Nate Martell

The football stadium is one project funded by the PV Athletic Booster Club, who is working on $50,000 worth of improvements for the stadium.

Pleasant Valley is known for having a well-run and talented athletic department, but that would not be possible without the crucial funding and coaching staff. 

Around the nation, nearly 8 million high school athletes are participating in a wide range of sports during the 2019-2020 school year. Pleasant Valley High School contributes its fair share of high school athletic participation with 15 sports programs, 23 sports teams, and about 1,150 athletes in the high school.

It is a common misconception that teams receive a set “x” amount of money every season, but that is not the case. Athletic funding is distributed based on coaches’ requests for equipment and other necessities. 

Team funds are distributed on a per-need basis, meaning if a coach puts in a request for equipment, uniforms or other necessities, the administration has to approve it before any purchase is made. 

The general athletic fund receives revenue from four main sources: gate fees, student activity passes, Century Club passes and concessions. Teams are also able to obtain money from fundraisers, which allows them to purchase whatever they choose. Last year, PV brought in about $25,000 from Century Club passes and $30,000 from concessions, with the rest coming from the gate fees and student activity passes.

At the beginning of each fiscal year, the general athletic budget totals around $100,000, according to athletic director D’Anne Kroemer. It covers all high school and junior high needs. Kroemer emphasized that this budget is “for all of our programs to have the things they need to be successful.”

Some years the budget may deviate. A big contributor is when there are only four home football games instead of five, as they bring in a high amount of revenue. Depending on attendance, Pleasant Valley can bring in “anywhere from the $5,000 to $15,000 in gate fees,” said Kroemer. 

Another factor that contributed to the budget was district football games. Pleasant Valley used to be in the same league with Bettendorf and North Scott for districts, but that has since changed. Kroemer emphasized that these games were “monster gates” if both games were held at PV, but cited that if they were away games, the budget would be “lean” for the year. 

Another key aspect of funding comes from the PV Athletic Booster Club (PVABC). The Booster Club’s budget is not connected with the general athletic budget, and their mission is “to support projects that touch as many PV students as they can,” stated Kroemer. Recent projects funded by the booster club include $50,000 worth of football stadium renovations, an ice machine for the training room and they are currently in the process of getting new scoreboards for the main gym. 

The PVABC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and obtains profit from booster club membership, clothing sales from the Spartan Store, Adrenaline Fundraisers, golf tournament, cake auctions and numerous other fundraisers. When Kroemer sees a potential project that could touch many students, she goes to the booster club and provides justification in order to receive approval.  

Another essential component of PV athletics is coaching staff. Their salaries are determined from an index base salary. For the 2019-2020 school year, the base salary is $31,500. Coaches’ salaries are based off a certain percentage of that number. 

There are three factors that determine a coaches’ salary: number of athletes to oversee, number of competitions per season, and the length of season. Head varsity football coach Rusty Van Wetzinga receives the highest percentage, that being 25.5%, equating to approximately $8,030 per season. That number is far from the lowest percentage of 3.5% given to the JV Dance Team Advisor, who receives around $1,100.

Kroemer is currently in the works of increasing many coaches’ salaries. She notices that a high number of coaches do not receive nearly enough money for the amount of work put in. Senior baseball player Andrew Doyle agrees with Kroemer’s goal to increase some coaches’ salaries and said, “For the amount of time coaches spend with their time, they deserve more pay for the time and effort they put in.” Doyle hopes to see these increases take place soon. “I see no reason not to increase their salaries. Many PV teams are successful and the coaches are a vital reason behind that success.”

The process for funding teams and paying coaches is not simple. There are many things needed to keep the athletic department running smoothly and that all starts with funding the sport and paying the coaches.