By Shannon Robare

For the Express

NORTHVILLE - The Northville Sports Booster Club met, at the school, Thursday, June 7. The question on the minds of people in attendance was, could junior varsity sports be saved? The Northville Central School Board of Education has elected to cut j.v. soccer, j.v. basketball, varsity cheerleading and both modified and varsity track and field.

From the budget figures in 2010, for all levels of sports, the cost was $50,000. By cutting these four sports, and levels, for the upcoming school year of 2012-13, the school will save $25,000.

The sports booster club began as a club not to finance sports but to provide the extras. Whether the extras was a banquet, jackets, or just the “fun stuff.”

In fact, the booster club did award the 2011 varsity girls soccer team with personalized jackets in a ceremony this past winter.

The reality is, the booster club is now being asked to save sports. In the fall of 2011 the j.v. soccer teams were paid for by the club. The modified softball team wasn’t suppose to exist this year either.

The coming school year, for sports, will be a true test for the community who favors the sports program. To be able to fund the four sports, the amount of $25,000 must be raised. A large amount for sports - when broken down, it doesn’t seem as daunting, when you consider each.

Boys and girls j.v. soccer is $3,500 each. Boys and girls j.v. basketball is $4,100 each. The cheerleading squad is $2,500 and track is the most at $8,000.

Last year, to help salvage the school budget, the teachers voted not to pay coaches. This year, that isn’t the case, they will be paid and it is included in the price of each sport.

The surrounding area schools have decided to forgo their j.v. programs except for two in the current league. If the program continues, the teams will travel farther away to compete against larger schools.

The Northville teams did do this last year and held their own if not won the game. The players were excited to realize that a Class D school could compete against a Class C team or a Class B team and win.

The thirteen booster club members have held fund-raisers and are planning more. The next one is a night golfing tournament at Sacandaga Golf Course, this Saturday, June 15, in Northville at the Sacandaga Golf Club. The fee for members of the golf course are $20 and non-members are $25. Teams may be formed there and it starts at 8 p.m.

A car wash and bake sale are planned for August and help is needed for the Fonda Fair parking lot. To help with visuals, John Millington and Katherine Robare, co-presidents of the high school art club will be painting a thermometer to gauge how much has been raised.

The largest problem with cutting the the j.v. program will be team size. A modified team will be grades seven through nine, and varsity will include grades ten through twelve.

In modified sports, every player gets the chance to play. This is how they become better. If you have 20 to 30 players on a team, how much time will your player be on the field? If a player has been on a j.v. or a varsity team the player is ineligible to be on modified.

The 10 to 15 girls who played on last years j.v. soccer team may try out for varsity with Coach Edwards. The same with the boys and Coach Clapper. Not all the players will make the varsity team.

The booster club will meet next on June 21, 7 p.m., at the  Northville Central School’s basement board room, near the library.