Club ‘Boosts’ CCS Athletics
By THOMAS HELLENTHAL
COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown Sports Booster Club is a community-based organization founded in 1991.The club is directly affiliated with the Cooperstown School District and is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
The Sports Booster Club provides financial support to help cover the cost of numerous events, such as organizing the Dick White Holiday Basketball Tournament and the Don Howard Invitational track meet. They also support projects, like the permanent concession stand at the football field. Additionally, they host the annual athletics awards banquet at the end of each academic year and pay for the senior plaques and awards.
President Alicia Chase explained, “The Sports Booster Club plays a crucial role in enhancing the athletes’ experiences, helping to bridge gaps in the athletics budget and fostering a sense of community. Volunteering also sets a positive example for children, teaching them the value of teamwork, supporting peers and building a culture of service to others.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve struggled with volunteer numbers,” Chase said, “but we’re hopeful about rebuilding our volunteer base.”
For students, the Sports Booster Club plays a vital role in supporting the athletics at Cooperstown Central School. The organization has instituted the thoughtful tradition of buying flowers for Senior Night for all sports. On Senior Night, both the Cooperstown seniors and the visiting team’s seniors receive flowers to be recognized and acknowledged for their contributions to their sports.
The Sports Booster Club also covers concessions for varsity athletics that occur on school grounds. Concessions help fund the costs for various athletic events. Parents, community members, and students support the Booster Club, which is in the process of adding two ADA-compliant bathrooms and storage space at the snack shack on Lambert Field.
Athletic Director Josh Wagner commented, “We are looking for more involvement from parents and guardians in the community… if we can get close to 8-10 people, including the people who come all the time, the club would benefit tremendously.”
For example, if every parent of an athlete volunteered for one event, the Sports Booster Club would have enough volunteers to run all concessions which are offered as a courtesy to the home and visiting teams, officials said.
Those interested in dedicating time to the community of Cooperstown and volunteering in the Sports Booster Club are welcome to attend one of the meetings or to reach out to the officers: President Alicia Chase, Vice-president Mike Croft, Treasurer Helen Shurmer, and Secretary Jennifer Victory. Additionally, Shurmer and Victory are looking for people to take over for 2025-2026.
The Cooperstown Sports Booster Club meets the third Monday of each month (with the exception of holidays) at 6 p.m. in the Cooperstown Junior-Senior High School main office conference room. Donations can also be made to Cooperstown Sports Booster Club, PO Box 141, Cooperstown, NY 13326. To learn more, visit https://www.ccssportsbooster.com/ or e-mail ccssportsboosterclub@gmail.com.
Thomas Hellenthal is a junior at Cooperstown Central School.
