Louisiana High School Athletes Can Now Get NIL Deals – Opinion

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association released yesterday a position statement that allows high school athletes to profit from their high school athletic career. Louisiana is joining California, New York and New Jersey in permitting high school student-athletes this option.

It would be an understatement to say that this is controversial. NIL agreements at the college level are seen with suspicion by an insignificant amount of Americans, even though the athletes are legal adults. There are many red flags raised by the possibility of them being allowed at high school, which is where athletes may not be adults or have limited understanding of the consequences.

The LHSAA has entered into an agreement to assist with this.

Eccker Sports is a partner of the LHSAA, which provides educational resources related to NIL. Eccker Sports’ partnership will allow high school principals, athletic directors and athletes to better understand what NIL can do to high school students.

All principals and all athletic directors will need to take courses.

Eccker Sports is offering a four-step program to aid athletes who want to take advantage of NIL agreements. LHSAA has listed the first step as a video course with six modules that will educate school leaders about the history and best practices of NIL. Launch of the first course is scheduled for May 1.

A resource hub will provide state-by-state updates. This will be the second step. Coach Assist is the third stage. It is designed to provide high school coaches with NIL templates as well as other resources that can be used to help others. Eccker Sports developed a network that includes tax, legal and financial experts in order to assist athletes and their families with NIL opportunities.

Coaching, athletes and their families will have the opportunity to take courses so that they too can learn about the NIL system. It will help kids prepare for these big changes by having a strong network of lawyers and tax professionals.

However, there are multiple concerns here that I don’t think NIL proponents take into consideration for the high school level. Before I continue, for those of you who don’t know: My day job is teaching and I have spent several years coaching middle school and high school student-athletes. This is something I have spoken out on at times. So, the perspective you’re getting here is one of an educator and coach concerned for the safety of the students.

NIL deals can be compared to a child setting up lemonade stands in summer. If they are allowed to make some extra money, should children be stopped from doing so? One of the most infuriating types of stories is where a government bureaucrat goes and shuts down a kid’s lemonade stand because of dumb regulations. Give a child the chance to earn some extra money with whatever skills they may have. This column isn’t advocating for eliminating child labor laws.

On the other hand, the biggest difference between the two is that a lemonade stand doesn’t interfere directly with a kid’s education. High school sports can already cause academic problems for students and lead to them getting into trouble. Schools may even encourage athletes to play high school sports. Add the prospect of using their athletic performance to make good money in the short term and you have laid the groundwork for a student’s priorities to get majorly screwed up.

They are called “student-athletes” for a reason. My biggest worry is that it upends the entire point of high school athletics and opens kids up to exploitation by schools, coaches, local businesses, and even parents – all while shifting attention away from the “student” part of the equation. Athletics should be the first.

I’m also worried about how something like this affects those who have while also potentially hurting those who don’t. Schools that have legacy athletic programs can offer student-athletes with national recognition (i.e. Arch Manning, if Isadore Neuman), as well as many private schools are able to take advantage. Think of a school with a history of success in athletics and a lot of boosters. This is where all top athletes dream of going. What’s to stop some of them from pulling an end-run around recruitment rules (like many of them already do) in order to lure athletes in with NIL deals and benefits?

Meanwhile, you have athletes from other, smaller schools who are talented as can be who will never get those kinds of opportunities because the money isn’t following those smaller or lesser-known schools.

The haves are often more numerous than the have-nots.

I don’t think we’ve really fully looked at the fallout from this. They are all children legally, emotionally, and mentally. An NIL system at college can be abused. Imagine how much it would be at lower levels. It’s very worrying.