By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Several changes have been made to the way Hoisington Cardinal fans can see live games or watch streamed events. At last Monday's USD 431 Board of Education meeting, Hoisington High School Activities Director Faron Kraft explained why changes were made to pass policies for-inperson attendance, as well as to streaming games.
"We accept passes at all regular-season events, except if we host league, which is only league passes, and our three tournaments which are JV and varsity volleyball and the Winter Jam," he said. "All the rest, we accept all the passes we have."
Money used from gates at all sporting events goes towards paying officials and other items to maintain athletic programs in the district. Virtually all of those funds come from football and basketball games, as Kraft said it is a plus if volleyball costs break even with the gate, and there is no admission for spring sports. Recent changes regarding passes are a way to ensure the department has enough money to pay for officials.
"The end goal is not for the athletic department to be a money maker," Kraft said, "but for it to start every year with a cash reserve, so when a coach comes to me with a last-minute item they really need, we can say, 'Let's go get it done.'"
Board Member Sara Tarlton expressed frustration with the way the new pass policy was implemented, with some students showing up to the Sept. 24 varsity volleyball tournament to see their passes were no longer valid for admission.
Board Member Traci Schneider said Saturday volleyball tournaments are the only time some student-athletes can support the other sports, due to scheduling, and some students left once they found their passes were invalid. Tarlton said families wanting to attend the Winter Jam basketball tournament early next year could end up paying a lot more money.
"Families buy these passes to save money for their kids to go to these activities," Tarlton said. "If you think about the whole family going three nights or however often Hoisington plays, for a family that's expensive with them having to pay every single night."
Kraft reported the athletic department lost $2,100 during the 2021 Winter Jam, which was hampered by lingering COVID-19 concerns. Last year the tournament brought in approximately $2,100 over the course of a week, but it's still about 20 percent of what Larned's Keady Classic pulls in each year.
Kraft said, other than the volleyball tournaments and Winter Jam, all passes will still be valid for admission, including student activity passes, district passes for employees plus-one, and league passes.
Also a topic at Monday's meeting, Kraft discussed the district's switch to Hudl for live streaming of varsity games. Hudl is a market leader around the nation, and many schools in Kansas use the service to trade video and scout opponents. With price increases, the district decided to exclusively use Hudl for its streaming due to the services available and a 60-40 split of subscription money returning to the district. Single games can now be purchased for $8, one-month subscriptions are $15, and a full-year of access is $75. Kraft is still working with Hudl to determine if away games are included in the month and year-long subscriptions.
Kraft pointed out that a single-game purchase is still cheaper for families than buying multiple tickets at the game. With the new Hudl contract for three years, visiting teams will no longer be able to stream games, which could increase in-person attendance.