In Texas high school football, does money matter?

[caption id="attachment_17680" align="alignleft" width="289"]Photo by Andy Tolbert Photo by Andy Tolbert[/caption] Money makes life easier. This is a rule that transcends nations, race, gender and sports. The more money a person has the easier it is to succeed. Ben Baby of the San Antonio Express-News did a great job illustrating that Texas high schools with a lower economic disadvantage rate are more likely to go further in the UIL state playoffs. Intellectually, it makes perfect sense. College football programs with more money tend to achieve more than those with a lower donor base. Major League Baseball teams with a higher payroll are expected to be more consistent than teams in smaller markets. Money buys success in athletics, but people tend to have an issue admitting this when we’re discussing team sports at the amateur level. We want to believe every kid is on an even playing field. We want every school in the state to have the same chance to win a state championship, especially during this time of the year when practice is starting across the state. But the truth is, just like it is in college, that certain programs never stand a chance. For the most part, the same teams achieve the most success. Year in and year out, we watch the normal programs to compete deep in the state playoffs. Money is a big factor. It stands to reason that a school with more resources for books and teachers also can also bring in better coaches because of higher salaries. The weight room will be nicer, the practice field is better and the athletes have more access to personal training and better little leagues at an early age. That is before we even discuss the part of socioeconomics playing a role in a student’s grades. Money obviously isn’t everything, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have it.