By Staff Writer, Narbeh D.

            One thing everyone can agree on is that NBA All-Star LeBron James is a beast.            Standing at 6’8” and weighing 250 pounds, he is a force that no one wants to reckon with. However, James did not simply wake up one morning and find out that he had muscles bulging out from every part of his body. He had to constantly work towards earning his immense size and power, and this was made possible by having the right equipment and materials at his disposal.

            Although all the athletes aspire to be like James, many are limited in their preparation and development, mainly because of insufficient funds and lack of equipment available for sports programs.

            It is a plague that has infected all sports, especially tennis, track, and baseball.

            The tennis team, which does not require as much equipment as other sports, started off the season with approximately $300, which they use to buy tennis balls. Team members paid $150 for their own uniforms and rackets. The students fundraise by working lunch areas to help pay for a portion of the expenses they will incur.

            The main drawback for the tennis team is its courts. The team lacks two courts that they desperately need.

            “More tennis courts would really help our program,” tennis coach Julie Hoppe said.

            Conversely, the track and field staff believes that the shortages may be a result of a completely different factor.

            “The lack of funds to buy equipment is due to a lack of parent support,” track and field head coach Jack Sallakian said. “We cannot expect the school district to fund everything.”

            Sallakian suggests that parents be more involved in fundraising.

            “We still try to do our best although there may sometimes be some financial difficulties,” Emma Navasartians, mother of soccer star Emin Navasartians (’09), said.

            The track team gets a budget of about $250 to $400 a year. But, the team needs a minimum of $2,500 each year to cover races that they compete in over the weekends. They also require $1,000 each season to cover needed supplies, such as uniforms, spikes, and stop watches. Furthermore, the team is in need of new hurdles, starting blocks, runways, track markings, discuss rings, and tilling of the track.

            “Our track is as hard as concrete,” sprinter Nzhdeh Alaverdyan (’09) said. “When the dirt runs low, it causes many leg injuries.”

            The baseball team receives $2,500 a year, but they also fundraise at lunch. The team must work diligently to secure the needed funds for bats, gloves, uniforms, and helmets.

            The spring season also saw the swim and golf teams in action, with the sports receiving $250 and $0, respectively. The softball and boys’ volleyball teams, but were allocated a $2,000 and $1,400, respectively.

            Not only must the school and the ASB fund sports programs; parents and students should be compelled to improve their teams.

            “Fundraising is something no one likes to do,” athletic director Jack Van Patten said. “But we [the athletic department] do what we have to do. We just hope the community chips in.”

            Although our budget may not be as large as that of the New York Yankees, where one percent of Alex Rodriguez’s salary could possibly pay for a complete renovation of the school, we have enough resources to be able to increase our budget. The only question that remains is whether or not we can tap into these resources.