“Transportation for cooperative sports is something that we provide when we can but is not something that we can guarantee. I agree that it does create a barrier, which is why we do everything we can to make it happen.” (quote from BRHS Athletic Director Allan Crocker in an email dated Sept. 4, 2025). 

As a rising senior at BRHS, I am writing to point out that, to play the sport I am most passionate about, soccer, on a joint Wiscasset-Boothbay team, others and I must find our own transportation to Wiscasset, since the high school does not currently provide a bus. Because BRHS does not have a soccer team, due to an insufficient number of players, students have to join Wiscasset's team. We soccer players have been requesting school-provided transportation to soccer for years, but have been unable to obtain it.

Imagine having the talent or drive to play a sport, but having no way to get there. For me, the lack of transportation to sports programs offered outside town is a “barrier” to my participation. Students should not lose out on opportunities simply because they cannot find a ride. Access to transportation is an issue our community needs to address to ensure every student has the opportunity to participate in athletics.

For many students, finding a consistent and reliable ride to extracurricular activities is a challenge. Some factors contributing to this issue are an inability to obtain a driver's license or a car, a lack of money, or a lack of alternative drivers. Finding a ride can be just as challenging. Parents often aren't able to provide rides for their kids. Run times of sports events can conflict with parents' work schedules; it's also possible that families share only one vehicle or can't afford frequent out-of-town travel, all of which also make it very difficult for students to attend practices or games. Being able to participate in sports is beneficial not only physically, but also academically and socially. According to the National Center for Education Studies, “Students who participated were three times as likely to perform in the top quarter on a composite math and reading assessment compared with nonparticipants.” Athletics also help students build teamwork, develop leadership, and build confidence.

According to Tracey Brown-Gysi, the transportation director of CSD, we have an extreme shortage of bus drivers at this time, leading to scheduling conflicts. This spring, both the boys' and girls' tennis teams are transported by Country Coach Charters, a business out of Nobleboro, which solves the driver shortage. I do acknowledge this isn't a cheap option, but the school has managed to fit it into the budget to work around the driver shortage. Furthermore, in the spring, a joint CSD bus transports BRHS students to Wiscasset daily for outdoor track practice. 

While I realize school-sponsored transportation for soccer would impact the budget, a precedent has been set by the outdoor track teams’ daily bus to Wiscasset. I also realize the track team has had more participants over the years and has been far more successful than soccer, but that may very well be because there isn't any transportation to soccer, which limits the number of students who can participate. For other athletes and me, not having a way to get to practice is a barrier limiting my ability to be a part of the team. Recently, Mr. Crocker announced a summer soccer program that appeals to me, but I cannot participate due to my summer job schedule.

I urge the school board to take action in providing transportation for Wiscasset-Boothbay soccer athletes because, in my judgment, the principle of equal access remains more important than a team's size or success.