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Basketball program has new uniforms
Photo
Photo courtesy of Robert Senn Photography.The Canfield High School boys basketball varsity team received new uniforms for the 2010-11 season. Members of the varsity team include (front row, left to right) Boo Timko, Jordan Italiano, P.J. Stickle, Ryan Abraham (middle row, left to right) Matt Yourstowsky, Tyler Mettille, Will Yobi, Jared Bettura, Danny Campolito and (back row, left to right) Head Coach Todd Muckleroy, Jacob Ferrier, Junior Varsity Coach Bob Tinkey and Freshmen Coach John Carbon.
By ABBY SLANKER
The Canfield High School boys basketball teams have never looked or sounded so good.
In addition to playing under a new varsity coach, Todd Muckleroy, the Canfield boys basketball team is wearing new uniforms and being announced through a new sound system.
The new team uniforms were funded by the high school boys Basketball Boosters and the Canfield Athletic Boosters. The new sound system was funded by a large contribution by Bob and Shirley Eddy, funding from the Canfield Athletic Boosters and contributions from the boosters organizations for boys basketball, girls basketball and wrestling.
Traditionally, uniforms are replaced on a four-year cycle. After they are 4 years old, they are passed down to the freshman players who then wear them for an additional four years — eight years total.
The basketball boosters voted unanimously last summer to commit to replacing junior varsity and varsity uniforms every four years. After four years, they would be used for scrimmages and summer league basketball. It was also voted, unanimously, that freshman would also get new uniforms every four years.
The sole purpose of the basketball boosters, and any booster organization at the high school, is to provide financial support for a particular program. Funds are all raised by the parents of the students involved in that organization.
The thought in providing new uniforms every four years was to provide the students with the benefits from the money they or their parents helped to raise during their four years at the high school.
Every athlete, at some point in their basketball career at Canfield, will wear a new uniform at least one time. Not only is it an equitable decision, but also acts as a great incentive to raise money.
The Canfield Athletic Boosters, or the “Big Boosters,” are the large umbrella organization under which the satellite boosters function. This year, they contributed approximately 40 percent of the total cost of the junior varsity and varsity uniforms. The athletic department contributed approximately 40 percent of the freshman uniforms.
While the Canfield High School gym went through a renovation last year with reserved seating, as well as a new gym floor and scorers’ table, there was nothing in the budget for a new wireless sound system.
It became the goal of the basketball boosters, and in particular Brock Ferrier, booster president, to provide the basketball program, and the whole school, an updated sound system.
This also provided the opportunity to hire a game announcer who could add some “sound highlights” throughout the games.
This project was supported generously by the Eddy family. In addition, the “Big Boosters” were the next big contributor, followed by a few satellite boosters: girls and boys basketball and wrestling.
The basketball boosters have two large fundraisers a year — the annual Chicken and Pasta Dinner and March Madness — a ticket-sale based on a blind draw of March Madness college basketball.
In addition, throughout the year for additional funding, the boosters maintain the concession stands during the home basketball games, sell 50/50 tickets during home games, sell team T-shirts and sell popcorn at the Fourth of July parade on the Green.
These funds provide all of the extras the program would not have, including game-day shirts for the players, shooting shirts for the players, team dinners, game films (camera, DVD burner, videographer), supplement summer camps, special coaching programs throughout the offseason, the annual basketball banquet and varsity banners.