P'burg coach: Football doesn't rule Monday, April 23, 2007 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times Stateliner football coach Bob Stem defended Phillipsburg High School's athletic programs and the equity of male and female student-athletes. "I don't think anyone is purposely trying to put down girls sports," Stem said. The status and benefits given to Stem's perennially top-ranked football team is the flashpoint of a federal investigation into Phillipsburg's athletic program. Stem disagreed with the assertion in the district's Title IX investigation that the football team enjoys an elevated status at the high school. He said he believes if football is held higher, it's because of the opportunities it can and has provided. Stem, a Phillipsburg linebacker in the 1950s, credits football with getting him into Syracuse University where he played with Jim Brown. He said football was the gateway to college for a lot of Phillipsburg graduates, many of whom returned as teachers. "That's why it became important," Stem said. "There probably isn't a sport that rallies more people behind it." Booster responds Jim Shook has been either a board member or president of the Garnet Booster Club since 1990. The club dates back to 1963 and covers all varsity sports. After the Title IX report came out last week, Shook said he started poring over the financial books and noticed a major disparity. "If anything, football is getting shortchanged," Shook said. According to last year's books, the club took in $45,000 from the sale of calendars and other fundraisers. Shook said more than 95 percent of that money is raised directly or indirectly by football. Of that $45,000, less than $4,000 went to football. The athletic department budgeted $147,000 in 2005-06 for football, which generated $80,000 in revenue. "Football is bankrolling all other sports," Shook said. Senior perks Shook also defended a finding in the report that 75 percent of year-end sports awards went to male athletes last year. Shook said club bylaws spell out what achievements get awards. Wayne Holloway, the club president, said many of the male teams won championships last year. Every senior gets a blanket and windbreaker. Each sport has a most-valuable player award. After that, awards are handed out for championships, records broken and other personal achievements. "We can't discriminate against them because the girls didn't win," Shook said. Holloway said district officials have not approached his club about making changes although he expects some kind of meeting to take place. Shook said he didn't anticipate much change in what his club does because it has donated more than $400,000 to the school in the past decade. Team support There are other clubs run by parents that are tied to individual sports. Stem said he's personally helped out with girls lacrosse and field hockey. When there have been big cross-country meets or field hockey games, he has cut football practice short so his players could cheer on those teams, he said. Should the district make changes to policy, Stem said he doesn't feel it would impact the results on the field. Stem is in his second stint as head coach at Phillipsburg. After leaving in 1981, he spent more than 20 years as coach at Bethlehem Catholic High School. Upon his return, he said the changes in the athletic program were significant and he said he believes things can be better. "They really are making an effort to bring these sports up," Stem said. Reporter Daniel Hausmann can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at dhausmann@express-times.com. © 2007 The Express-Times. Used with permission.