Keep money out of high school sports

Keep money out of high school sports When you are on a steep and slippery slope even baby steps will send you sliding down into uncharted, dangerous territory.

The WIAA, following the lead of the NCAA and high school athletic associations in 39 other states, is seeking a change in its most fundamental rules to open the door to student athletes to profit off their name, image or likeness while still remaining eligible to participate in amateur student athletics.

The push for the change came following a 2021 US Supreme Court ruling in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston which opened the door to compensation of college athletes. Arguments were based on an interpretation of the Sherman Anti-Trust act.

There is no doubt that anyone, regardless of age, should be able to profit off their skills, appearance, or physical abilities. However, getting paid to do something or getting compensated directly as a result of something you did is the very definition of being a professional.

The proposed changes in the WIAA’s constitution seek to allow student athletes to have their cake and eat it too by setting up language that would allow them to maintain amateur status — and the ability to continue playing in WIAA sanctioned sports — while allowing these athletes to sign endorsement deals or get products or merchandise.

The proposed rule changes include a laundry list of things that are not allowed and people prohibited from entering deals with student athletes. The stated reason is to prevent recruiting from occurring. While these restrictions may carry weight in the idealized fantasy world the WIAA pretends to live in, the hard reality is that the list is unlikely to survive a court challenge and will most likely be ignored.

Money, like life, finds a way and it would be foolish to think that recruiting, especially in urban areas, would not take place for the simple fact that a superstar shines brighter when surrounded by the top talent.

Name image and likeness agreements are the rot that weakens the foundations of amateur high school athletics. High school sports are important and serve an important educational role in developing the next generation of citizens and leaders. When done right, high school sports teach sportsmanship, healthy competition, teamwork and being resilient in defeat or setback. The changes to allow student athletes to get endorsement deals or get a paycheck for use of their likeness or image institutionalizes greed and throws open the door to corruption and exploitation. This is especially relevant considering that unless they were over 18, it would be the athlete’s parents or guardians signing the contracts, making the deals and getting the paychecks.

Before the WIAA jumps on the cashfueled band wagon of opening the doors to paychecks for students athletes, it needs to put real-world rules in place to create a bright line between amateurs and professionals in the world of youth athletics if for no other reason than to ensure a level playing field for all student athletes.