreds of athletes at RHS who play a sport other than football who wish their sport could experience some of this notoriety.
Nica Sobrepena, a dedicated RHS senior, has a passion for tennis that often gets overshadowed by the prominence of football within the school. She believes that both sports should receive recognition and support from their fellow students, but unfortunately this is not currently the case. She understands that football holds a special place in the hearts of many students at RHS, but she hopes that their enthusiasm and support could be extended to other sports teams as well, like the tennis team. Sobrepena emphasizes that tennis is more than “just a game”; it’s a demanding sport that requires immense dedication and skill. “As a team, we value support and cheering as an upside of having such a large team,” she explains. “Cheering makes us better and can easily flip a match just [like] an energy switch.” She also hopes for the tennis team to receive more opportunities to showcase their talents and achievements to the entire school community. Creating these opportunities, however, requires financial support that many of the sports teams at RHS do not have.
By sheer numbers, the discrepancies between funding across sports are staggering. Based on a playoff budget report and projection for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section, football’s 2023-2024 “Budgeted Playoff Income” totals $757,000.00. That is more than the median cost of a house in Rocklin. By a rough estimate of the average costs of equipment, a complete uniform with required protective gear costs approximately $800 per player. This fact does not undermine the value of adequate funding for football; it is a full-contact sport requiring specialized equipment to prevent injuries.
The point is this: by comparison, less popular sports do not receive the same amount of funding that they need proportionally. Of course, a sport that requires more gear or equipment will require a higher budget. However, a problem arises when the basic needs of athletes in certain sports fail to be met.
Dr. Travis Miller, RHS Swim and Water Polo coach, describes how “…the deck is just a blatant hazard,” and it’s “going to have to be addressed sooner than later.” One would think that if an area where athletes trained was considered a “hazard”, then that problem would be addressed, right?
Unfortunately, that would be wrong. Dr. Miller has “lived here for over 17 years, and [the Rocklin High School] field has been redone three times.” As for the pool deck? It hasn’t been redone since it was built in 1995. The current Swim and Dive budget is $29,175.00. That means that football’s projected budgeted income amounts to over 25 times that of swimming. Furthermore, football is one of 20 sports listed on this budget report, yet its funding accounts for just under 40% of the entire sum. This is a pretty dramatic discrepancy. Both the pool deck and field are used for multiple RHS sports, activities, and external programs, so it makes sense that they are maintained to the same standards. And yet, they aren’t.
Dr. Miller has contacted the school board on multiple occasions in hopes of addressing the issues that have impacted the RHS Aquatics program, but he seldom receives a satisfactory response. “It frustrates me,” he explained, claiming that even minor issues either take far too long to be resolved or are never resolved at all. “But really where I have to focus my energy,” he describes, “is to create the best opportunity for the athletes that are here.” It is admirable that even though there are a multitude of roadblocks, Dr. Miller doesn’t get deterred. “I can try to negotiate and work for changes. But day in and day out, I’m at the edge of the pool, coaching people how to do flip turns.”
Not every sport can draw in immense crowds as football does – nor does anyone expect this to happen – but to receive more recognition would be tremendously impactful. “Being able to showcase what we do and what we have done as a team is something to always be proud of,” Nica says. She hopes that the girls’ hard work and accomplishments can receive all of the recognition they deserve on broadcasting networks like the Friday Show or the ever-popular Life and Times. For Nica, the spirit of unity and support among the students of Rocklin High should embrace all of the sports that are played on our campus. She encourages anyone who can come to a game or match should bring their absolute love for the sport and their best cheering voices. You can’t put a price tag on the sound of cheering fans.
Athletes and coaches across all sports are ultimately focused on mastering their craft. As Dr. Miller states, “I’m going to focus on the athletes. I’m going to focus on the swimming. I’m going to focus on the experience.” This is athletics at its core – working toward being the best that one can be. Providing RHS athletic programs with the necessary support and resources will make them blossom beyond our school’s wildest dreams. Though it might take some time, this goal is absolutely feasible and one that the entire Rocklin community can share – just as long as we never give up.
