Now New York’s High School Athletes Can Cash In on Themselves

My perspective may be tainted from working in mid-major Division I college athletics for a long time. I do believe in free enterprise. However isn't high school, even more than college is about educating our youth enabling them to be better adults? Should we have a 14 year old thinking about making a profit on his or her basketball skills or using those abilities to help make their team better? I'm not sure there is a right or wrong answer with this one. I just know it begs a question.

On Wednesday, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association "revised" its policy. "The New York State Public High School Athletic Association on Wednesday announced that it has revised its rule regarding amateur athletes in New York and they can now benefit from their name, image and/or likeness. It follows the July 1 date that allowed NCAA athletes to cash in on the same premise in what’s widely being called NIL rights."

In the article by Bob Chavez, Marquel Slaughter and James JohnsonDaily Messenger and Democrat and Chronicle staff writers, they quoted NYSPHSAA spokesperson Chris Watson, "The need was to do it before it became an issue for a student-athlete," NYSPHSAA spokesperson Chris Watson said. "Don't have a student-athlete have an opportunity to endorse, but then have an issue with their eligibility because the rule hadn’t been looked at."

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Watson told the Poughkeepsie Journal that there wasn't a case that pushed this decision. "It was let's get in front of this, let's be proactive instead of reactive," Watson said. "At some point, a student-athlete (in New York State) is going to have the opportunity."

NYSPHAA and every high school in America that features an athlete that wants to "make a buck" is in a tough spot. As coaches we try to teach team first. In college that easily becomes more difficult as elite student-athletes separate themselves...as adults. High school athletes are not adults and sometimes the adults in their lives don't make very adult-like decisions, especially when money is involved. I feel badly for the people having to make these decisions because there will be some poor outcomes.