Powell Athletic Roundtable continues to support prep athletes

Posted 4/25/17

The Powell Athletic Roundtable is comprised of  community members who volunteer their time throughout the school year to raise funds to support both athletes and teams at Powell High School and Powell Middle School.

Roundtable President Calvin …

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Powell Athletic Roundtable continues to support prep athletes

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More than a parent support group

When local prep athletes put on a spiffy new uniform or enjoy a nice meal at a state tournament, they may have the Powell Athletic Roundtable to thank.

The Powell Athletic Roundtable is comprised of  community members who volunteer their time throughout the school year to raise funds to support both athletes and teams at Powell High School and Powell Middle School.

Roundtable President Calvin Sanders said that, first and foremost, the group provides scholarships for students or athletes who might not be able to afford the costs associated with joining a team — such as buying equipment like shoes or helping provide funds for food on overnight trips. (Athletes have to pay for their first meal out on away trips.)

The Powell Athletic Roundtable also gives the sports programs a little extra money during state events “so they can have at least one nice meal out,” said Sanders.

The roundtable sets aside a certain amount of money each year, around $5,000, to help the high school and middle school purchase uniforms.

“We do a lot of stuff above and beyond the $5,000. That $5,000 is just a budget that we put together that they can count on every year,” said Sanders. “Then, based on how much money we have during the year, we will do other things.”

That has included purchasing other equipment needed for individual sports programs. This year, for example, they purchased travel duffle bags for the soccer team. Last year, they purchased an end zone camera for the football team to provide a different view of the games for analyzing. The Powell Athletic Roundtable also pays for a subscription to a film service that allows the athletic teams to exchange game film with teams around the state.

Past roundtable purchases have included new pants and pads for the football players, singlets for the wrestlers, a team tent for the track team and software to track volleyball players’ jumps and other actions on the court.

The Powell Athetic Roundtable also hosts hospitality rooms for local tournaments and when Powell hosts regional tournaments. The food for the coaches, referees, bus drivers and workers is made by members of the Powell Athletic Roundtable and the room is manned by the members of the roundtable. 

At two Powell Athletic Roundtable-hosted events each year — the home track invitational and the home wrestling tournament — the roundtable pays for the medals awarded to the top placers.

The Powell Athletic Roundtable also gives out three $500 scholarships to student athletes: The Pat Finney Memorial Outstanding Service Scholarships, awarded to one boy and one girl, and the Jim Stringer Memorial Scholarship.

The bulk of the group’s funds are raised through community members and businesses contributing money through memberships.

“We have members who give anywhere from $25 up to $1,500 a year,” Sanders said.

The Powell Athletic Roundtable also raises funds through raffles at football and basketball games.

During football season, the roundtable sells tickets for steaks and footballs signed by the Panther team; during the basketball season, they raffle off signed basketballs and host a halftime free throw shooting competition.

Sanders said the Powell Athletic Roundtable operates on a budget that ranges from $15,000 to $25,000 a year. They usually spend almost all of the funds raised the same year in which it was raised, he said. So each year, the Powell Athletic Roundtable starts over, with members volunteering their time to raise more funds to help the athletic programs in Powell.

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