When Fairdale won Back-to-Back in 1990 and 1991 it cost us over $5000. In 1994 every time we won a game it cost us $936…we won the State Champinship. Back then they paid for five rooms…that's for players, coaches and staff. They gave you $10 a day for 15 people. We only put two players in a room for our 10 best players. The head coach and every assistant coach had a single room for his family. Managers were put four to a room. Our cheerleaders stayed home because we were playing in Freedom Hall. In Lexington they stayed in a different hotel. You could go to the tournamnet the day before you played…after that, if you lost your expenses were cut off the next morning. BUT…winning the state was worth every penny we spent.

 

Something odd about staying in a hotel in your city. Was this common when the tournament was in Louisville? Do the Lexington city schools staying a hotel ?

Yes, the KHSAA provides all teams a hotel. I know that Lexington Dunbar chose NOT to stay in their hotel provided by the KHSAA this year. In our situation, with bussing, it was important to keep everyone together. First of all this was/is a great part of the State Tournament experience. For Fairdale we bought food and served breakfast at the hotel. You can control their schedule…curfew, practice, shoot-arounds, film time, meals, attending games on days off and most of all their visitors.. We even had a policeman stay with us. Rule #1…if you have visitors (during allowed time) the door to your room must be left open. We wouldn't do it any other way.