Consider this: A family of four heads off to see a local football game. They buy admission tickets, then tri-tip sandwiches, candy, popcorn and sodas. Suddenly, Dad's wallet is empty.

“Now how are we going to go to our post-game meal at Applebee's,” asks a traumatized Mom.

And don't forget gas prices on the road games.

Now, try to imagine how much it costs for a school to get its entire team there.

Not just gas, but other expenses are eating away at the athletic budgets that allow teams to travel. In this day and age of $4-plus a gallon for gas, schools and districts are looking for ways to cut costs.

Crafty scheduling or re-leagueing are a couple options that will jump to the forefront over the next few years.

“The most immediate thing will be the re-structuring of the leagues, which we will start talking about this fall,” said Righetti High athletic director Eric Albright in a conversation recently over lunch.

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Don't worry district money grubbers, I paid.

“I think costs are going to have a big effect on it,” Albright continued. “Three years ago when we started talking about it, we already mentioned about the cost of transportation - and three years ago the costs were half what they are now - so I'm really expecting that transportation will be a huge factor this time.”

And it is not only affecting high schools. Allan Hancock College is under the gun when it comes to transporting its teams around Southern California.

“I will tell you, Hancock is in a tough spot geographically,” said new Bulldog athletic director Kim Ensing. “There are not too many schools in the state that have to put in the kind of miles we do every time we go somewhere.

“And it's not only travel, it's the time and energy of the staff - the energy spent in transportation and then having to drive, that to me is more of a concern then the dollars and cents of getting a car.”

Pretend for a moment, you are a coach of the Hancock basketball team. Most coaches or school staff members drive the vans both ways to a game. With overnight stays out of the question for a regular season game, you have to come back the same night.

So you leave Santa Maria for Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills. It takes about two to three hours to get there. Remember, you want to get there in plenty of time to unwind, tape up, then warm up. Then, after yelling at your players for a two-hour game, (if only kids would listen in practice) you now have to drive back home.

That's more than a full day, which probably comes after teaching all day.

And while I'm here, parents, if you knew just how many hours coaches put in for that measly amount of money, you just might choose to quit complaining about them.

Maybe your kid isn't playing because he or she isn't the greatest player of all-time.

Sorry, wrong column. Back to business.

Ensing came to Hancock from Barstow College, where she served as the women's basketball coach for 10 years and was the interim athletic director for the past school year.

“It was surprising,” she said about the Hancock travel budget compared to Barstow, which had six intercollegiate sports compared to 16 for AHC. “There were very definitive budget categories for very definitive spending (at Barstow), but at an institution with only six sports, the resources can be very defined.

“So it's challenging at a school with 16 sports - especially with the sport of football - to be as defined as a smaller school can.”

And the costs are not escaping the minds of the powers that be.

“Hancock administration is sensitive to the travel requirements of the athletic department,” Ensing said. “Our budget was recently augmented for the school year for student-athlete travel. They are keen on making sure that we have adequate resources to get our teams to where they need to go.”

As travel costs continue to soar, Albright thinks expenses will play a big part in the next re-leagueing meetings. And he sees more than gas as a reason to play close to home.

“You always want to try to stay close for a couple of reasons, one is the travel - it can save us money,” he explained. “Last year our football team went to Tehachapi and Bakersfield, so we cut one of those trips and picked up Cabrillo.

“That's gonna save us a lot of money, but another thing is when Tehachapi comes over to us - they brought an OK crowd - but now Cabrillo will certainly bring a lot better crowd”

And it's not just about the gate. The snack bar will do better as well.

There has been talk for years about a Northern Santa Barbara County league and a San Luis Obispo league, but Albright said there are too many variables for that to work out perfectly.

“That would be fantastic - we would save a ton of money just staying in our little valley,” Albright said. “But you also have to look at competitive equity. There are just so many outside factors.”

Back in 2002 when California was in a budget crisis, community colleges cut down the total amount of contests that teams could play. I wonder if that might be re-addressed.

“I can see the state taking those types of measures again,” said Ensing. “And I don't see why they wouldn't discuss geography.”

And Ensing wonders about high schools as well, especially after she talked about the size of the CIF Southern Section.

“I wonder if they would ever go from the Southern Section to a Central Coast Section?” she asked.

She just asked, so please no letters CIF.

“There's been talk in what we call our northern area which is around Calabasas all the way up the 101 to Paso,” Albright said. “We actually talked in small groups of maybe breaking off and starting our own section, but there hasn't been serious talk.

“But people will be more focused on the travel stuff more than breaking up. The CIF travel is minor compared to what we're doing the rest of the time.”

So the next time you think “$6 for a sandwich!” remember, you are helping your kids get to their next game. Join a booster club soon and buy that auction item. The costs will continue to climb.

Sports writer Brad Memberto can be reached at 737-1055 or by e-mail to bmemberto@santamariatimes.com

September 11, 2008