Photograph by Braelyn Wekwerth
Home field advantage is indisputably well named, as teams playing on their home field have a noteworthy advantage over their opponents, at least professionally. But when it comes to Berkeley High School (BHS) Jacket sports, past and present athletes won’t hesitate to hail the influential role fans have to play in their athletic successes.
Unfortunately, with the current state of ticket prices for students, BHS athletic teams may be losing the notable advantage previously associated with Jacket events.
At BHS, when students want to support their peers and increase their chance of winning, they must pay four dollars for home basketball and soccer games. This breeds resentment.
While the price of tickets is only rising from two to four dollars for home soccer games, this increase highlights an issue within the athletic department. Rather than being encouraged to show their school spirit, and support their peers, the current ticket prices discourage student attendance.
One of the biggest differences at a home game compared to an away game is that when you are playing at your home, there are almost always more spectators supporting you. This is still the case, but it is becoming less so. Four dollars may seem like a trivial amount to some, but on a student budget this price is far from insignificant.
As frustrated as students are by the stiff prices at sporting events, they exist for a reason. The athletic department, like all departments requires funding. The funds received from ticket revenue funnel directly towards our one and only athletic trainer, equipment and officiating costs, and coaches salaries. Granted, there are other sources of revenue for the athletic department, but when it comes down to it, cutting ticket prices could mean cutting programs. To further this argument, consider this: do people complain when they are charged to attend Dance Production shows, or the Vagina Monologues? No, generally, they don’t. Putting on a play or performance costs money, for costumes, instructors, and lighting. One could argue that sports are no different.
Some students who actually participate in school sports believe that these fees are necessary for a poorly funded sports program, with a varsity women’s soccer player stating that “even though selling tickets makes going to school sporting events less attractive, it is a way to prevent athletes from having to pay for their own jerseys and jackets themselves, which would make sports at BHS purely upper class or middle class extracurriculars.” At a school that prides itself in diversity, this is a very valid point. That being said, there must be a middle ground. Students can be charged for tickets, without this being a main source of income for the athletic department.
When it comes down to it, the athletic department is dependent on both community support and ticket revenue. It is up to the department to find a balance that maximizes the program’s success.