Fair Lawn Athletics Program Optimistic Despite Losing 2 Teams

Amid the loss of two teams for this year, Fair Lawn High School is emphasizing the strength of the rest of its athletic offerings.

Due to the school district's budget cuts for 2010-11, the high school's golf and gymnastics teams have been eliminated. After years of having 30 of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's 31 sanctioned high school sports–the only exception being girls field hockey–the high school still offers a robust 28 of 31 possible teams after the cuts, Superintendent Bruce Watson noted.

Cory Robinson, Fair Lawn High's athletic director, said golf and gymnastics were eliminated because that move impacted the fewest number of students–about 12 on the golf team and eight on gymnastics, he estimated.

"It's unfortunate when you have to make any kind of a cut, let alone cut two programs," Robinson said. "But, on our end, we affected the least amount of kids possible by cutting those."

"We still have a large offering [of sports]," he said.

Robinson said some of the former gymnastics team members have already moved on to the cheerleading squad, and that the most logical fits for former golfers are the track and volleyball teams.

"I'm sure they would all find a home somewhere else, I would hope," he said of the students whose teams were cut.

For this year, Fair Lawn's state aid for schools went down from $5.2 million to $1.1 million. The high school lost six coaching positions, but the cuts were spread out so that sports outside of golf and gymnastics were spared from elimination.

"The coaches have been reduced in numbers, but it's not to the point where can can't offer the sport and coach it well," Watson said. "It's painful, but we are still offering it for children."

Further state aid reduction would lead to more high school sports being impacted, Watson said–but for now the superintendent is focused on what the school can offer for this year.

"Getting through this year, we're going to do okay with the reduction of coaches, because we're still supported with the adults there enough to run the sports," Watson said.

"We are going to feel our way through it and see how it is next year," Robinson said.