A point of interest to the WTC is the concession stand during home football games. There is a contract in place between the CHS band and the school. It states that the school gets 50% of profits from regular season games, with the band getting the rest. If our boys play well enough to get a home playoff game, the school gets 30% with the band getting the rest. Others sports breakdown this way: Band gets all money from soccer regular season; Band gets all money from basketball regular season. The school gets 30% of all home playoff concessions from soccer and basketball. Baseball runs their own concession stands.
History: In the past football was permitted to run their own concession stand. The parents were not doing well in getting people to work the stand, so after several warnings, the concession stand was turned over to the band.
This spring, the WTC met with the school administration to discuss problems and issues that the WTC were facing. It was a very productive meeting with each side being on the "same sheet of music." Except concessions. Mr. Gibson (then athletic director) brought up the subject of the concession stand. He stated that the current agreement was not fair to the football program, and asked what we wanted to make it fair. The WTC asked to conduct concessoions at home playoff games. Mr. Gibson advised that the band would not agree to that. The WTC then asked for a flat percentage of concession profits, 5%. Mr. Gibson advised that he could get us that percentage and requested we meet with the band to negotiate that percentage. The WTC was also advised at that meeting, that any issues involving coaches/sponsors should take place between Coach Snider and the other person. The WTC was not to approach other organizations coaches/sponsors.
The meeting between the band and WTC took place this spring. The band and Mr. Gibson were in a separate meeting upon our arrival. In attendance at our meeting were Mr. Gibson (athletic director), Mark Chandler (WTC President), Ronda Burkhart (WTC Vice-President), Darrell Gibbs (band booster president), Janice Cook (Assistant Band Director) and Sara Mittura (not sure who she was representing, maybe baseball). Mr. Gibson started the meeting by asking what the WTC wanted. We requestdd a percentage of concessions profits, as per his previous instructions. Mr. Gibson turned on us, stating "You have no leverage to ask for that." We were speechless. It was bad enough that we were facing faculty coaches/sponsors, which we had been asked not to do. And the band had just had a meeting with Mr. Gibson, now we were stuck in a position with no support. Ms. Cook was a little confrontational with the WTC, leaving us further bewildered. Ms. Cook stated that the WTC wanting a percentage and not working the concession stand was "wanting something for nothing." We took serious offense to this statement, as we believe that our boys' effort, sweat and blood is not "nothing." We also believe that without football games on Friday nights, there would be no concession stand for the band to operate. Ms. Cook also stated that if there was no football game on Friday night, the band could put just as many people in the stands.................ok. We countered by asking if we could provide volunteer help to work the concessions to get our percentage. We were refused. It was clear that the band was not going to give up one penny of the money they make off our boys. The meeting ended wth Mr. Gibson (who left the meeting early) requesting we send a list of proposals to the band. We did. They rejected.
We believe that that the current contract is completely unfair to the football prorgam. We will revisit this issue once the new Athletic Director is settled into his new role.
The most disturbing situation about this is home playoff games. TSSAA sets the gate prices. TSSAA gets 50% of all gate proceeds. The visiting team gets 25% and the home team gets 25%. Out of that 25% the home team gets, they must pay their costs such as referees, security, cleaning the grounds, etc... So you could LOSE MONEY hosting a home playoff game. That is why we wanted to work the home playoff games. It is insane.......our team could play well enough to get a home playoff game, and the program lose money.