It’s been a long time coming but for the newly started school year and sports seasons Plymouth High School will offer a unique opportunity for student fans to support their teams.
All students in the corporation will have the opportunity to sign up for a free all sports pass, meaning that for the first time any student in the Plymouth school corporation will be able to attend all high school regular season sporting events for the year.
This pass will not be valid for postseason tournaments (IHSAA and NLC tournaments) since the majority of tournament proceeds are earmarked for the IHSAA.
Being able to offer free admission to Plymouth students has been on the to do list for PHS Athletics Director Michael Delp since taking over the position several years ago.
“It’s really cool to see how this all shakes out. Some other schools have been doing it. We did as well but not to this level,” said Delp. “This community means a lot to myself and a lot of others. To be able to provide this for every kid to come in and watch the Big Red.”
“There are a lot of good things happening right now. We have these great facilities,” he said. “We just want to get a crowd out to support these kids.”
“There are a lot of sports that are exciting,” said Delp. “Our boys and girls soccer programs, the swim team is up and coming. We have a lot of young coaches and I want them to feel supported. There are fewer barriers for people coming out now and we want everybody to get out and support all our programs.”
In the past a generous contribution from the Plymouth Athletic Booster Club has allowed students to attend games free, other than football and basketball. Several local corporate sponsors came on board to make up the difference and offer students a true “all sports” ticket.
First Source Bank, McDonalds, Fulcrum Rigging and Oliver Ford Lincoln have put the weight of their sponsorship behind the program.
“1st Source Bank has been a proud supporter of Plymouth Community Schools for many years,” said First Source Bank’s Regional Sales Manager Mindy Overmyer. “Much like the mission of Plymouth Community School Corporation, 1st Source Bank is also committed to doing whatever it takes to maximize academic and social achievement of every individual.”
Bill and Flo Boldt, new owners of Plymouth’s McDonalds restaurant, were also happy to step up.
“Flo and I are blessed to now own and operate the local McDonald’s in this community where we have called home for over 20 years,” said Bill. “We are thrilled to partner with our local schools to support our students and future leaders.”
Brent and Reanna Ferman of Fulcrum Rigging are also happy to partner with the Plymouth schools.
“Giving back is something that is important to us and it is a privilege to be able to give back to the students of our community,” they said. “We have four children that attend PCSC so it was an easy choice to help where our hearts are.”
A long time sponsor of Plymouth athletics and Marshall County causes of all kinds, John and Jennifer Oliver of Oliver Ford Lincoln in Plymouth were also a natural fit.
“With three generations attending and graduating from Plymouth Community Schools, we felt it was important to support current and future generations in their athletic endeavors,” they said. “Athletics play an important role in reinforcing the foundational values that all parents try to instill in their children. Learning teamwork, cooperation, work ethic, and winning and losing with humility and integrity are all very important life lessons learned through athletics. The Oliver Family is happy to support our local Plymouth Schools athletic programs.”
“High school athletics has moved a little bit away from a gate-based supported kind of thing,” said Delp. “In the good old days, you could likely meet your budget with (gate receipts from) football and basketball and be okay with all the other sports.”
“We want the parents to come out with their kids and be part of it,” he said. “We want them to come out and make that a family time.”
