With several high schools last week laying out a plan for a pay-to-play approach next season in hopes of trimming the budget, it’s time for student-athletes to get proactive.

I would have thought pay-for-play was a last resort. I’ve mentioned scaling back games and travel distances, but it looks like schools decided to act now.

Let’s start planning now for ideas to help the student-athletes pay for their participation.

Granted, some schools will have a cap on the amount while others may charge so much for the first sport, a little less for the second and so on.

The solution? Two words ... bake sales.

Well, it’s a little more involved than that, but think about it. Bake sales are usually a top moneymaker for organizations, as are hoagie sales, car washes, etc.

When schools give you lemons, make lemon pound cake.

Here’s my proposal, albeit a little rough. Schools would designate certain weeks to different sports.

My idea is that any athlete who wants to participate in school sports should, at no cost to them. If there’s not enough raised for that particular sport, divide it between those athletes to ease the burden.

Although it seems like fall outside, we have to start with football, cross country, girls volleyball, girls tennis and boys and girls soccer now.

A certain sport would get a certain week to hold various bake sales or whatever they wish at various locations. Send out the word. Facebook, Twitter, the newspaper. It’s easily done. And kids have always been supportive to other causes.

Since football and the band usually have the most students, they can finish off the rest of this school year.

Throughout the summer, different sports could have their turn at a handful of fundraisers.

Since a lot of detail has not been provided on how students will pay, my guess is that a school should not accept money until the first day of practice. I would find it wrong if a school asks a track and field runner to pay in August or September with no guarantee that student will in fact participate.

And schools should provide a written receipt to the student. If schools prefer to make it a business, then make it a business. Don’t give money, then have someone put a checkmark in a ledger and ‘paid’ next to it. Get an actual physical receipt.

I could go on and on and maybe in another column I will, but I want to hear other ideas from anyone where money can be raised to offset this cost. Perhaps local bakeries can donate goods.

Hockey players already pay an arm and a leg, but let’s generate some more ideas. Send any ideas to sports@butlereagle.com.

Back in the early 1980s I don’t know if my parents would have been able to afford my brothers and sister and I to pay for sports.

I understand this is the way things are today, but it doesn’t mean we can’t find a few solutions to work around it.