Sports funding at Leigh

Almost one half of all Leigh students participate on Leigh sports teams (about 800 student athletes this year). There are 19 different sports programs at Leigh, each with teams competing at various levels (Varsity, JV, and/or Frosh Soph). There are four sources of funds for the sports programs at Leigh High School.  It’s a piecemeal approach that is one of the realities of funding athletics at a public high school.  Under this reality, the saying “We are all in this together” goes a long way towards providing the support that is needed to run the quality sports programs that we are proud to have here at Leigh High School.

1. Campbell Union High School District

The District (Campbell Union High School District) and Leigh High School’s Athletic Department provides a basic level of funding for school sports, including stipends for coaching staff, funds for the Athletic Director position, payment of insurance premiums, support for a trainer and medical supplies, payment of league participation fees, purchase of some team equipment (mainly safety equipment and balls), general upkeep of Leigh fields and facilities, and funds for officials at the games.  The amounts available from the District and the School are very limited and supplementing these funds helps provide quality sports programs for the Leigh student athletes.

2. Individual Team Fundraising & donations

Participating students may be asked to contribute towards their team (the contribution varies depending on the sport). Teams may also hold fundraisers or run camps/tournaments in order to raise funds for their own team.  Funds asked for or raised by the teams are held in team accounts by the school and help fund that team’s transportation, tournament participation, and specific equipment or training needs.

3. Associated Student Body (ASB) funds

The ASB funds raised at Leigh are needed to fund many school activities and events, so the amount available for the sports programs is very limited.  But we encourage all students to purchase an ASB card to support all of Leigh High School’s activities and events – plus the ASB card gets students into most Leigh sporting events free of charge.

4. Leigh Sports Boosters

Sports Boosters raises money through our Booster memberships, corporate matching, merchandise sales, snack shack sales and fundraising events to help cover the gap between funds needed and the available funding sources. Sports Boosters helps purchase items for specific team needs such as uniforms and training equipment as well as items that are more general to all sports at Leigh such as field and facility upkeep and improvements, banner updates, coach training, Senior and league champion recognitions, and scholar athlete awards.  All of the Sports Boosters funding decisions are made by the Sports Boosters membership based on funding requests submitted by the Athletic Director and coaches.  If your team has a need that is not being covered by other funding sources, please speak to the coach first.  The coach can then work with the Athletic Director to determine if there are funds available from the District or School before submitting a request to Sports Boosters.