What if you woke up tomorrow and your school said your track program didn’t exist? Would you pick a new sport? Would you transfer to a new school? If you go to Sandwich High School, and your coach is Steve Infascelli, you make it exist…… regardless of how much effort that takes.
Sandwich High School does not officially have an indoor track program. They operate under the auspices of the Sandwich Track Club, but do not mistake them for your typical “club team”. The only thing that separates them from any other high school indoor track program is money. Because the program does not exist in the eyes of the school, they do not receive a dime in financial assistance from the school district. But how much money does it really take to run an indoor track program? Busses, meet entries, uniforms, coaching stipends (which amount to pennies per hours worked) all add-up to approximately $15,000 in annual operating expenses.
Sandwich is not a lavish program who travels New England in chartered busses and is always sporting the latest gear. Every year is a constant struggle to make ends meet, but they are committed to providing the highest quality program they can afford. Their success is impressive, especially given the circumstances, and the passion they display for the sport comes from the top down. Coach Infascelli was recently honored by the MSTCA as the 2010-2011 Coach of the Year because his peers recognized the tremendous extra effort it takes to simultaneously manage, and fund, a complete track and field program.
The future of high school sports is constantly at the mercy of our state budget and the perceived importance placed on athletics by district administrators. The Sandwich Track Club is not only providing an opportunity to share in the most inclusive sport in the world, they are teaching a valuable lesson in life to the student-athletes. The athletes of the Sandwich Track Club truly earn their reward of being able to participate. The pride and ownership they have in their program is evident at every meet (see video below), and their passion for the sport could rival any program in the country.
So how can you help? On July 9th the team will be hosting the Sandwich Town Fair Road Race, and proceeds from the event will go to help fund the 2011-2012 team. Registration information can be found at the Sandwich Indoor Track website, or by contacting the race organizers at info@sandwichindoortrack.org.