Due to changes in playing conditions caused by COVID-19, sports teams may not get the chance to have a season this year. All fall sports, including football, were postponed to December. Sports must comply with California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules to begin practicing which includes buying new COVID-19 protection equipment. Most of this money is coming from San Marin All Sports Boosters Club (Boosters).
“We are out there to help and hopefully sports will be back,” Vice President Boosters Kristin McAndrew said.
Postponing sports inhibits coaches from recruiting incoming freshman families to sign up for a membership. This causes a reduction in Boosters memberships from freshman families. This decrease is expected to continue until sports return to normal.
“We do see smaller numbers right now…Obviously it has gone down because we haven’t had any sports yet, but we hope to bring it up,” McAndrew said.
Due to COVID-19, in-person Boosters events have been cancelled. The Boosters club hopes to find a virtual way to have events and fundraisers. They will be doing more advertising this year, as well as selling merchandise to make up for their financial losses from postponing sports.
Merchandise was previously sold by individual sports. Any money an individual sport made would go directly to that sport only. If Boosters is in charge of merchandise this year, then all of the money raised is distributed across all San Marin sports. These changes are in place to make up for some of the financial losses of postponing sports.
Recently, Boosters’ money was used to get protection equipment. These include hand sanitizer, equipment sanitizer, no touch thermometers, and first aid kits. Girls basketball, girls volleyball, girls lacrosse, girls soccer, football, cheer, and baseball have used the new COVID-19 safe equipment to hold camps. NUSD also provided portable hand washing stations for the fall.
“When sports come back, we’ll be ready for it,” McAndrew said.
View of San Marin varsity football team on Sept. 22, 2020 practicing six feet apart to follow CIF guidelines.
