Ross Andrews
ASU Student Journalist

The Thunder Board effect

March 20, 2018 by Ross Andrews, Arizona State University


Desert Vista High School has a storied history as a powerhouse in sports, and don’t forget its club teams.

The Speech and Debate team has won 14 out of the last 15 state championships. The Desert Vista Dance Team routinely takes home the first place hardware.

A key reason for the major success: the Thunder Board booster club, which oversees the finances and decisions made by the 30 clubs and teams at Desert Vista.

President Jeff Cayton’s phrase when analyzing the operations of the club are, “If it looks like Desert Vista, feels like Desert Vista, smells like Desert Vista, then it is Desert Vista.”

Cayton has a unique approach to running the club, which accumulates close to $1.2 million in donations, various fundraising efforts each year and pay-to- play signups from parents.

The pay-to-play income from students participating in the clubs serves as a tax write off for parents under the booster club “umbrella.”

For example, the DVDC dance team has a fee that must be paid to be in good standing with the club. The different methods of making payments not only creates convenience for the families involved in the club, but teaches its team members life skills as well such as keeping receipts as evidence.

“We are training them for the future, what they are going to need to know when the leave here,” said Cayton. “The girls need to learn to keep the receipts or else you are paying for it.”

Former athletic director and current assistant principal TJ Snyder believes that this model is one of the reasons why Desert Vista continually outperforms its competitors in the Tempe Union School District.

One of the ways the board celebrates the success and communication it has with the school and its coaches is by awarding appreciation lunches for the coaches and their teams.

“It’s really a great tribute to the kids that worked so hard this past year, and the 20 something years of great tradition, great staff and coaches, and to celebrate one of the largest groups in the state,” said Snyder.

The T-Board also covers liabilities that exist when paying coaches outside of the Tempe Union District and puts together camps and clinics at the high school for local kids during the summer.

The unsung heroes, however, for the Thunder Board are the parents who dedicate their time and effort to making the board impactful, making generous donations and caring deeply about the students at Desert Vista.

“Thank you for supporting your sons and daughters, and all of the other sons and daughters here at Desert Vista,” Snyder said. “Your efforts are truly making Desert Vista great.”

To learn more about the Thunder Board booster club visit their website at https://www.tempeunion.org/Page/2320 or their Facebook page.