By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Just like everyone else, college athletic departments are trying to
adjust to the inflation wave over the past couple of years. Barton Community
College Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs said the jump in price at the gas
tank is not the only part of his budget that is seeing a rise. Equipment,
balls and the price to feed the student athletes have all gone up.
"You're traveling those teams all over the place, that's a significant amount that has to be accounted and budgeted for," said Rolfs. "Meals...you used to be able to take a team and feed a player pretty easily for seven dollars. Now, you can hardly touch a good meal for a kid for 10 dollars."
Rolfs, a Tuesday guest on Sports Day on 1590 KVGB & 95.5 FM, referenced a
softball bat that retailed for $250 a year and a half ago, is now selling for
$500.
"The shoot-away machines that are popular for the sport of basketball, you could buy those all day long between four and 5,000 bucks," said Rolfs. "Now, they're between $6,500 and $8,000."
When calculating gas expenses for one of Barton’s basketball teams this
year, the team will travel nearly 3,900 miles in the regular season.
There are 22 sports teams at Barton Community College, each with their own budget.