“
There was no way this sort of thing could get
done by the school itself because budgets are
so tight. In fact, the costs of running a football
program go up every year but the school budget
for the program hasn’t changed in years. That’s
why 12th Man has always been there to help,”
Hopp said.
The football boosters don’t ignore the other
sports at the school and are happy to furnish
the school with things, such as top-notch weight
room equipment, that all students can use, he
said. But the fact remains that football teams
are larger in number and the equipment needed
for it is more expensive than any other sports,
what with helmets and pads. “The amount of
money it takes to outfit one players has become
astronomical. It costs a hundred dollars or more
for one helmet and if you need 100 of them …
you see the problem,” Hopp said.
PRESSURES OF WINNING
With the popularity of high school sports
comes the desire to back a winner. But Troha
said any pressure coaches or players feel to win
are likely put there themselves. “Of course the
kids want to play for a winning program, they
want to win. But I think we’ve seen that commu-
nities support a team that doesn’t have a strong
winning tradition as much as it will a winning
program,” he said.
Sauser, his IHSA colleague, said she felt pres-
sure to win when she coached girl’s basketball
at Trinity High School. “But I think it was pres-
sure I put on myself more than from any parents
or boosters. Any player who puts forth maxi-
mum effort every day wants to win, expects to
win, and coaches want to help them do that,”
she said. But other coaches feel different, and for
different reasons.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
THE VIEW OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD FROM THE DECK AT THE PANTHERPLEX, WHICH CAN BE RENTED OUT FOR PRIVATE PARTIES DURING GAMES.
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