At Grayslake Central High School, differences in uniforms, sportswear, like uniforms, and essential gear across different sports have raised the question: How is sports funding distributed at Central, and what are student athletes thoughts on it?

Many sports teams wear older uniforms and sportswear that have been in circulation for years, while a select few teams receive high-quality, brand-new gear annually. The inconsistency has many students wondering if any favoritism or prioritization is going on at GCHS.

Softball is one program raising questions about the fairness of the uniform cycle. The team follows a three-year rotation, and softball coach Rebecca Roncone acknowledges the inequality, although she doesn’t think favoritism is the issue.

Roncone said, “I do think that some sports bring in more crowds than others, which I would like to see change in the future… but I don’t think that… anyone in the building prioritizes different sports more than others.” Despite not feeling that favoritism is at play here, some student athletes are wondering why only some teams get annual new equipment.

Athlete Delilah Potter said that sports are more recognized based on their skill level. “At GCHS, I feel like our boys [track] team is really recognized because they’re really good. On our girls’ team, we have some really good girls, but I feel like they don’t get as recognized as much as the boys.”

Roncone and varsity player Lauren Anguilm mentioned that fundraising is used to go toward equipment and sportswear. Anguilm said she feels that Central has “pretty good sports programs, and we have good boosters and stuff like that for gaining funding” for their uniforms. This funding for their uniforms plays a major role in their new gear every year.

Athletic Director David Shafron dove deeper into this process by explaining that funding is distributed based on various factors such as the size of the program and the equipment required to play the sport. He said that while fundraising is encouraged, “the school district can fund uniforms and essential equipment,” leaving the money that is made by fundraising to be put toward other items and non-essentials.

Shafron and Roncone both think that students who have an issue with uniforms or sports equipment should go to their coaches with the issue. Roncone said, “I definitely think students need to advocate more if they feel like they’re not getting what they want… and I definitely could see a change happening if they do.”