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Coach urges district to reduce club volleyball costs after families bore gym rental fees
Summary
Becca Sutherland, head volleyball coach, told the board the Junior Olympics club program served nearly 200 district athletes but the district billed the program about $6,500 this season, requiring an extra $95 per player in fees; she asked the board to consider the impact because the athletes are district students.
Becca (Rebecca) Sutherland, who identified herself as head volleyball coach for Grand Rapids and said she has coached since 2020, told the board the volleyball program is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation and that participation in the district spans sixth through 12th grades.
Sutherland said the club-style Junior Olympics program the local community runs is intended to be an affordable alternative to metro club teams and that this year the program touched just under 200 students across spring and fall activities. She said the district billed the program about $6,500 for gym rental this season and that the program absorbed that cost by charging players an extra $95 each for practice. "These rental invoices are being paid out of the pockets of our own families," Sutherland said, urging the board to consider that nearly all participants are district students.
Sutherland described the program's philosophy of not cutting teams at the JO level, the use of varsity players as coaches for elementary programs, and the club's success (multiple state appearances under her six years coaching). She closed by thanking the board for support of the athletes and for their time.
