Economy forces high school sports to cut back

EVERYTHING -- FROM THE JOB MARKET TO RETAIL SALES TO FAMILY BUDGETS NOW HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN NEW MEXICO ARE ABOUT TO TAKE A HIT TOO JEFF MAHER IS LIVE AT ISOTOPES PARK TO EXPLAIN -- JEFF THE STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT IS HELD HERE AT ISOTOPES PARK SCHOOLS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE SEND THEIR TEAMS HERE TO PLAY BUT THE COST TO PUT ON SUCH TOURNAMENTS AND THE TRAVEL COSTS FOR THE TEAMS IS GETTING TO BE TOO MUCH 90-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SOCCER - 120-GRAND FOR TRACK AND FIELD - AND 25-THOUSAND FOR GOLF THAT S HOW MUCH IT COSTS THE NEW MEXICO ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION OR N- M-A-A TO PUT ON THOSE STATE TOURNAMENTS AND THEY DON T MAKE MUCH OF IT BACK everybody is facing a budget crunch right now and the NMAA wants to do their part to help reduce some of those budgetary concerns THE N-M-A-A DECIDED TO MAKE SOME CUTS TO THE STATE TOURNAMENTS -- BECAUSE OF THE STRAIN ON ITS BUDGET AND THE ECONOMIC TROUBLES SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FACING ALL ACROSS THE STATE THE TOURNAMENTS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED WILL BE WITH SOCCER VOLLEYBALL SOFTBALL BASEBALL AND TENNIS IN SOME TOURNAMENTS -- POOL PLAY WILL BE ELIMINATED IN OTHERS IT WILL BE SINGLE ELIMINATION INSTEAD OF DOUBLE THAT MEANS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE FEWER GAMES it reduces a night of hotel it reduces meals for the school to pay for those athletes bus driver fees and gas so things are definitely going to help those schools out ARTESIA S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH IKE MONTOYA BROUGHT HIS TEAM TO THE PIT FOR THE STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT HE S GLAD THE N- M-A-A IS NOT CUTTING BACK ON THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BUT KNOWS THE COSTS ALL TO WELL we will usually spend about five to six thousand dollars for all expenses the hotel rooms alone are about half the budget they run close to threes thousand dollars for our stay here THE TOURNAMENT CUTS WON T START UNTIL THE FALL THE CHANGES WILL LAST AT LEAST THROUGH THE END OF NEXT SCHOOL YEAR LIVE AT ISOTOPES PARK JEFF MAHER EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR