The Washington Wizards spent their two draft choices last summer on a Ukrainian center and Belarusian forward after signing Darius Songaila of Lithuania. The Wizards foreign influence wasn’t unique with 60 players from 28 countries in the NBA last season.
The international model of sports played through clubs and academies is producing increasingly more pro players. Conversely, U.S. high school coaches pride themselves more on creating well-rounded student-athletes rather than being a pro feeder program.
But what if U.S. high schools privatized sports like many foreign countries? Could existing community programs absorb 11 million prep players?
AAU basketball is already becoming more important to college recruiters than high school competition. American Legion and Babe Ruth extend prep baseball seasons. Softball, lacrosse and soccer are among growing club programs.
However, asking Boys and Girls clubs, peewee football and Little League baseball systems that largely focus on 5- to 14-year-olds to stretch through high school years could overwhelm those traditional programs.
Local sports officials cited four primary concerns over surrendering control to community-based teams: improper supervision, unequal funding, single-sport burnout and no educational incentives to continue playing.
“In high schools, you have more control over coaches,” Good Counsel football coach Bob Milloy said. “In youth leagues, how do you know the coach isn’t a pedophile? Who controls that?”
Many youth leagues perform criminal background checks on incoming coaches.
Neighborhoods with low-income families would be disadvantaged against wealthier regions. Michael Geraghty, a baseball and football coach with the Maryland City Recreational Council, said youth football programs cost $225 per player and “we still go begging to businesses for sponsorships.”
“It would be impossible to fund sports through community associations,” Geraghty said. “It could work for certain sports, but not across the board.”
The classic Little League burnout where youngsters tire of sports by 16 might be further exasperated by repeating a school-year sport in the summer and perhaps a third time during the offseason through community teams.
“Community-based sports kids tend to play one sport,” said Annandale High girls lacrosse coach Cindy Hook. “In high school, we love for them to play three.”
Finally, what happens when passing grades aren’t needed to play? Virginia requires athletes to pass five classes while the District and Maryland public schools require a 2.0 grade point average. A club team has no mandatory academic guidelines.
“If they take away [pass to play] I’d be very worried,” Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams said. “The motivation to study is to go to college to play.”
Tomorrow: Could community rivalries equal high school foes?
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
