Last week, Red Bull Imagination – the ultimate evolution of freeride motocross – returned to Fort Scott, Kansas for its third year bigger and badder than ever. A sport that’s always lived on the fringes of motocross will have its national moment this Sunday @ 5pm ET with an ESPN 2 broadcast and ESPN+ stream.
Once again, event visionary Tyler Bereman and course builder Jason Baker have put their heads together to create a course boasting a seemingly endless array of new features and massive jumps to inspire and challenge riders like never before. Bereman is now a proven leader of a sport defined by its disregard for convention and embrace of creativity to see what’s possible on a bike.
To learn more: hyperlink to History of Freeride video put out by Red Bull Motorsports and the just-released first episode previewing Sunday’s competition.
All the action will debut in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN+. #RedBullImagination
John Metcalf, a Fort Scott Middle School Physical Education teacher and student support employee, has received the Middle School Coach of the Year award from the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
He will be receiving the award on October 8 in Salina.
“I have coached middle school wrestling for five years,” he said.
“We have around 50 kids come out each year for middle school wrestling.”
“I enjoy coaching the sport of wrestling because wrestling is a one on one sport,” he said. “So the happiness on a kids face when they know they are the only reason that they won is amazing!”
“I kind of always coached wrestling,” he said. “Since I was in high school, I would show up and help out with the kids club practices whenever I could make it. While I was at Fort Scott Community College I was offered to help start the wrestling program as an assistant wrestling coach at Uniontown. I coached there for one year before I went to Pitt State for college.”
“I didn’t get back into the coaching side of wrestling until I graduated in 2018,” he said. “I then got a job at Fort Scott Middle School as a para and also got hired as an assistant middle school wrestling coach with my dad who was the head coach at the time.”
“This past year my dad retired and I was then hired to replace him as the middle school head wrestling coach,” he said.
Kathi Hall, taken from the USD234 website.
Kathi Hall is a 6th Grade Language Arts, Reading, and Social Studies Teacher at Fort Scott Middle School and she helps coach wrestling.
“This is my fourth year coaching wrestling,” she said. “I did become an assistant coach because of the increase in girl athletes in wrestling. The count of female athletes in the program varies but you can be sure that they increase each year.”
“I have always been around wrestling for the last 28 years, since my three adult boys wrestled from the time they were 5, 7, and 9 in kids club and then in high school,” she said.
The Marmaton Massacre Festival, a mountain bike race held annually in Fort Scott’s Gunn Park is September 17 th and 18th.
The Marmaton Massacre Festival is a full weekend of mountain bike racing, free camping, food, and live music, with the Marathon Race on Saturday, followed by live entertainment, free camping, and then category races on Sunday, according to https://www.singletracks.com/bike-races/the-marmaton-massacre-festival/ .
“This is a real grass roots event, on hand-built single-track trails,” according to the website.
Gunn Park is located on Fort Scott’s west side on Park Avenue.
The first bike race trails were built by Frank Halsey, an avid mountain bike rider, who than established a group called Gunn Park Trails. The group maintains the trails throughout the year and organizes local rides. See their Facebook page for updates on the trail conditions. https://www.facebook.com/GunnParkTrails
Athletes from the region participate in the annual event, with last year’s winner from Oklahoma City and the previous year, from Wisconsin.
Even though the mountain bike race is not really a spectator sport, the public is encouraged to attend the Saturday evening entertainment, because local musicians D.J. Brown and the Bourbon County Revival will be playing at 7 p.m., Frank Halsey, event coordinator said.
Frank Halsey, event organizer, hugs his grandson following a first place win in the kids’ race in July 2018.
Also performing will be the Fort Scott High School Select Music Ensemble in the late afternoon, Halsey said.
Races occur on Saturday, the 17th, from noon till 4 p.m.
All activities are staged at Shelter House #6.
Volunteers are welcome and needed, Halsey said. He can be contacted at 620-704-2730.
A food truck, “Bogan’s Bites”, will be onsite for refreshments.
On Saturday, events begin with packet pickup at noon, and a four-hour marathon race will begin at 1 p.m.
“The little kid’s race is at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday,” Halsey said. “Kids must wear a helmet, and parents must sign a liability waiver. Eric’s Bike & Board from Overland Park will have their event van onsite and be repairing bikes.”
Kids 10 and under, race for free, and compete in a one-mile race.
At 6 p.m. there will be a dinner for participants.
KANSAS, Sept. 7, 2022 – Red Bull Imagination year three promises to preserve its integrity and continue to deliver on its mission to progress the sport of freeride motocross. Ten new and returning riders will square off on the 2022 evolution of the event’s custom-built “playground” course. These ten riders bring an immeasurable amount of talent to Red Bull Imagination, and will demonstrate their impressive level of skill, taste, and creativity over the four-day event. Alongside Tyler Bereman, the founder of Red Bull Imagination, will be returning riders Josh Hill, Vicki Golden and Axell Hodges, the reigning champion who will defend his crown. Joining in on all the action for the first time are rookie riders Guillem Navas, who recently impressed with his first X Games appearance, Julien Vanstippen and more.
Rest assured that the returning riders won’t have a leg up on the rookies as the course continues to transform in ways that devalues prior knowledge from previous years. Best described as a life-sized video game at this point, it will feature more options, such as blade transfers in the “technical jib section,” a snowboard-style spine to open up new lines, and scalable options to make the course as simple or complex as the riders see fit. In addition, the huge jumps, 150-foot tree jump, and moon-booter will require technical prowess, creative ability, and downright finesse.
Riders returning for Red Bull Imagination 2022 are:
Red Bull Imagination visionary, host, and 10-time X Games medalist Tyler Bereman
2022 X Games Gold medalist, 12-time X Games overall medalist Axell Hodges
2022 X Games ‘Best Whip’ Gold medalist, six-time X Games overall medalist Tom Parsons
Four-time X Games medalist and World Record Holder Vicki Golden
Two-time X Games medalist and current freeride motocross rider Josh Hill
2022 Hill Jam ‘Best Whip’ winner freerider Christian Dresser
Riders who will bring their style and skills to Fort Scott for the first time:
2022 X Games quarterpipe medalist Guillem Navas
Two-time X Games medalist Julien Vanstippen
X Games participant Kohl Denney
Best Style at Farm Jam New Zealand rider Lewi Woods
The 2022 course will debut expanded features and new concepts that continue to move away from the confines of racing and traditional freestyle motocross. The course is brought to life by Bereman and Jason Baker of Dream Traxx who have seemingly infinite visions for how to create a space for riders to push the sport. As described by Bereman after the 2021 competition, “[Red Bull Imagination] is a massive work in progress. We’re learning as we go and we’re going to continue pushing freeriding in the right direction, giving opportunities to riders that they wouldn’t have anywhere else.”
The competition format follows suit from 2021 with judging criteria based on magnitude, creativity, execution, and the overall line the riders carve on the competition day. The panel of legendary judges includes Robbie Maddison, Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Steve Haughelstine and Ronnie Faisst. The riders will have two three-minute windows to ‘wow’ the judges and the best single-scoring run will count as their overall result. The competition will be commentated by Jason Weigandt and Jeff Emig on Saturday, Sept. 17.
All the action will debut in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN+. In-person tickets are still available for purchase at https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/imagination. Pricing starts at $65 for adults and $30 for kids. Red Bull Imagination 2022 is supported by Bereman’s partners Fasthouse and 805.
“Tickets are still available for the event on Adam LaRoche’s ranch,” Mike DeCarlo, Scrimshaw PR- Co-Founder, said.
Through the Red Bull network, hi-res video and still images are captured and made immediately available for editorial use for all media channels including television, film, print, mobile and digital. The content is centrally located in the Red Bull Content Pool for media partners. For photography and footage on Red Bull Imagination, visit www.redbullcontentpool.com.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers.
Tom Havron, Fort Scott Community College Vice President of Student Affairs and Foundation Director, had the idea to hold a fall golf tournament.
Tom Havron is the FSCC Vice President of Student Affairs and Foundation Director. Submitted photos.
“I thought it would be fun to do something a little different,” Havron said. “I used to play night golf when I was a high school kid in Montana and we always had a great time. After doing a little research, I thought we could make this a really special event.”
The event will be a fundraiser.
The Twilight Open Golf Night is a four-person scramble teeing off at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Woodland Hills Golf Course, just down Horton Street from the community college.
Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.
“The proceeds will go towards establishing a new golf driving range on campus,” Havron said. The short-term goal of the first annual Twilight Open Golf Night, set for Oct. 29 at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Fort Scott, is a design for long distances.”
Proceeds from the event, sponsored by Fort Scott Community College’s Foundation office, will go directly to the creation of a driving range on the FSCC campus, Havron said.
Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton is the site of the annual Independence Day fireworks event.
“College golfers need a driving range to work on different shots they will see on courses across the state throughout the season,” said Jeff Tadtman, head golf coach for the Greyhounds. “It has been an obstacle we have faced since the start of the golf program in 2019. We hope a driving range on campus will appeal to potential recruits looking to continue their golf career.”
Jeff Tadtman. Submitted photo.
The presence of a range in “their own backyard” is an immediate advantage for college golfers, said Havron, but the plan includes eventually opening the facility to community members.
“I think the community would really love to have a place to go and hit some balls,” said Havron. “Woodland Hills is an excellent course and I believe they would also see the benefits of a driving range close to their course.”
The future driving range, which is to feature a ball machine, is to be maintained by the FSCC golf team, and will provide a venue for fund-raising opportunities, Havron said.
“We would love to also be able to provide the facility to our area high school teams for practice, as well,” he said. “Details on the course are still being investigated and may take a few fund-raisers to get up and going.”
The night of the golf scramble will also include food and a silent auction.
“I’m working on having some food available for people to have during the silent auction period,” Havron said. “I will provide more information on this as soon as arrangements are finalized.”
“We will have FSCC staff and students assisting players throughout the round,” Havron said. “We will also have headlamps so players can make their way safely around the course. I have some other ideas which will provide safety features but make the event unique. I’m going to hold that information so it is a surprise at the event.’
What about inclement weather?
“We always will concern ourselves with weather in Kansas, but we are hopeful,” Havron said. “In my opinion, there is no better time to live in Kansas than October. The leaves will be turning and we hope the weather is kind to us.”
Cost of the event:
$500/team – this price includes cart and glow-in-the-dark ball
$475/team – with one cart included
$450/team – with no cart included
“To ensure safety and space between groups, we will be limited to the first 18 teams to RSVP,” Havron said.
FREERIDE MOTOCROSS DREAMLAND RETURNS FOR YEAR THREE WITH
RED BULL IMAGINATION
Leading Freeriders Tyler Bereman, Colby Raha, Josh Hill, and More Return
Limited Number of Tickets Available to Attend Competition in Kansas
Red Bull Imagination, the premier freeride motocross competition dreamt up by Tyler Bereman, is returning in September to Fort Scott, Kansas for its third year. The event brings together top freeriders for a week of some of the biggest and baddest tricks, whips and lines on a custom-built, life-sized “playground” course not found anywhere else in the world. New this year are more riders, more course updates, and for the first time ever, a limited number of tickets for spectators to witness the epic competition in person on September 17. Those that cannot make it to Kansas will be able to catch the highlights streaming on ESPN+ on September 25.
Drawing inspiration from sports like skateboarding and mountain biking with a pool-bowl style course and paying homage to Red Bull Imagination’s legacy of progressing the sport of freeride, the course will evolve yet again to take shape with features that offer riders more methods of creative freedom across the board.
The competition format, shaped from years past, will remain the same and inform the September 17 contest. In advance of the competition, riders will spend three days session-ing and fine-tuning their craft, followed by a rest day that precedes the competition day.
Leading freeride motocross rider and 10-time X Games medalist Bereman will be joined by returning riders and rookie riders, including 2022 X Games Gold medalist, 10-time X Games overall medalist Colby Raha and former AMA Supercross/motocross rider Josh Hill.
Tickets are limited to the first 1,500 guests and are available for purchase today at https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/imagination starting at $45 for adults at $25 for kids. Ticket prices will go up on September 1.
All the action will stream in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+. More information on the course development, full rider roster and judging panel will be announced in the coming weeks. Through August 15, consumers who download and register Dirt Bike Unchained on mobile iOS and Android devices can earn entries for a chance to win a VIP experience with Tyler Bereman at Red Bull Imagination.
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers.
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Fort Scott High School senior, Justin Miles has committed to play football at Independence Community College. He is pictured with head coach Jason Martin.
Sports Performance Training – Training designed specifically for an individual to increase general and sport specialized sports performance. It is crucial to improving an athlete’s ability to master the skills of their chosen sport, reduce the risk of injury, and gain a competitive edge. Scheduled individually or in small groups each athlete has training designed specifically to teach proper movement patterns that will improve their speed, power, agility, and more. Athletes from any and all sports benefit from Sports Performance Training.
Sports Performance Training is scheduled on an individual or small group basis Tuesdays to Fridays.
Pricing –
7 to 11 years old – $50 for 12 sessions (2 sessions per week for 6 weeks)
12 years old and older – $75 for 12 sessions (2 sessions per week for 6 weeks)
Monthly pricing is available after the first 12 sessions
Skills Room Access
Volleyball – Utilize the Sports Attack Volleyball Skillz Attack machine. This machine can Serve, Pass, Set, and Hit. It allows any player to train any and all the positions by themselves anytime they want or need to. The Skillz Attack can also be used in small groups. Volleyball will be set-up for scheduling on Wednesdays.
Softball/Baseball – Train like an elite athlete with the Hack Attack Softball and Baseball pitching machine. Both machines can pitch multiple pitches and simulate a live pitcher by throwing balls around the strike zone instead of just straight pitches. 20 minutes against the machine will allow an athlete to see an average of 75 pitches. The Softball/Baseball machines will be set-up for scheduling on Tuesdays and Thursday for individuals and groups of less than 5 players.
All training is by appointment and on a first come first serve basis and will be the following:
Tuesdays – Softball/Baseball
Wednesdays – Volleyball
Thursdays – Softball/Baseball
Sundays, Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays – Skills Room is closed to all scheduling
Skills Room Pricing
30 minutes – $25
1 hour – $40
A loyalty program will be in place for those who qualify
All previously purchased packages will continue to be honored
Emelia Whiteaker, MS, ATC, PES – Owner/Operator/Trainer
A native of Fort Scott, she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Athletic Training from Washburn University and a Master’s of Science in Health Promotion with an emphasis in Sports Performance and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. Emelia holds certifications from the Board of Certification in Athletic Training and the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist. Over a 15 year career she has trained athletes ranging in age from 6 years old to the professional levels and sports that include: Football, Distance Running, Softball/Baseball, Volleyball, Track and Field, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Rodeo, Hockey and more. Many of Emelia’s athletes have gone on to be individual and team state champions and compete as elite athletes. It is her belief that every child that has the heart to be an athletes has the potential to be an athlete and it is her job to help them get there.
Momentum Indoor Training can be reached by Call or Text at (620) 224-8442, e-mail: [email protected] or message the Facebook page: @mitrainingfs.
Fort Scott Community College letter jackets are the first memorabilia to be placed in the Greyhound Football Legacy Center, 11 N. Main.
Supporters of football at Fort Scott Community College have filed for non-profit status from the State of Kansas and are in the process of setting up a Greyhound Football Legacy Center, Inc.
They have a board of directors, and set up by-laws.
“We just started the process of a 501 3c status,” Jack Milligan, president of the group, said. “We’ve hired an accountant firm.”
“We are setting up alumni chapters throughout Kansas and other states,” he said.
“We don’t have members, we have teammates,” Milligan said. “There is a lot of energy for it.”
“We are affiliated with the Fort Scott Community College Alumni Facebook page,” he said.
They have joined the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, because the group wants “to be a part of the community,” Milligan said.
They have also rented 11 N. Main from Eddie Townley for a Greyhound Football Legacy Center, which will be a gathering place for the group.
11 N. Main.
Milligan is president of the organization, Doug Ropp is vice president; Jerry Witt is vice-president at large; directors are Steve Bowers, Jim Barrows, Jim Chapman, Matt Glades, Kevin Gundy and Steve Williams.
“We have a great network of business experience and success on the board and will use that to regain the football program and many other things in the community,” Milligan said.
“We will staff the center with volunteers, local and otherwise,” he said.
The center will house old football uniforms and trophies, along with computers and furniture. Currently there is a large conference table and chairs in the building.
The group plans to launch into the community during Good Ol Days, the annual homecoming event of Fort Scott on June 3-4.
The group is hopeful of bringing football back to the community college, following the recent closing of the program.
“The FSCC Board of Trustees unanimously voted to end the historic Greyhound Football program in November 2021,” according the group’s website.
The group’s goal is to bring it back for the 2023 season.
Submitted photo. Pechone Stepps coaches the Fort Scott High School Lady Tigers Basketball Team.
Pechone Stepps is a Credit Recovery Teacher Aide at
Fort Scott High School and also a girls basketball coach.
This week, Coach Stepps was named the Southeast Kansas Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for the 21-22 season.
“The seven head coaches in the league vote for who they think deserves the award for that season,” Fort Scott High School Activities Director Jeff DeLatorre said. “The coach with the most votes is named Coach of the Year.”
FSHS Activities Director Jeff DeLaTorre.
With Stepps as a coach, the Lady Tigers finished the season with a record of 17-5 and finished as SEK League champions.
“There is a coach of the year selected for each sport in the SEK League each season,” DeLaTorre said.
“Through the years, Fort Scott High School has had several recipients of this award including Tracey Bogina for Boys Cross Country in the fall last year,” he said. “Last school year (20-21) we had Bo Graham, football coach Tracey Bogina, girls cross country coach, Clint Heffern, boys basketball coach, and Josh Regan, baseball coach were recipients.
Tracy Bogina from the USD234 Online Staff Directory.Bo Graham from the USD234 Online Staff Directory.Clint Heffern.Josh Regan.
Matt Glades, a Fort Scott Community College Alumni, encourages attendance for interested parties at the next board of trustees meeting, which is at 5 p.m. next Monday, December 13 at Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall.
He will be there to ask the trustees some questions about the discontinuance of the college’s football program last month.
“I have talked to at least one Greyhound football player from every decade going back to the 1960s and numerous community members,” Glades said. “There’s a lot of people sad and disappointed that the program is shut down and how it was done.”
“FSCC football has been around for almost 100 years and has impacted thousands of lives from the players to the community,” he said. “A lot of us were confused and frustrated that we didn’t even have an opportunity to speak on behalf of the program or donate to save it.”
“The alumni are asking for more transparency on concerns from the FSCC administration and the board of trustees, Glades said.
“Here are a few but not all of those concerns, he said:
How does the college plan to account for losing that many student-athletes who were living in the dorms, credit hours, etc?
Do they understand that this also affects local businesses and severs connections for a lot of people ranging from parts of the community to the alumni including four current NFL football players?
Why were the FSCC football alumni and community never made aware of the financial struggles of the program and were not allowed the opportunity to save it?
Why did the board feel compelled to add shutting down the program to the tail end of the board meeting instead of putting it on the original agenda?”
Fort Scott Community College President Alysia Johnston.
The decision to terminate the legendary football program at Fort Scott Community College was made with the best interest of student-athletes, coaches, FSCC, and Bourbon county taxpayers.
Fort Scott Community College
It was a very difficult decision, as it is hard to place a dollar amount on the value our football athletes have provided to our college and community.
Many of our football students bring needed diversity and perspective to our campus and community.
Our football students have provided many hours of community service, as evidenced by the recent downtown clean-up.
Although many things have changed in the last several years regarding the football program, the opportunity we provided to young men who wanted to advance their college education by means of a football scholarship was not one of the changes.
Although the football program has provided invaluable opportunities for FSCC and football athletes, we had to evaluate the financial impact the program has on the college, as well as the sustainability of providing football students with the best opportunity to play on a competitive team.
Below is a summary of information that was critical in the decision made by the FSCC Board of Trustees, and supported by myself, to close the program.
At this time the cost vs revenue analysis of the football program indicates the football program is losing approximately $400,000 annually.
The Jayhawk conference changed the rules in 2017 from allowing D1 community colleges sports programs to provide student-athletes with books and tuition scholarships only – to allowing scholarships for books, tuition, fees, room, board, and $500 in school supplies. The previous cap on the number of out-of-state players for football was removed allowing for up to 85 out-of-state players certified. Two years ago the number of out-of-state football players was changed again and now 55 out-of-state players can be certified. There are no other options to compete in the Jayhawk Conference for football, baseball, golf and track other than D1. The conference also changed the rules for D2 sports scholarships in 2017 from books and tuition only – to books, tuition, and fees only. At FSCC we are designated D2 in women’s and men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s softball.
Gender equity and equity for all athletes, regardless of the sport played, is required by the Federal Government. We must spend approximately the same dollar amount per student-athlete which is very difficult when D1 and D2 sports have different rules for scholarships.
The bottom line is, any additional dollars we would add to the football program in an attempt to make them more competitive, we must also add to all our sports programs to meet equity in athletics requirements.
The 2021 FSCC football roster had 16 Kansas players, 1 player from Bourbon County who quit the program in September. There are 19 community colleges in Kansas of which 8 have a football program. Each school can certify 85 football players for a total of 680 players (this does not include red-shirts or medical red-shirts). The 8 football programs had 163 Kansas players listed for the 2021 season. Local and Kansas students are not as numerous on football rosters as they were before the rule change.
In 2014/2015 the FSCC football program had a deficit of more than $400,000 in their foundation activities account. It was determined in 2015 for every student credit hour generated, $1 in student fees would be used to reimburse FSCC Endowment for the deficit. Student fees have refunded FSCC Endowment approximately $35,000 to $40,000 each year since then. We currently have approximately $186,000 left of the original $400,000 deficit.
The cruel, false, and inaccurate accusations that have been shared on many social media platforms, by mostly anonymous individuals and groups, regarding the football program has severely damaged our reputation and negatively affected our ability to move forward with the recruitment of student-athletes.
FSCC has fewer football coaches than any other school in the Jayhawk Conference. For example at the last FSCC game vs Independence Community College, we had 6 coaches on the sidelines and ICC had 14 (some of which are volunteers as they currently list 9 on their website). Butler has 11 football coaches listed, Coffeyville -8, Dodge – 7, Garden – 8, Highland – 12, Hutchinson – 10, Independence – 8, and FSCC – 6. Fewer coaches means fewer people recruiting students and fewer experts working with individual players on key skills. It also means we would need to spend more money and hire additional coaches to be at a similar level as the other programs in the Conference.
If the money we lose on the football program each year was the only consideration in determining whether to continue the football program at FSCC, we would not have made the tough decision to terminate the program. However, the current losses are only a part of the financial picture in determining the sustainability of a competitive football program at FSCC. When putting together the financial figures for the Board I looked at our current budget, revenue, expenses, and economic impact of the football program. Previous to hiring the current coaching staff I consulted with a past Jayhawk Conference football coach to see what he believed a minimum football budget would be to allow us to be competitive in the conference. He provided me with a detailed breakdown of what he believed we would need to spend based on his past coaching experience in the Jayhawk Conference, and it was more than twice our football budget at the time, which was $273,000. That did not include the fact if we increased the football budget, we would have to do the same for all of our other sports programs. Our FY 2021 unaudited football budget is $365,000, which does not include all football program expenses.
I believe when considering all the financial needs to fund a competitive football program it would take at least an additional one million annually, which would be an additional 10 mils the Bourbon County taxpayers would have to bear. The FSCC Board of Trustees, and myself as president, do not believe continuing the football program would uphold the fiduciary responsibility placed in us by taxpayers. We will continue to provide multiple opportunities for students allowing them to earn a scholarship to advance their educational goals by participating in activities and athletics that allow them to learn and have positive, transformational experiences while at FSCC.
