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Richard Cherry belongs on BHS team

The Berkeley Athletic Fund
Tuesday April 23, 2002

To the Editor:  

The Berkeley Athletic Fund, a non-profit organzation supporting Berkeley High’s athletics programs, was founded in 1985 as public schools in California were reeling from the full impact of Proposition 13 cutbacks. A group of dedicated parents stepped up to save the athletics program, or at the least, to help keep the program alive. 

A look at today’s problems is a deja vu from the past. Of particular concern, among many, to the Berkeley Athletic Fund is the school district’s decision to lay off athletic department employee Richard Cherry. 

Mr. Cherry has worked for the school through four of the last athletic director administrations. Without his assistance the athletic director’s job would be virtually impossible to manage - over 1,000 athletes playing on over 60 teams (includes frosh, JV and Varsity), the largest high school athletics program in the nation. The BUSD’s payroll title for Mr. Cherry is "Locker Room Supervisor/Equipment Manager." However, he has for all those years performed the duties of an on-site manager of the BHS athletics program, and his notoriety and visibility have earned him the working title of "Assistant Athletics Director." 

Here’s a quick look at just a few of Mr. Cherry’s responsibilities:  

- Day-to-day management of the site 

- Processing team schedules for all sports (frosh, JV and Varsity) 

- Arranging photo sessions for all the teams (JV and Varsity); * Arranging away transportation for all teams 

- Overseeing all permits for outside rental of the athletic facilities, e.g., Jr. Olympics 

- Contact person for CIF officials in arranging North Coast Regional competitions between the top high school sports teams at the end of each season 

- Directing the organization and set-up in staffing and equipment for all BHS athletic events.  

- Richard Cherry’s many duties make him much more than an equipment manager and locker room supervisor. If those were his only job duties, there would be no athletic-run events at Berkeley High. 

The fact that the CIF (the state’s top high school organization overseeing high school sports) and other outside event planners come to him to schedule events, which in fact the high school makes money from, gives him the status of an assistant athletic director. 

Cherry has earned the respect of all who work with him. Although he has never been recognized by the school district as a permanent employee, Mr. Cherry is integral and invaluable to the stability of Berkeley High’s athletic program, regardless of whether teams are cut, or the budget for the program is cut.  

The Berkeley Athletic Fund is very concerned that the school district in attempting to bring down its "figures" is not considering the long-term detrimental effect laying off Mr. Cherry will have on Berkeley High’s athletics program. Mr. Cherry deserves more attention and respect than it would appear the district is giving him. 

 

The Berkeley Athletic Fund