By Mark Massoglia • Central Wisconsin Sunday • May 18, 2008, Wausau Daily Herald

The rising prices at the gas pumps have local athletic directors thinking of how to save their districts money, just like the general public and business owners.

"We've been trying to consolidate our trips when we reschedule make-up games," said Joe Birkhauser, athletic director at Assumption High School in Wisconsin Rapids. "When we have two teams traveling to the same town, we put them on the same bus."

Marshfield High School Athletic Director Len Luedtke said he has attempted to reschedule Wisconsin Valley Conference games as doubleheaders whenever possible, "and we've doubled up with middle school and high school when we could."

Wausau East and West have gone one step further by combining trips between the two city schools.

"When the East and West tennis teams have had to be at the same place, we sent them on the same bus," East Athletic Director Mike Younggren said. "Down the road, we might have to combine as many trips as possible."

With the Wisconsin Valley Conference shrinking to seven teams in the fall -- Merrill and Antigo are joining the Great Northern Conference -- finding suitable competition within a reasonable distance might become more difficult.

"We want to schedule the best competition we can for our athletes, and there aren't a whole lot of big schools in our area to begin with, so that could be a challenge down the road," Younggren said. "We also have to be able to schedule when other schools have available dates."

Said Luedtke: "We haven't limited where we go yet, but we may in the future."

With the softball playoffs under way and the postseason for other sports starting in the coming weeks, travel plans for parents and fans could differ from the past.

"It will be interesting to see what happens if our softball team makes it to the sectional tournament, which is over in Algoma," said Bill Schweitzer, athletic director at Amherst High School. "I think parents will likely carpool to see their children compete."

Birkhauser agrees, saying, "I think gas prices will make for some more carpooling, but I don't think parents are going to stay home just because gas is expensive."