School Sports Saved -- past position paper turned the tide of massive cuts

In episode #79 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we break down a prior war with the Pittsburgh school‑district’s Superintendent of Schools.

She had a proposal to slash $600 K in sports programs and the comprehensive counter‑proposal helped keep those programs alive. It wasn’t a victory, but it wasn’t a defeat.

Coach Mark walks through the financial, strategic, and community arguments that turned a budget cut into a reform opportunity.

• The district’s cut list (high‑school swimming, tennis, golf; middle‑school volleyball, wrestling; all intramurals) and the $600 K savings claim.

• Highlights from the 45‑page “Alternative to Fewer Sports” position paper that challenged the cuts.

• How the paper reframed athletics as a revenue source—e.g., the PPSH2O citywide aquatics model.

• The three‑step reform plan: community‑led task force, an Olympic‑sports incubator, and lobbying for flexible state rules.

• The broader value of sports: scholarship dollars, academic gains, attendance boosts, and community pride.

More and more we’re going to focus upon the road-blocks to sports participation.

Sadly, the biggest blocks come from those at the top of the organizational chart — the superintendent of schools, the mayor, the athletic directors, the league administrators.

 

https://aforathlete.fandom.com/wiki/Fewer_Sports_Alternatives_(position_paper)

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8afb93c2-e0db-43be-92af-0c7c45a22211

 

Check out this episode!