Wrestling, field hockey and lacrosse could be added to Cranbury School
By: Lacey Korevec
For some Cranbury School students, joining a wrestling team or a field hockey team may seem like distant dreams that can’t be pursued until high school.
But depending on what the school board decides and what the budget allows, students might see these sports, and possibly lacrosse, added to Cranbury School’s roster of athletic teams in the near future.
The school currently offers baseball, softball, coed tennis and coed track and field in the spring; coed cross country and boys and girls soccer in the fall; and boys and girls basketball in the winter.
Cranbury School Athletic Director Jay Gilligan told the board Tuesday that wrestling and field hockey seem like feasible options for the school, but there are a lot of issues, including cost, practice space and transportation, that need to be worked out. He said he can’t see how the school would field a lacrosse team and has not seen enough student interest to consider it a strong possibility.
"In the spring time, we don’t have the space to have lacrosse, baseball and track at the same time," Mr. Gilligan said. "If we were able to use the township fields, not a problem. But we don’t have the option to do that."
Mr. Gilligan said township fields are used for other purposes. Right now, the school has one baseball field and one soccer field.
He said there appears to be enough student interest for a field hockey program.
Mr. Gilligan said wrestling seems like a good option for the school because it’s a winter sport. However, the district needs to find room for the team to practice and compete. Mr. Gilligan and Carol Malouf, Cranbury School principal and chief school administrator, said they hope the cafeteria would suffice.
"The cafeteria is a good option," Mr. Gilligan said, adding that the team would need enough room for a mat that measures at least 32 feet in diameter with at least 5 feet of extra space between the mat and any walls. "The auditorium’s not an option. That’s a facility that’s used to its fullest already. The problem with the new gym is we have two basketball teams in there. I think planning for that space would be too difficult."
But Ms. Malouf said she is concerned about possible health regulations that might prohibit students from wrestling in the cafeteria after school, since food is served there during school hours.
Mr. Gilligan said there are a host of concerns that have to be considered before making any decisions, especially since Cranbury is such a small school.
"I’d love the kids to have everything," he said. "But then there has to come a point where we have to say, ‘Can we do it?’ "
Cost issues include purchasing and maintaining uniforms and equipment, paying for bus transportation to get the teams to and from away games and tournaments, field maintenance and coaching stipends.
"All equipment, regardless of the sport, has to be maintained, has to be inspected," he said. "Right now, my rotation is I buy new uniforms every five to six years. That could run anywhere from $50 to $75 per uniform."
And transporting students to and from games is already a problem for existing sports, he said.
"We have to be able to transport these kids," he said. "If we don’t have enough buses now, how are we going to do it?"
Finding experienced coaches presents another struggle.
"You need capable coaches," he said. "You don’t just need someone who’s willing to do it. These are positions that have to be filled in order to offer the sports."
Mr. Gilligan said he is especially concerned about adding new sports that will take athletes away from established, successful teams.
"It’s tough enough being a small school as it is," he said. "If we dilute the talent to the point where the kids are going to get whooped on every time, I’m worried about the kids’ confidence."
Cranbury resident Jennifer Laurash, who has a daughter in sixth grade, attended the meeting and said she is thankful that the board is seriously considering adding field hockey as a fall sport.
"I know there are a lot of parents willing to raise funds," she said. "There are also foundations where you can apply for grants. There’s places to get money and there are parents who are willing to do that."
School board President Joan Rue said the board will continue to explore the options.

