HS State XC meets can bite me

I don't have any problem with paying $10.00 for an entire day of track but kids under 12 should not have to pay. We need to get as many kids exposed to track as possible.

On the other hand, why shouldn't track bring in as much money as any other sport like state championship football, baseball, or wrestling?

cheap bastard...

that's a damn state meet...

the quality of the competition should make it worth it

if not take them to a damn dual meet

Every regional and state high school meet for every sport that I've ever been to charges an admittance fee for championships.

Sports at almost every high school barely have enough money for uniforms and equipment and rely heavily on parent volunteers and donations. I'm sure the high school associations would like to have enough funds to let everyone watch for free, but as it is they need to charge to cover expenses. And while $10 for an adult and especially $8 for a child is high, I think you are also guilty of not supporting running by not just paying the fee.

The schools and the state athletic federations are non-profits so no one is lighting a cigar with the ticket revenues. They request payment because they need it in order to put on the event and the other events throughout the season which bring in no revenue but are necessary if you want to have a state meet. If they didn't charge at the meet they'd either have to get the money for the sport through higher taxes, higher ticket prices at football and basketball games, or they'd have to ditch the sport.

There's a good argument that it's more justifiable for the schools to charge the people who go to the meet and apparently care whether xc exists then it is to charge the public in general or football and basketball fans.

I wish all meets were free too and I share in your frustration, but we really aren't entitled to have xc, it's a privilege. If it's not worth the price to us, then we can't really expect other people to provide it for us.

The guy tries to inspire his kids to run by taking them to a meet and he's guilty of not supporting running?

Assuming this meet is in a public park, I think he should have walked right by the person trying to charge him and on to watch the meet.

In my state, all state meets are held at a huge public park. It is a practical impossibility to block the thing off to anyone. There are miles of open space to walk right on to the course. That's what I would have done. If the school wants a donation they can ask me for one. I'd probably make it too.

But I would never pay for admittance to a silly cross country meet. What a perfect way to kill what little public interest in the sport that remains.

just shut up, if it was so important to you why didn't you post last fall when it happened. you're just trying to make people feel sorry for you and obviously it didn't work. pay the goddamn entry fee and shut up.

Has this story been festering in your guts since last fall? Holding in rage like that might not be emotionally healthy.

Has this story been festering in your guts since last fall? Holding in rage like that might not be emotionally healthy.

Hey shitheads, I am not even a runner and did not even know about this site last fall. With the myopic way that you all think, it's no wonder the competitive side of the sport get no money.

First, about the level of competition, if it is so great, why was it in the back pages of the sports page? And, instead of focusing on the real contenders, the paper just had a short article on the best local runners. There was hardly any more the day after the meet. Yeah, that's the type of pub that great competition gets, moron. Hell, every single pro baseball game gets more.

Second, the paper didn't even say anything about the prices, and I didn't bring $40 bucks. I waited in line anyway to offer the $20 I had and was turned down. I'm not trying to make people sorry for me, you little f***. I am telling you why your piece of shit sport is a piece of sheet. You just charge money amongst your own and do nothing to draw people in to the competitive side. Seriously, $40 to watch kids run? That's assinine. If running makes you as stupid as you all (except for a couple above), then I'm glad I'm finding this out now so I can expose better endeavers to the kids.

F*** you, too. It was a 30 minute drive to the park.

A $10 entry fee does not "price out the casual fan". Seriously, think about what a small amount of money that is. That's an hours wage even if you're working a shit job. Hell, you could barely buy lunch at a fast food place for that. Just put up the small fee and deal with it, or don't, but don't bitch about it.

The $10 for me would have been OK. $8 for kids 4,6, and 9 is screwed up. And, like I said, I didn't have the cash on me. I assume since you can't read, you have one of those shit jobs, huh? Please accept my condolences.

Run it wrote:

Hey shitheads...moron...you little f***... your piece of shit sport is a piece of sheet...as stupid as you all...

Run it, you've got an anger problem that is out of this world.

so because it gets the back page of the sports page, that means the competition is shitty? That doesn't make any sense. It's a high school sport, of course pro baseball is going to get more coverage. Are you serious right now?

The dude said the "the quality of the competition should make it worth it". If the quality was so high, it would not be in the back of the sports page - sorry. How much do they charge to watch the big USATF National meets? $150 bucks?

Sorry about getting a little pissed. I just figured that this supposedly "competitive" board would not be filled by small minds.

I agree 100% with Run it. I can go to the Braves game for $1. I have no problems with charging adults $5 or so to get in, but charging $8 for children is crazy. How can you expect your sport to grow if 1. new young runners are turned away, and 2. the competitor's friends don't want to pay $8 to come watch?

Run it wrote:

The $10 for me would have been OK. $8 for kids 4,6, and 9 is screwed up. And, like I said, I didn't have the cash on me. I assume since you can't read, you have one of those shit jobs, huh? Please accept my condolences.

Well actually you posted that part as I was writting my post, so I didn't read it until after. But either way, it sucks that they don't have ATM's in your state.

Hey Harry, I understand you're not real bright, so the nuances will most likely escape you, but my time is worth more than the line I waited in or the time it would have taken to find an ATM. Additionally, sometimes a person will choose not to pay something (even if it's a pittance) based on principle or the service/experience you've had. I'm sure you're a real uppity ritchie rich, and at the same time I am confident I'm wealthier.

You completely miss the point, dumbass. So, if you're an advocate for competitive running, that is a strike against it.

In addition, I'd just like to say that I'm a huge douche. I am still pissed off about an event that occured last fall. I also get really pissed when people on a message board dissagree with me even though some of them are obviously just trying to piss me off because they find it amusing (yet easy).