Liam Hamm is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Classical Academy for AZPreps365.

In order for any athletic team at any level to exist and be successful, it needs to stay funded.

At the high school level, every little thing adds up, such as concession sales, annual fees, and however much money the Gilbert Public School District is willing to give to its smallest school.

“The district provides yearly funds for us, and I have uniform and equipment rotation guidelines that help me provide equity for all sports,” said GCA’s athletic director, Casey Fraughton about the program. 

“Some of our high school ports have a Booster Club which are run by the parents," Fraughton said. "They often help with additional supplies like a team sweatshirt, game day shirt or backpack etc..... Along with end of season festivities.”

Despite any perceived obstacles, Gilbert Classical’s volleyball program has not only survived, but it has thrived in terms of both on-court performance and its growth.

“In seven years, we have gone from a varsity girls volleyball team and a small JV and one junior high team to 2023 - a varsity, JV, freshmen/sophomore, eighth and seventh grade girls volleyball,” said Fraughton. “But the same coaches have also been involved in adding high school beach volleyball team, boys high school volleyball and Jr. high boys volleyball. It is a sport our school is fascinated with!”

The school’s fascination with volleyball is supported in no small part by its booster club, which helps facilitate fundraisers, sells concessions at home games, and assures that the athletes pay an athletic fee, which allows the team to be sucscessful. 

Toni Maguire, president of the GCA Volleyball Booster Club, said, “We have an end-of-the-season party… We also [provide], for the girls, especially, during home games with meals so like [the team fee] all covers that. 

"We do some fundraisers; all the girls are required to do a fundraiser, so that then we have enough money for all the girls and for the banquet.”

Maguire is more than the Volleyball Boosters President, as she’s also GCA’s PTO (parent teacher organization) and the mother of an athlete at GCA. 

The boosters were created three years ago by an athlete’s mother, who taught Maguire how to run the boosters, and she was off to the races. 

“So, that same mom was also PTO president, and so she just kind of, ‘Come on, Toni! Let me show you all of this stuff so you can take it all over!’ " Maguire said. "It’s kinda like that but it’s because my daughter goes here and my daughter’s very involved. She’s in the senate and she’s very involved with the school, too. So, I just got kinda pulled in."

There’s an unmistakable family-like connection among those at GCA, and the boosters’ leaders consisting of two mothers with daughters who play sports are a perfect example of that. It’s a small school, and everyone makes it work in spite of that.

“We are a smaller school, so we might not get the same opportunities as bigger schools. It’s kind of hard to get noticed here. We do try to put a lot of people on our team so some people don’t get as much playing time as others during sets, so it’s just kinda like, experience,” said GCA senior Taylor Perry.