Many of us have fond memories of cheering on our high school sports teams, but the future of athletics programs has gotten fuzzy as districts around the country become increasingly strapped for cash.

Here in Las Vegas, athletics is one of two dozen programs the Clark County School District is considering cutting as it tries to figure out how to slash more money from what’s already a lean budget.

If those cuts become a reality, it would only add to what Dr. Monica Lounsbery, associate professor and chair of the Department of Sports Education Leadership at UNLV, says is already a major problem in our state — physical inactivity.

“Parents don’t realize how little activity their children get,” Lounsbery said, adding that adolescents aren’t staying active outside of school time. Popular competing interests, like TV and video games, are primarily sedentary and parents don’t always understand how serious not getting enough exercise can be for kids.

Dr. Lounsbery stressed that the idea of limiting physical activity programs or dropping them altogether is very concerning. “We can either pay now or pay later,” she said, noting that higher levels of physical activity during youth can prevent disease in adulthood.

Comments from the community presented to the CCSD Board of Trustees showed tremendous support for keeping athletics off the chopping block. Interestingly, only one person mentioned health and wellness as a reason to preserve the program. The majority of responses said the value of athletics was its ability to keep kids out of trouble and in school, and to motivate them to get better grades.

A common suggestion from parents was the idea of making sports “pay to play” to help reduce the budget. However, Lounsbery is worried that a pay-to-play system would have enormous negative implications for poor and minority students, who might be denied access because of the cost.

Reading through the written responses, it seems like others share her concern. To keep athletics open to all, people suggested the Board should “institute a sliding scale for paying for sports, so those that can’t afford to pay can play,” or “make it pay for play with scholarships for the poor.”

There’s no question that school leaders have difficult decisions to make as they consider what programs should be kept or cut.

One of the challenges facing athletic and extracurricular activities, according to Dr. Lounsbery, is that administrators tend to base decisions on what they think the major function of schools should be — preparing individuals academically. Sports and extracurriculars are viewed as more expendable since they often fall into the “nice but not necessary” category.

So, if not from athletics, then where should education officials trim the budget? Eliminate specialist positions? Make class sizes larger? Do away with block scheduling?

Education has already been cut to the quick, says Lounsbery, who called making any additional cuts an “egregious error.” She suggests it’s “time to ask hard questions about our tax base and whether it really can support the infrastructure we need in Nevada’s communities.”

The CCSD Board of Trustees is expected to continue the budget debate when it meets again on December 11.

Linda Wieland - New Media Editor