Hopatcong Coaches Face Dilemma in 2011

Lindsay Lohan sees more court time a week than I did during my senior season on the high school basketball team.

Life as the 13^th man isn't much different than bagging groceries at a supermarket — thanks, kid, but you're not really needed.

And though bench duty is about as glamorous as a sanitation truck, at least I was on the team. At least I got a jersey. At least it was free.

Next year's also-rans, however, won't be as fortunate. Hopatcong's Board of Education decided recently all high schoolers would have to pay to join an athletic team, starting in 2011.

A family forking over some dough for its kids to play sports isn't something new to the borough.

But a family forking over some dough for its kids to ride the iron pony is going to cause problems.

Jim Tobin is entering his 20^th season as Hopatcong's basketball coach. He's dealt with whiney parents and athletes. He's kept kids on the team because, even though they dribbled worse than newborns, they tried their best.

Playing time was always his decision. If you were one of the Chiefs' top seven or eight players, you got regular minutes. If your jump shot knuckled in mid-air—like mine—or if your pick-and-roll defense was weak, you fetched the good players cups of water and played in blowouts.

That could change in 2011.

Tobin swore he wouldn't adjust his coaching style. But he acknowledged that with all kids paying the same amount of money—either per sport or per year—to be on the team, parents and athletes could grow upset over playing time, and they might be justified.

"I'm assuming it might change the dynamics a little bit," he said.

Like most towns' youth sports programs, Hopatcong's charges kids at least a sign-up fee. Other costs may come up along the way, but they're usually minimal or optional.

And like most towns' youth sports programs, Hopatcong's try to give kids equal playing time. Little League coaches monitor players' innings. Football coaches do the same with snaps. Track coaches give kids the opportunity to try every event, and so on.

But Athletic Director Tom Vara agrees high school sports aren't managed with kiddie gloves. Parents, residents, former athletes and media outlets obsess over high school athletic programs. People take pride in their alma mater's successes. News services typically report on only the best. Some rank teams in their coverage zones.

So, the best players get the most action. With the reputations of entire school districts, coaches, athletic directors and players in the balance, it's only natural.

But that was before money got involved. New Jersey schools have been charging athletes what they consider reasonable fees for at least the last few years. Some put high price tags on athletics — Sparta High School charges athletes $325 per sport; others a more manageable amount — Mount Olive High School asks for $125 per athlete a year. [Hopatcong will decide an amount by Sept. 1, 2011.]

It's a result of the state's squeeze on education. Hopatcong, like many districts, lost a lot of state aid — $1.7 million — for the upcoming year. The cuts caused gashes in Hopatcong's athletic department, eliminating field hockey and turning golf and the marching band into parent-funded programs.

And, most controversially, the cuts wiped out all freshman sports, which means fewer kids get to play. Throw in that families—some of which struggle to pay rent—will have to pay for high school athletics, people will have to decide whether its worth shelling out cash if their kids see little action.

Tobin doesn't like the new initiative. But he understands it.

"The money is dried up everywhere," he said. "The schools don't have the budgets they did in the past.

"It's hard to call it pay-to-play. Not everybody is going to play."

And therein lies the problem.