TUPPER LAKE — After being told that there was not enough money in the school budget, one coach here is taking to the community to bring back Tupper Lake’s junior varsity basketball program.

Head varsity basketball coach Brian Bennett believes that in order to have a good program at the school’s highest level, there needs to be a solid foundation. He coached this season without a JV squad for the first time in his 10 years of coaching.

”I know the only thing to keep the program in the correct direction is to do anything possible to bring back the Junior Varsity Program,” Bennett wrote in a Facebook post.

He said that in lieu of budget funding, the district gave him permission to fundraise from the community to reestablish the program.

Bennett met with TLCSD Athletic Director Hayden LaMere and Superintendent Jaycee Welsh to calculate a seasonal budget for the JV team. They arrived at a total of $15,000 — with $10,000 of that needed for transportation costs. Bennett said school transportation is inherently expensive. When factoring in the bus, fuel and driver costs, it adds up to $8 per mile for the team to travel to away games.

The other expenses include the coach’s salary for the season and ”game fees,” which cover custodial, clock and crowd management staff that come with running games.

Bennett said the funding deadline has to be met by Oct. 1, 2025, one month before the basketball season gets underway, but he is optimistic that the fundraising goal will be met by summer. Bennett is planning several fundraising events between now and then. He said that any donation amount helps, and is grateful for everyone who has contributed so far. For those thinking of contributing, Bennett said it is preferred that people write out a check made out to the Tupper Lake Central School District and in attention to him.

Checks can be mailed or dropped off in person at the Tupper Lake Middle-High School, 25 Chaney Ave., during regular school hours. For those unable to pay by check, Bennett said there is an online fundraising platform available at tinyurl.com/mwvh4nak, but added that online donations take a 20% cut from the company.

Bennett said there is definite student interest in a JV program. A major reason for him seeking community support to bring it back was because they had to field such a large modified team this past season, which resulted in shorter court time for students.

”We had 24 kids on modified and it was kind of a little bit of a lost year for some of our younger players who could have happily taken advantage of playing on the JV level,” he said. ”I understand why this was a budget cut — all kids are still able to play — but it was just a much bigger team.”

As a result, Bennett is running a travel team until spring starts, aiming to give some players who lost out on play time some extra opportunities. It is something he is happy to do, largely because of the outside-the-classroom opportunities it provides. That, he said, is his favorite part of being a coach.

”The real fun is working with kids outside the classroom and teaching things that school doesn’t teach,” he said. ”Like, when I say, ‘practice at 3, it actually means I want you there at 2:45.’ Life lessons like that just to get them to be better men and boys in life.”

Bennett, who is also the guidance counselor at the middle-high school, said he has seen the impact — and positive difference — athletics can make for students.

”Tupper Lake has a rule where if you’re failing a class, you have to stay after (school), and if you’re an athlete and failing two classes, you can’t play,” he said. ”That’s a big motivator for kids who don’t have other motivators to keep their grades up.”

Bennett also felt that keeping kids busy is an important part of their ultimate success in many cases.

”Sometimes kids are motivated in the classroom just to pull good grades,” he said. ”But I also say, ‘a busy student is a good student, a structured student.”’

Bennett said that, for him, being the head basketball coach at the end of the day revolves around imparting skills and lessons in his athletes that will reverberate far beyond the court.

”You’re teaching basketball,” he said. ”But you’re more so teaching them appropriate life values.”