Dec 6, 2008 10:39 pm US/Central
State May Cut Sports Games To Help Balance Budget
(WCCO)
-
-
One of the options being discussed by The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors would cut the number of games for many sports.
CBS
Earlier this week, Minnesota lawmakers announced the state has a $5.2 billion budget deficit. Cuts have to be made across the board.
Education alone takes up more than 1/4 of the state's budget. High School Athletics often become a target for cuts.
One of the options being discussed by The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors would cut the number of games for many sports, including hockey, from 25 or 26 to 20.
For teams that can five to six hours just for a game, you might think fewer games would be a good thing. They say it's quite the opposite
Tim Bergland is head coach of the Thief River Falls Prowlers. He played for the University of Minnesota and even played pro hockey for the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Lightning. For him, the difference between 25 and 20 games is a big one.
"It's just a social thing to do. You have games, and it's not just the parents that are at the games, it's the whole community, it's the hockey communities up there. It's a lifestyle. Shortening the season up is not a good thing," said Bergland.
Junior goaltender Zane Gothberg even plays Fall League hockey, coming to the Twin Cities with his family seven different weekends and spending thousands of dollars to do it. It's why he works as a groundskeeper in the summer.
"In the summer I'll work pretty hard and do a lot of extra stuff on the side," said Gothberg. "You gotta get those 'wants' outta there and what you 'need' I guess, for sure."
Hockey is something a lot of the Thief River Falls fans would call a "need." That's why the coach says parents and fans around the state would raise the money if they had to.
"It wouldn't be an issue. If we had to raise the money, we'd do it, and we'd play," said Bergland.
A member of the board told us today that changing the number of games is only one idea being considered, and is not a sure thing.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Mike Max's News & Notes
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
