'Pay to play' a fact of life for student athletes

It is often said of athletes: They play for the love of the game. And the next phrase in that line of thinking is, if they had to, they would play the game for free.

High school athletes don't get paid to play. But in the Battle Creek area, they also don't get to play the game for free.

The city schools in Battle Creek and Marshall all have various levels of participation fees when it comes to athletics, ranging from $35 per season to $275 per year. But they aren't alone.

As a member MHSAA school that asks for participation fees, it puts the city schools and Marshall in with the majority of institutions across the state that look to fund those types of extra-curricular activities in that manner.

In a 2014 survey by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, 56.6 percent of the schools in the state that answered the poll assessed a fee for participation in sports.

Many refer to it as "pay to play." Schools will often also call it a participation fee, while some call it an insurance fee. Whatever the name, it is money coming to the schools from the families to allow students to be involved in school-based programs at a price.

The Berning family in Harper Creek has nine children ranging in age from 10 to 28. All have participated in the Harper Creek athletic program in one or multiple sports over the years, or soon will.

At a current cost of $75 per child at Harper Creek, the Bernings know they have to budget for the expense.

"It's just something you deal with. You don't like the fees, but you want the kids to play so it's something you have to put up with," said father Gary Berning. "It hits you sometimes pretty hard when you have multiple kids in school and you have fees to deal with. And that's on top of shoes, the sweats ... it all adds up."

It is an extra burden on the budget for Battle Creek families, one that isn't always appreciated or seen as appropriate. But, according to the schools, it is a needed expense handed out by the athletic program if it wants to continue the level of athletics afforded to its student body.

"Many schools have many fees associated with their athletic programs and these I believe are used to provide students with opportunities to participate in sports programs," Battle Creek Central Athletic Director Mike VanHoven said. "If these schools did not have a fee, then they would have to find another way to fund the programs or make cuts to the athletic budget, which could eliminate programs."

Minus participation fees, as mentioned above, that just might be the alternative: Possibly no athletics at all, or a very reduced roster of athletics.

"There is a need for this because a school's expenditures are more than revenue. Even though athletics are an integral part of education, we don't want to take away from money that goes into the classroom," Harper Creek Athletic Director Ed Greenman said.

"If we did not have athletics, it would be a shame," Greenman said. "About half of our student population is involved in athletics. I could list dozens of benefits that are derived from athletics. Bottom line, it makes for a more well-rounded person and society benefits from kids that are involved in extra-curricular activities."

So to keep athletics at the level most communities are used to, schools are adding fees. And the number of schools doing that continues to grow.

In 2003-04, only 22.6 percent of the schools surveyed indicated they were assessing fees for athletics. The percentage has risen each year since, topping 50 percent of schools in the state for the first time in the 2010-11 survey. In the 2013-14 school year, 229 schools across the state said they were assessing a fee.

"School financing is not what it used to be, that is no secret," said Marshall Athletic Director Dan Coddens. "Expenses have not gone away, they have increased. And what would happen to athletics as we know it fees didn't exist? There would probably be cuts at the lower levels, decreasing the number of students participating in athletics at the middle school and high school levels."

Participation fees vary among the city schools.

Battle Creek Central, which refers to the cost as an insurance fee and not a participation fee, is on the low end at $35 per student, per sport.

Lakeview has a cost of $50 per sport per child. Before the 2014-15 school year, the cost had remained at $25 for nearly 15 years. Lakeview has an annual cap of $250 per family.

Marshall has a fee of $50 per sport with a $200 cap per family.

Harper Creek has a $75 fee per sport. But if you play a third sport in a year, that season is half-off at $37.50.

Pennfield recently increased its fees to $75 per student at both the high school and middle school. Before the 2014-15 year, fees were $30 at the high school and $25 at the middle school.

St. Philip Catholic Central High School is on the high end, but it charges for the entire school year. The first athlete in a family pays $275, with additional family members paying $110. That cost is the same whether a student plays one sport or multiple sports. So if a student were playing three sports in a year, the cost would average out to just over $90 per season.

Fees can be reduced at most schools based on a family's need.

Most Battle Creek schools charge less than typical fees across the state. The median rate in Michigan is $85 per student, per sport with a maximum of $275. There were 43 schools in the state that charged more than $100 per student, per sport.

The average annual fee is $300 per student, with a high across the state at $800. There are 72 schools across the state that charge more than $225 per year.

Fees are earmarked for different things at different schools.

At Battle Creek Central, the insurance fee goes for secondary accident coverage.

Other athletic directors at city schools said fees went toward things from use of a trainer and medical supplies to coaching salaries, uniforms and equipment for both the middle school and high school.

While the reasons for charging fees vary, there is a pressing need, according the schools.

"In our case, our school cannot support the whole athletic budget within the school budget," said Mary Rabbitt, administrative assistant at St. Philip. "Even with major fundraisers that support athletics we need the money the participation fee brings in and there is still a portion supported by the school.

"If it wasn't for the participation fee, schools would have to look at what is offered and then probably have to make some very difficult cuts. The goal of any school is to graduate a well-rounded student and extra-curricular activities is a big part of a students school experience."

School officials point out that their fees are usually less than what families would pay to have their children play sports in non-school environments.

There is summer-league baseball, club volleyball, AAU basketball – all of which include middle school and high school athletes competing in sports in alternative seasons apart from their school districts and beyond the MHSAA schedule.

A recent report on AAU basketball by the Quad City Times in Iowa showed costs to play on those teams can vary from $400 to upwards of $4,000 per season.

"Those moneys we have as fees are extremely important in helping us run our athletic program and we know that means an added cost to families," said Lakeview Athletic Director Greg Hermsen. "But we think it's actually a good deal. Compare it to kids who play on travel teams. They are paying hundreds, if not thousands, over a season. I think, for them, $50 is very reasonable."

In the world of high school athletics, it used to be you had to only try out for a team and be good enough to compete to be allowed to play. But now, there is a fee involved also to get a uniform and a spot on the team.

The schools have budgets they have to meet; thus the 'pay to play' model. But families have budgets as well.

With his large family, Berning shudders to add up how much he's paid in fees already since his first child started in athletics, or will have to pay in the future by the time the last one hangs up the sneakers. But he does know he's had as many as five kids playing sports at the middle school and high school level at one time over the years.

"Some schools have a family cap, and that would have been great for us, but unfortunately Harper Creek doesn't," Berning said. "When fall hits, I could have two playing football, two more doing cross country … that's how it goes for us. That can add up pretty fast."

Pay to Play

Over 56 percent of the schools in Michigan charge a fee for athletes to play sports. The state average is $85 per athlete/per sport

Local fees

•Battle Creek Central - $35 per sport (is considered a supplemental insurance fee)

•Harper Creek - $75 per sport; third sport in a season is half price

•Lakeview - $50 per sport; family cap of $250

•Marshall - $50 per sport; family cap of $200

•Pennfield - $75 per sport; up from $30 in 2013-14

•St. Philip - $275 per athlete for entire year (does not charge per sport); additional family members pay $110

Pay to Play

Did you know?

•Percentage of schools in the state with participation fees is 56%

•66% of schools said they offered a reduced fee or fee waiver based on income

•10% of schools in Michigan said it had seen a drop in participation in athletics due to fees

•In the state of Michigan, only 22.6% of schools had athletic fees in 2003-04. In 2013-14, 229 schools in the state said it had fees, putting that number at 56%

•In the state of Michigan, of the schools assessing fees for athletics, 71% did not assess fees for non-athletic, extracurricular activities

•Participation fees broke down by class in the state: Class A- 77%; Class B - 62%; Class C - 46%; Class D - 39%