This season is different in many ways and one of them is the financial aspect. In a normal season, we pay for summer camp and then the in-season fair share. With this arrangement the coaches are paid from registration fees for summer camp and by PYLUSD for the season. This year summer camp was short and the coaches were paid via summer camp fees. When the “real” season begins in January, the coaches will be paid by PYLUSD. In the interim, cross country is in off-season status. During the off-season, coaches are not paid by the district. Their only source of income is through the YLHS XC Boosters.
Off-season stipends are common in other sports where the athletes train outside their normal season. In these sports, the athletes have to pay the coaches an off-season stipend. In the past few years cross country runners have not had to pay a separate off-season stipend because of the length of the cross country season and then they ran track or participated in other sports during the cross country off-season. With COVID, the cross country season is delayed until spring and our off-season is now.
The stipend amount is set by the district and is paid by the boosters through the district. The coaches cannot be paid directly by the parents or the boosters. All payments must be routed through the district.
The off-season stipend amount for fall cross country is $275 per runner.
At first, it seems like an alarming amount for a sport that boasts one of the lowest fair shares per season (only $200 last year). The off-season stipend funds are used exclusively to pay the coaches from September through December. The stipend is paid for one head coach and three assistants. The coaches are splitting the stipend based upon their availability. The XC Boosters will receive no money from this process and are responsible for any shortfall.
If you are unable to pay the full amount now, please let us know if you would like to make installments or delay payment until later in the season.
Please make checks payable to YLHS Cross Country Boosters and mail it to our address: PO Box 937 Yorba Linda, CA 92885 OR make arrangements to deliver it to one of the board members. We also accept payments via Venmo @YLHSXC-Boosters.
Q: Will the Boosters make money on the off-season stipend?
A: No, the Boosters are responsible for all stipends and are likely to lose a nominal amount in this transaction.
Q: If the Boosters lose money, why not raise the stipend payment?
A: We try to keep fees as low as possible for our running families. The $275 per runner will put us extremely close to the required amount without overcharging our families.
Q: Why not have some fundraisers to offset the costs?
A: The Boosters have done minimal fundraising in the past due to low fundraising participation. We have relied on the generosity of our families and sponsors to keep our fees low. We are exploring options for additional fundraising this season and any funds raised will be applied to the in-season fair share (the information will be out soon and we always accept sponsorships and donations!)
Q: Why do we have an off-season stipend this year but not in years past?
A: COVID has shifted our season to January-March. The off-season is in the fall and to have coaching, the stipend needs to be paid.
Q: Will there still be an in-season fair share?
A: Yes, we are targeting a fair share of $200 or less for the upcoming season.
Q: If PYLUSD pays for coaching in-season why is there still a fair share?
A: The fair share is used for a multitude of purposes including entry fees, end-of-season banquet, awards, shirts, equipment, coaching (PYLUSD does not fund all coaching) and insurance.
Q: Do the XC Boosters have reserves for this type of thing?
A: Yes, the Boosters have a reserve fund. In a typical season it allows us to pay for insurance, invitational fees, deposits, shirts, etc. before we start receiving money from the fair share. There are not enough reserve funds to pay for the off-season stipend, only enough to fund the initial fees before parents pay the fair share.
If you have any further questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you, Don Campbell
YLHS XC Boosters President
714-425-1261