Jaden Taylor is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Highland High School for AZPreps365.com

As long as there will be high school athletics, the money driving the growth and operation of those sports will be pivotal.

With new needs toward facilities, higher levels of transportation, upgrades in equipment and a growing trend of a wide array of youth sports, it can be tough to balance the budget.

In a state like Arizona - which has begun to build as a national powerhouse in college recruiting talent – its growth is a remarkable one, especially considering the obstacles.

According to a report from the Education Law Center, Arizona ranks last in the United States with the average per-pupil education funding at $10,244, way short of the $15,446 national average. This lack in state support has forced athletic departments to find outside funding to keep up the needs of their programs.

“We don't get a lot of money put towards athletics. We don't get a lot of money put towards education period,” Highland High School athletic director Brandon Larson said. “So, booster clubs play a really pivotal role and kind of making up the gap for those high-level teams to where our just education budgets just can't afford it.”

Despite some challenges, the growing role of booster clubs has allowed for athletic programs continue to develop young athletes and give them a welcoming experience.

“Our biggest goal in the booster club is just making sure our kids have everything they need,” Larson said. “We want to make sure our booster clubs are there to support our kids in our programs to a level that's reasonable and to our expectation.”

Continuing the traditions and goals of high school booster clubs year in and year out can be a tough task to manage. With new sets of students and parents, comes a lot of turnover on all fronts. In order to keep everything going smoothly, Larson, as well as the district, set up mandatory meetings in the fall.

“Most of the time you're dealing with parents who are new to it, they've never dealt with it,” Larson said. “So, we like to try and give them some direction on how to run a booster club - where they can go with their booster club. We just want to make sure that we give them good direction.”

That turnover set up new opportunities this year for Highland’s volleyball booster club and its new president Char Fazio. Like many, Char Fazio came into the year with limited experience in the role but could see an outline.

She did get some assistance from someone close.

Todd Fazio, Char's husband, is the head coach for Highland’s boys’ basketball team. The connection made pieces to the puzzle make sense.

“I wanted to do what (the) boosters do for basketball because I know they take a lot off of (Todd’s) plate,” Char said. “We wanted to do that for coach Nielsen to just really be there to support the entire program.”

In her first year, the message for Char and the rest of the booster club was simple.

“Our goal was really communication. Communication with the families and the parents and getting them involved,” she said. “To have really everyone involved in the program and giving them opportunities. To be involved. So, it wasn't just the boosters running everything, but it was the family members of the teams.”

The “consistent over-communicating” as Char phrased it, brought much of the community together. Throughout the year, the group coordinated all team events, themed game nights, community service events, pre/postgame meals, and out-of-state travel yet Fazio made sure to add one extra piece to the list.

“I had a big thing with having banners in the parking lot,” Char said. “That might sound really silly, but if you've been to Highland, you see Highland football players in the parking lot in the fall and the winter season. I walked past all my husband's basketball players in the fall, but I rarely see the girls out there. So that was a big deal to me.”

For head volleyball coach Tait Neilson, the new set of boosters and refreshed set of ideas helped center his focus onto the court.

“If the booster club is all in, it makes the coach’s job so much easier,” Neilson said “I just need to focus on volleyball, and I think they’ve done an amazing job of make sure we have the certain nights going on for games, making sure all the meals are taken care of and transportation stuff. It’s crucial for any successful program.”

Following a 30-11 season to where Highland made state tournament for the fifth consecutive year, the culture and support has helped with the success. After much tinkering and adjusting, the club and its leaders feel confident heading into the boy’s season in the spring.

“I think our goal for me is to continue where we've started,” Fazio said. “We’ve tried to really put systems in place and be very organized with keeping everything written down. I think we want to take what we've put in place and just build from it.”