Have you seen the beer commercial where the boyfriend is asked whether he would choose the girl or the beer, if he could only save one? That’s what Nashua’s Superintendent of Schools, Mark Conrad seems to be proposing with the skiing and hockey programs at the two Nashua high schools. There are also several other programs and teaching positions in the cross hairs.
Why do the bean counters always take aim at athletics when faced with budget cuts? Although, some sports are more costly than others, they are all equally important to the individual athletes taking part. Some of these students will be depending on athletics scholarship money to attend college. It may be their only source of funds to further their education beyond high school. Picking one sport over another is unfair to them.
If the cuts are made, and the budget is approved by the Nashua School Board, it will then go on to the Aldermen for approval, and finally to the mayor for signing. Will “Pay to play” be the way of Nashua athletics? It’s not such a bad idea, and better than cutting the sport altogether, as long as all athletics teams, and other costly after-school activities are also accessed fees.
Like the beer commercial, the superintendent is dangling the skiing and hockey programs over a cliff. Is he hoping an individual or business will come forward and offer private funding for the sports, like someone did a few years ago when “pay to play” was introduced?
If you ask my son, Brandon a question before any of his athletic games, he most likely won’t respond. It’s not because he’s ignoring you, but rather cranking the music with his I-Pod.
I was really disappointed to find out a song I’ve heard on the radio lately by Rihanna, “Russian Roulette,” is about another form of suicide and murder through peer pressure.
Did you hear this phrase from your grandparents when you were a kid? “I used to walk 5 miles to school in the snow and rain.” With a roll of the eyes and a “ya sure, ya betcha” reply, I found a way to change the conversation.
Junior varsity players rarely get any ink for their efforts, so I posted some pictures I took at a high school JV basketball game last week between Manchester Memorial and Londonderry High School. Enjoy!
Vegetarians beware. Crusader junior varsity basketball players are moooooving out into the Manchester neighborhoods to corral supporters for a team fundraiser.
I listened to students from Nashua High School South this morning, giving ideas to the school board on how to generate revenue and make budget cuts, to solve a funding crisis in the school system.
Living 10 miles away from a high school can be a pain in the wallet. Making trips in to Manchester to bring our teenage son to school and sports practices one, two and three times a day really drains the gas tank quickly!
Welcome to Raising Athletes, a blog for families involved in sports. I'm Bob Hammerstrom, a staff photographer and multimedia producer at The Telegraph in Nashua, N.H. I'm a parent of an athlete involved in AAU and high school sports. You can contact me at: bhammerstrom@
nashuatelegraph.com. Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments as well.
