For Release October 5, 2007
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Contact:
Vic Michaels (313) 237-5960

The Catholic High School League (CHSL) of the Archdiocese of Detroit has issued a statement to correct inaccuracies in a front page story by Fred Girard that appears in the Friday, October 5, 2007 edition of The Detroit News.

 

Titled "Pay-To-Play Saps Parents' Wallets – Rising Sports Fees Sideline Students," the story contains a chart labeled "Who Pays Most."  Allen Park Cabrini is listed as having the highest sports fees, followed by Riverview Gabriel Richard in second place, and Birmingham Brother Rice in fourth place.

 

Vic Michaels, director of athletics for the Archdiocese of Detroit, notes there are many inaccuracies in the story with the "most glaring" contained in the "Who Pays Most" chart.

 

"Mr. Girard claims that Cabrini and Riverview Gabriel Richard High Schools have the two highest average pay-to-play fees," said Michaels.  "That is simply not true.  These schools do not charge any of their athletes a pay-to-play fee.  They do, however, charge their hockey players for the rental of ice time.  This explains the $800 and $600 'average fee' that ranks them #1 and #2 respectively in the chart.

 

"Instead of being applauded for not charging any pay-to-play fees, except for ice time costs, Cabrini and Gabriel Richard are at the top of the chart for charging the highest fees.

 

"As to Brother Rice, the chart indicates an average fee of $285 per athlete.  This figure does not average in the eight sports that do not charge any fee at Brother Rice."

 

Michaels indicated he has contacted The Detroit News about the inaccuracies and that the paper intended to print a correction.