Brevan Branscum is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover ALA Gilbert North for AZPreps365.com

American Leadership Academy Gilbert North’s football and baseball teams each made trips to their respective state championship games in the past year, with the football team winning it last fall and the baseball team losing the previous spring. Players and coaches put their combined strengths and efforts together to spark these deep playoff runs.

However, there is one overlooked aspect that was just as integral to the programs’ success as any player or coach: the money.

Before the team gets together in the preseason to start training, money plays a huge part in elevating the program. How the money is used to benefit the program goes beyond upgraded equipment.

“We just got new uniforms, so that was pretty nice for us,” junior baseball player Boston Morris said .

Morris, who was also a standout wide receiver on the championship football team, added that they will also get new uniforms going into next season. Even if it may seem small, it is always a fun addition for the players and a deserved reward for their efforts.

As Morris also added, the baseball team played a preseason tournament in Utah that was available because of the funds they received. 

“We played in the Casa Grande tournament and went up to Utah,” baseball head coach David Webster said of the team’s opportunities. “That’s mainly what our fundraising was for, the Utah tournament.”

Many opportunities open up from the money the team receives, but there are many ways that both teams receive funds.

Aside from their booster club, Morris and Webster mentioned the baseball team held a couple fundraisers, including a cornhole tournament. This is where the families get involved.

“A lot of our funds are from parents,” Webster said of the baseball program’s funding. “Mainly from a couple donors, fundraising too.”

Funding is also a great opportunity for families to directly contribute and allow the team to go to those tournaments. Contributions from families and players themselves account for a portion of the fundraising.

“Each of the kids pay a participation fee,” Athletic Director and head football coach Randy Ricedorff said.

Webster said that while the participation fee is a new idea and the baseball team had not implemented it yet, they would start doing so next season. He added that the fee for baseball players would be about $800 to $900 compared to the football players’ fee of $1,500.

With the baseball team soon to receive more contributions from the players, the program might start overcoming some of their disadvantages and will receive more amenities that the football program has. 

For starters, ALA Gilbert baseball games are free admission and don’t sell tickets like football games. The football team sold tickets every game throughout the 4A State Championship game, and with football generally being a more popular sport and more seats for fans, the football program receives a lot of money from that area.

The baseball stands are relatively small compared to the bleachers for the football field, and there isn’t a scoreboard for the baseball team. 

However, the new participation fee installed by Ricedorff could lead to some quality upgrades for the team that reflects their efforts on the field.