Golf Tournament Planned to Benefit High School Sports in Murrieta

Whether it's football, baseball, water polo or wrestling, about 4,000 students participate in athletics among Murrieta's three high schools.

That's roughly half of the enrollment, according to Ray Moore, athletic director at Vista Murrieta High School. With the cost to offer the programs running more than $300,000 a year for each school, athletics have fallen victim to education cutbacks.

In 2009-2010, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District cut stipends for eight assistant coaches at each high school, but through the community's generosity the schools were able to keep the coaches by paying their stipends. Community sponsorships also make it so students athletes don't have to pay to play.

For the second year, Vista Murrieta is joining with Murrieta Valley and Murrieta Mesa in asking the community to once again help support the programs. The Murrieta Valley Unified School District High Schools Athletic Foundation, a collaboration among athletic directors, will host its second annual Golf Tournament on April 11 at Menifee Lakes Country Club.

The $87,000 raised last year went to pay the stipends of assistant coaches; this year the goal is to reach 100 participants and raise $125,000, according to Moore.

Though there is no price to enter the tournament, the hope is that each foursome will raise $5,000 through corporate and private sponsorships.

"You get to a point where nobody wants to fund raise, but it is a necessary function now in athletics," Moore said. "If they don't, then there wouldn't be any sports.

"We would love to have the coaches coach, the players play and the parents watch, but that is not the nature of today. I have never seen it this bad. It is very, very bad."

But according to Moore, sports are vital to student success.

The U.S. Department of Education stated in the report 'No Child Left Behind' that students who participated in sports were far less likely to use drugs or tobacco or to become teenage parents, Moore pointed out.

Athletics also teach self-discipline and self confidence, and contribute to success in college, he said.

"The benefits were just too numerous to list, " Moore said.

“This year, our goal is to help our coaches, athletes, and parents at each high school in their fund raising efforts,” Moore said. “This union of our district’s three high schools is a great team effort designed to save all high school sports at our schools. We encourage businesses and individuals in our community to assist us in this goal by becoming corporate sponsors, hole sponsors or individual donors."

To learn more about the tournament, contact athletic directors Darin Mott, Bill Bree or Ray Moore. Darin Mott can be reached a951-696-1408 ext. 5256; Bill Bree at 951- 304-1890 ext. 6439; or contact Ray Moore at 951- 894-5750 ext. 6782.