By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

If you recognize them, they will rise to new standards. 

That is the theory behind the University of Maine’s Sports Done Right program. 

Last month, sports programs in Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and Auburn were recognized by the Sports Done Right program for “supporting core practices that describe what healthy sports programs look like,” according to the Sports Done Right Web site.

“The Sports Done Right core principals represent an ideal picture,” Sports Done Right Director Karen Hawkes said. “We accredit programs but they are asked to remain mindful of areas they need to improve in.”

At the time of accreditation, two of the three communities – Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth – supported student athletic fees, or endorsed “pay to play” charges. According to the Sports Done Right guidebook, pay-to-play fees are discouraged by the program according to their “out of bounds” section.

“Socio-economic status must never be a barrier to participation,” the guidebook reads. “Pay-to-play practices, though understandably tempting for income-strapped schools, remain an inappropriate answer to the need for greater resources.”

Yet, Hawkes said it wasn’t the first time Sports Done Right has accredited pay-to-play communities; in 2005 School Administrative District 51, Greely High School, was accredited although student athletes are required to pay a fee to participate in sports. Hawkes said school administrators had even discussed the possibility of increasing the fee amount due to budget restraints. The increase could result in the school’s loss of Sports Done right accreditation in 2010, when the organization will review the school’s practices to determine if the accreditation will be renewed, Hawkes said.

“We just don’t know how those discussions will affect any decision,” she said. 

Winthrop public schools also endorse pay-to-play practices but obtained its Sports Done Right accreditation in 2007. Unlike discussions in SAD 51, Hawkes said Winthrop is moving toward further compliance with the Sports Done Right standards by “scaling back” its pay-to-play structure.

“Winthrop has since eliminated pay-to-play at the middle school,” she said. “They still have some fees at the high school level.”

Scarborough Sports Done Right Leadership Team Chairman John Cole said Winthrop isn’t the only community to alter its pay-to-play requirements per the Sports Done Right endorsement. He said Scarborough eliminated its annual $75 activity fee for athletes – instituted in 1995 – shortly after receiving the accreditation. 

“Orono said ‘Hey, you shouldn’t have activity fees,’ but that meant $50,000 in school funding,” Cole said. “We killed the policy and altered the budget.”

Hawkes said she was “amazed and happy” that Scarborough had done away with its activity fee and hoped other communities would follow suit. In Cape Elizabeth, “Cape For All” is a self-described “bipartisan group representing a diverse and broad spectrum of Cape Elizabeth citizens who desire an educated, balanced and moderate dialogue on quality schools and town services at an affordable price” that has opposed school budget increases resulting in higher taxes. 

Cape For All spokesman Bill DeSena said he agreed with Sports Done Right priorities when it comes to pay-to-play practices. Currently, athletes in the public school system must pay a $125 fee, which Cape Elizabeth High School Athletic Director Jeff Thoreck has said generates approximately $50,000 for the town’s general fund. 

“There is a lot of pay-to-play in Cape, which some consider a parent-school tax,” DeSena said. “It is restrictive socially.”

Hawkes said the Sports Done Right accreditation does not consider the average household income of a community when reviewing its application for accreditation, but considers pay-to-play fees permissible only for school districts “in dire straights.” She said accreditation for communities with a pay-to-play system often include requirements to research ways to eliminate the fees, information to be considered during the 5-year review process.

“We will accredit a school recognizing that there is a lot of data collection to track the impact that pay-to-play has on athletes,” she said. “We realize it is very difficult for schools to eliminate pay-to-play.”

To learn more about the Sports Done Right program, visit www.sportsdonerightmaine.org.

   Staff Writer Nate Jones may be reached at 282-4337 ext. 233.