PREPNET / SPEAK OUT

What would be the best holiday present your school’s athletic program could receive?

ALAN CLINTON

El Modena, Wrestling Coach

That’s a tough question because I’m also the athletic director, but a second gymnasium would be really nice. We just have one small one that everybody has to use. A second gym would give teams like basketball and wrestling enough room to hold practices at the same time.

KYLE McCARTER

Edison, Boys’ Basketball

A new outside weight room. It would have to have new weights, new bench sets, new squat racks. The ones we have date back to the first year of the school. The new weight room would help our football team. The weight room we have is a little worn down from the 1970s.

KIM BUFFUM

San Clemente, Girls’ Basketball

An auxiliary gym. It would help open more reasonable practice times and be beneficial to not only our basketball program, but also the volleyball, wrestling, dance and cheer programs.

CURT BAUER

Santa Margarita, Boys’ Soccer Coach

We already got our Christmas present. It came three months early. We got a brand new soccer field for $100,000. They ripped out the old one and put in new Bermuda sod and leveled the entire field. It’s beautiful.

BRUCE BELCHER

Edison, Athletic Director

With a renewed state economy and new monies coming to our district, the best holiday present our athletic programs could receive would be to get back some of what we have lost over the past 20 years. It is no surprise to those who are involved in high school athletics that the burden of funding those programs has shifted from the school districts to the parents and local booster clubs. The Huntington Beach High School District is no different. Over the past 20 years our athletic programs have been financially dismantled due to lower revenues.

RICH TAYLOR

Northwood, Swimming Booster

The best gift would be for the Irvine City Council and school board to put aside any more feasibility studies and realize what these studies will eventually show--that the city and aquatic teams of Irvine need more pool space and start digging now at Northwood and Woodbridge high schools.

FRANK J. HAFFNER

Woodbridge, Booster

The tangible holiday present would be to receive an endowment gift that would generate $50,000 to the athletic program on an annual basis. On the intangible side, we pray that our coaching staff finds the balance between being competitive and creating a positive enjoyable experience for all high school players.

LUIS MAURAS

Los Amigos, Parent/Booster

Our boosters try to do as much as they can to help each sport’s program. Unfortunately, we are not in an area where we receive much support. A great Christmas gift for our athletic department--especially the girls’ basketball program--would be a donation from the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers to provide them with new uniforms and gear.

NEXT QUESTION

What would be an appropriate New Year’s resolution for the athletes, coaches and other officials who are involved in Orange County high school athletics?