WOODBURY – The stands at Nonnewaug should be a sea of red and blue that is turning a Friday night tradition into a luxury. While the Tribe, NHS’ student section, thrives on spirit and energy, rising costs are keeping fans out of the bleachers. Many schools across Connecticut have adopted these same rough prices, but it’s time to ask if the extra cost is worth the empty bleachers?
“In terms of practically, there are a lot of costs that go into running some of the sporting events,” says Toby Denman, site director for winter sports and NHS faculty member as well as coach. “Paying for officials, game workers, people to keep the clock and shot clock [are all costs we incur].”
Many factors come into play when considering the price for student admission at games, and , while it is necessary to charge for games, students, however, have strong feelings about the ticket fee.
“I don’t like paying, but I understand why we have to,” says junior Cameron Packett, who has attended many events these past seasons.
Students, as well as all fans, can expect to pay a ticket fee for a wide range of sporting events, ranging from fall football to girls and boys basketball.
The price of tickets often results in students making choices that eliminate the annoyance of having to pay.
“It brings less students to games,” says senior Lana Zupnick. “Volleyball last year, no one had to pay, so we had more students coming. But now this year they had to pay so I saw less people showing up.”
(Photo Credit – Noreen Chung)
According to the National Poll, a polling and statistics site, on Children’s Health, “12% of parents have reported that fees have caused their children to stop paying” and choosing to no longer attend events at their school.
Students, along with Packett, are frustrated when it comes to paying to get in to watch their peers perform.
“It’s ridiculous,” says junior Aubrie Salisbury. “If the school really wants to see a full student section, they’re going to have to change something.”
While it may just a few dollars, it can add up for students.
“I think that paying for it is a little silly sometimes, especially $4,” says senior McKenna Hardisty.
“I saw better attendance when the tickets were $1 during the Shepaug game.”
Hardisty isn’t the only one who saw a dramatic change in attendance at the Red Out Game. In fact, Declan Curtin, assistant principal at NHS, noticed the significant increase of fans within the student section especially.
“I know that those tickets were discounted and it helped with the attendance,” says Curtin.
Due to the immense amount of students that showed up to the red out game against Shepaug, the energy in the gym was overpowered, creating a great atmosphere with noise and excitement, exactly what Curtin strives for.
“One of the things we need to do is create culture in the building and have it live throughout athletics, having that pride in the tribe mentality like we did at the red out,” says Curtin.
Could changes be ahead for NHS student ticket policies? It’s a possibility, but for administrators there may be creative solutions on the horizon.
“I would be all for an incentive program where folks who come multiple times are rewarded,” says Curtin. “I believe that’s a conversation that we can have with the athletic department to encourage more fan participation and to not have the cost be a burden. At the same time, expenses have gone up significantly and sometimes tough decisions need to be made.”
