ESPNRise's Chris Lawlor had a chat with Bob Kanaby, the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, on the state of high school athletics in today's tough economy, including issues such as drug-testing, recruiting and revenue-streams.
The interview can be found here: http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/news/story?id=4187239
Some excerpts:
"Schools cannot make payrolls and their districts are begging taxpayers to approve bloated budgets for the upcoming academic year. Athletic departments are especially hard-hit; sometimes failing to make the cut.
From his headquarters in Indianapolis, Kanaby tackles these issues tactfully. His mission is to maintain a level playing field for high school sports, while at the same time looking to add additional revenue streams, trying to make sense of national tournaments, directing and leading national committees and overseeing rules changes in various sports ... "
"ESPN RISE: Some have suggested 'pay for play,' while some schools have implemented this policy for years. Is this good? What's the alternative?
Kanaby: From my experience, it doesn't work. There are schools in 35 states that do it. We've seen an attendance drop where they have it; families won't move into a community where you have to pay extra. People aren't willing to pay for a beaker for the science class, why pay to play?"
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