The Foothills Athletic Association (FAA) promotes athletic activities for students at the California School for the Deaf. The FAA fosters goodwill, shows school spirit, encourages good citizenship/sportsmanship and upholds the good name of the school. Students who become involved in the organization gain experience in managing financial matters and conducting effective business transactions.

Some ways that the FAA has contributed to the athletics program include:

• Providing scholarships to graduating athletes
• Support for Deaf Olympic participants (alumni and students)
• Team dinners
• FAA Banquet
• T-shirts for FAA members
• Summer camps and tournament championships
• Homecoming and spirit week expenses
• Small souvenirs at some big events
• Decorations for homecoming, banquets and other parties
• Jerseys and warm-up outfits for special needs participants in the Special Olympics
• Sound system for parties
• League or national champion banners
• “C” letters; certificates; pins; awards
• Dafus Organization supporting participants; snow trips
• National or league champion patches; the FAA bronze emblem
• Booths in the High School Activity Center
• 100^th anniversary expenses
• Flagpoles at the football and track fields
• Advertisements in various program books
• Picture frames for the school’s museum
  
  

The FAA has been a part of CSD for many years and has a distinguished history. Dr. Winfield Runde, a 1896 CSD graduate, returned from Gallaudet College to become a teacher at Berkeley in 1901 and founded FAA. In the beginning, the organization was only for boys. Several years later, girls became involved in athletics and organized their own Girls Athletic Association. Due to Title IX requirements that stipulate female athletes should have the same opportunities as male athletes, during the 1977-78 school year, the FAA and GAA merged to form a co-ed organiza­tion. The members decided to keep “Foothills Athletic Association” as the name for their new organization.