Stoddard responds to concerns over snack bars

W

ith the recent reassignment of David Gong from being the girls swim coach to the boys swim coach at Granite Hills, the issue of just what teams are eligible to raise funds at the concession stands at that school’s sporting events has been raised.

I don’t want to re-hash last week’s events surrounding Gong. But Granite Hills athletic director Gary Stoddard wanted me to address the issue concerning who exactly receives the chance to raise funds at his school’s snack bars more in depth, and I have agreed to do so.

Again, I don’t want to re-hash the specifics or the validity of Gong’s concerns. Those who care to read this column know what Gong’s concerns were. All I will say is I like and respect Gong and whatever concerns he had, I know were sincere. And I know no matter what’s written here isn’t going to persuade anyone who has already made up their mind when it comes to this whole issue. I’m sure there will be those who will be upset with this “one-sided” column. But Stoddard said he believes there’s a misconception in his mind on how he’s decided who has the chance to raise funds at his school’s snack bars and he wanted to set the record straight.

As Granite’s athletic director, Stoddard is responsible for deciding who receives the chance to raise funds at the school’s snack bars. Porterville Unified School District Athletic Director Richard Rankin said that at Porterville, Monache and Granite, each school has a meeting at the beginning of each school year to discuss who receives the chance to raise funds at the snack bars and Stoddard said he does hold a meeting on the subject at the beginning of the school year.

Granite has snack bars at its football and basketball games and at its volleyball matches. Obviously the most attractive of these when it comes to raising funds at a snack bar is football.

But since Granite Hills had only four home football games this past season, the chances for the school’s athletic programs to use the snack bars at Rankin Stadium was limited. And the football team received one of the games, leaving just three games for the rest of the school’s athletic programs.

And Stoddard said the snack bars at the football games aren’t the money makers that people may think they are. There’s no denying that crowds at Granite games are somewhat smaller than other schools and Stoddard said the teams that benefited from this past season’s snack bars during football raised about an average of $400.

Rankin has said that a lottery is used to determine what teams work what events. But Stoddard did say that when it comes to what teams work what events, with football obviously being the most attractive, he doesn’t use a lottery.

Stoddard said he just tries to be as fair as he can be. He did say that the programs with the most pressing needs or who are struggling the most financially receive the highest priority. He also said when it comes to benefitting from snack bars at all the sporting events, he’s never turned away a coach who’s asked.

And Stoddard also said that any coach can set up their own snack bar at any sporting event at Granite if they choose. As an example, the Porterville Panther Band has sold hamburgers on their own and the Monache Marauder Band has sold terayaki sticks on their own at the football games and Stoddard said any coach at his school is welcome to do the same.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, all I know is this. There’s a desperate need in this community to raise funds for athletic programs from the youth to high school levels to even at Porterville College. 

And that’s not going to change any time soon.

W

ith the recent reassignment of David Gong from being the girls swim coach to the boys swim coach at Granite Hills, the issue of just what teams are eligible to raise funds at the concession stands at that school’s sporting events has been raised.

I don’t want to re-hash last week’s events surrounding Gong. But Granite Hills athletic director Gary Stoddard wanted me to address the issue concerning who exactly receives the chance to raise funds at his school’s snack bars more in depth, and I have agreed to do so.

Again, I don’t want to re-hash the specifics or the validity of Gong’s concerns. Those who care to read this column know what Gong’s concerns were. All I will say is I like and respect Gong and whatever concerns he had, I know were sincere. And I know no matter what’s written here isn’t going to persuade anyone who has already made up their mind when it comes to this whole issue. I’m sure there will be those who will be upset with this “one-sided” column. But Stoddard said he believes there’s a misconception in his mind on how he’s decided who has the chance to raise funds at his school’s snack bars and he wanted to set the record straight.

As Granite’s athletic director, Stoddard is responsible for deciding who receives the chance to raise funds at the school’s snack bars. Porterville Unified School District Athletic Director Richard Rankin said that at Porterville, Monache and Granite, each school has a meeting at the beginning of each school year to discuss who receives the chance to raise funds at the snack bars and Stoddard said he does hold a meeting on the subject at the beginning of the school year.

Granite has snack bars at its football and basketball games and at its volleyball matches. Obviously the most attractive of these when it comes to raising funds at a snack bar is football.

But since Granite Hills had only four home football games this past season, the chances for the school’s athletic programs to use the snack bars at Rankin Stadium was limited. And the football team received one of the games, leaving just three games for the rest of the school’s athletic programs.

And Stoddard said the snack bars at the football games aren’t the money makers that people may think they are. There’s no denying that crowds at Granite games are somewhat smaller than other schools and Stoddard said the teams that benefited from this past season’s snack bars during football raised about an average of $400.

Rankin has said that a lottery is used to determine what teams work what events. But Stoddard did say that when it comes to what teams work what events, with football obviously being the most attractive, he doesn’t use a lottery.

Stoddard said he just tries to be as fair as he can be. He did say that the programs with the most pressing needs or who are struggling the most financially receive the highest priority. He also said when it comes to benefitting from snack bars at all the sporting events, he’s never turned away a coach who’s asked.

And Stoddard also said that any coach can set up their own snack bar at any sporting event at Granite if they choose. As an example, the Porterville Panther Band has sold hamburgers on their own and the Monache Marauder Band has sold terayaki sticks on their own at the football games and Stoddard said any coach at his school is welcome to do the same.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, all I know is this. There’s a desperate need in this community to raise funds for athletic programs from the youth to high school levels to even at Porterville College. 

And that’s not going to change any time soon.