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Gymnastics proposal gets negative recommendation
By By Jill Meier
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EmailFebruary 03. 2010 6:00AM
A parental request to revive the gymnastics program at Brandon Valley has received a negative recommendation by school administrators.
Declining numbers in the sport throughout South Dakota, minimal interest at the local level and program costs were the main factors Randy Marso, athletic director, cited for not reviving the program at Brandon Valley.
“We would be spending a lot of money for relatively a small number of athletes,” Marso told the school board at their rescheduled Jan. 26 meeting.
Based on an average of 15 participants, Brandon Valley would pay $1,566 per athlete for a program offered at an off-site facility, or $3,986 per athlete (the first year) for a program offered at the school.
The girls basketball program, which involves 110 student athletes, spends $439 per athlete. The school’s competitive cheer and dance programs, which has 35 participants, is currently the most expensive per athlete at $734 a student.
In a recent survey Marso conducted, six student athletes – five from the middle school and one from the high school – expressed an interest in the sport for 2010-11.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Brandon Valley’s gymnastics program experienced a significant drop in its roster numbers, had continual changes in its coaching staff, and battled the ever-changing landscape of practice sites at Sioux Falls gymnastics clubs, Marso told the board.
In October 2001, a survey of all middle and high school girls determined that less than 10 were interested in participating in the sport.
A follow-up meeting to discuss the program’s future with athletes and parents garnered little interest, Marso said, as only four students were represented at that meeting. It was after that meeting the board voted to discontinue gymnastics at Brandon Valley.
“Since that time, only one concern has been voiced about that decision,” Marso said.
Brandon Valley isn’t the only AA school to not field a gymnastics program. Of the 17 AA schools, Marso said 13 do offer the sport. Brandon Valley, Douglas, Spearfish and Sturgis are the four AA schools that currently do not have a gymnastics program, and the remaining 13 schools have limited participation. Marso’s research showed a combined total of 177 middle and high school students – an average of 15 athletes per school – are involved in the sport this year.
“At just about every athletic director’s meeting I go to, there’s always a question, ‘who’s doing what with gymnastics,’ ” Marso said.
Yankton has the highest number of participants with 25, while Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Washington each have 21. Four schools – Watertown, Rapid City Central and Stevens, and Sioux Falls Lincoln, have the smallest number of participants with nine. Marso said, with the exception of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, a large percentage of their gymnasts are middle school students.
In addition to the program’s cost, Marso told the board that no South Dakota colleges or universities field a gymnastics program, which results in coaching prospects as being very hard to find. “The pool of officials is growing smaller each year, due to the retirement of veteran officials and the fact that there are very few to replace them,” Marso said. “The state of gymnastics in South Dakota is fragile.”
Earlier this year, Lori Murray submitted a letter to school administrators asking them to consider reviving the sport. Murray wrote the letter after her middle school-aged daughter questioned why Brandon Valley does not have a gymnastics program.
In her letter, Murray was hesitant to make the request at a time when state government is proposing no additional money for education. “I recognize the pressures that exist today to do more with less,” she wrote.
“Anytime we consider a request for new programs, we need to analyze the balance between what the students’ benefit will be against the cost to the district,” Superintendent Dave Pappone said.
With Gov. Mike Rounds proposing no increase for education, Pappone said the request comes a financially difficult time for the school district.
Gymnastics isn’t the only sport board members may have to consider adding as school sanctioned sport. With the South Dakota High School Activities Association on the verge of approving soccer as a sanctioned sport beginning with the 2012-13 school year, Pappone anticipates that requests will be made to add soccer programs for both boys and girls.
“Using numbers from the schools currently sponsoring girls soccer, that would come in at about one-third of the cost, per athlete of gymnastics,” Marso informed.
The board will hear comments from the public at its Feb. 8 meeting, and will decide on the issue at that meeting or their Feb. 22 meeting.
Declining numbers in the sport throughout South Dakota, minimal interest at the local level and program costs were the main factors Randy Marso, athletic director, cited for not reviving the program at Brandon Valley.
“We would be spending a lot of money for relatively a small number of athletes,” Marso told the school board at their rescheduled Jan. 26 meeting.
Based on an average of 15 participants, Brandon Valley would pay $1,566 per athlete for a program offered at an off-site facility, or $3,986 per athlete (the first year) for a program offered at the school.
The girls basketball program, which involves 110 student athletes, spends $439 per athlete. The school’s competitive cheer and dance programs, which has 35 participants, is currently the most expensive per athlete at $734 a student.
In a recent survey Marso conducted, six student athletes – five from the middle school and one from the high school – expressed an interest in the sport for 2010-11.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Brandon Valley’s gymnastics program experienced a significant drop in its roster numbers, had continual changes in its coaching staff, and battled the ever-changing landscape of practice sites at Sioux Falls gymnastics clubs, Marso told the board.
In October 2001, a survey of all middle and high school girls determined that less than 10 were interested in participating in the sport.
A follow-up meeting to discuss the program’s future with athletes and parents garnered little interest, Marso said, as only four students were represented at that meeting. It was after that meeting the board voted to discontinue gymnastics at Brandon Valley.
“Since that time, only one concern has been voiced about that decision,” Marso said.
Brandon Valley isn’t the only AA school to not field a gymnastics program. Of the 17 AA schools, Marso said 13 do offer the sport. Brandon Valley, Douglas, Spearfish and Sturgis are the four AA schools that currently do not have a gymnastics program, and the remaining 13 schools have limited participation. Marso’s research showed a combined total of 177 middle and high school students – an average of 15 athletes per school – are involved in the sport this year.
“At just about every athletic director’s meeting I go to, there’s always a question, ‘who’s doing what with gymnastics,’ ” Marso said.
Yankton has the highest number of participants with 25, while Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Washington each have 21. Four schools – Watertown, Rapid City Central and Stevens, and Sioux Falls Lincoln, have the smallest number of participants with nine. Marso said, with the exception of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, a large percentage of their gymnasts are middle school students.
In addition to the program’s cost, Marso told the board that no South Dakota colleges or universities field a gymnastics program, which results in coaching prospects as being very hard to find. “The pool of officials is growing smaller each year, due to the retirement of veteran officials and the fact that there are very few to replace them,” Marso said. “The state of gymnastics in South Dakota is fragile.”
Earlier this year, Lori Murray submitted a letter to school administrators asking them to consider reviving the sport. Murray wrote the letter after her middle school-aged daughter questioned why Brandon Valley does not have a gymnastics program.
In her letter, Murray was hesitant to make the request at a time when state government is proposing no additional money for education. “I recognize the pressures that exist today to do more with less,” she wrote.
“Anytime we consider a request for new programs, we need to analyze the balance between what the students’ benefit will be against the cost to the district,” Superintendent Dave Pappone said.
With Gov. Mike Rounds proposing no increase for education, Pappone said the request comes a financially difficult time for the school district.
Gymnastics isn’t the only sport board members may have to consider adding as school sanctioned sport. With the South Dakota High School Activities Association on the verge of approving soccer as a sanctioned sport beginning with the 2012-13 school year, Pappone anticipates that requests will be made to add soccer programs for both boys and girls.
“Using numbers from the schools currently sponsoring girls soccer, that would come in at about one-third of the cost, per athlete of gymnastics,” Marso informed.
The board will hear comments from the public at its Feb. 8 meeting, and will decide on the issue at that meeting or their Feb. 22 meeting.
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The Brandon Valley Board of Education will hear comments from the public on the gymnastics program proposal at their Feb. 8 meeting. Challenger file photo |  |
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