They are 18+, they are adults.
1 Like
So you think a “family friend” just magically shows up after the kid turns 18? Think about it for a second.
From an agent? Sure. I don’t think agents are chasing HS football players. Basketball a different story. HS recruits in football probably deal with boosters all the time, but not agents.
If you open up freely paying players, these kids will start collecting checks alot sooner than you seem to be willing to admit. It sure as hell ain’t gonna start at 18, I will tell you that. That’s why I made the child star comparison.
I still don’t care there are thousands of athletes around the world that are pros before 18.
European kids are pros as early as 13.
There is an unconscious bias when it comes to this topic that no one wants to acknowledge
1 Like
A few of the junior hockey leagues do as well. Not all of them go to billet homes either, some get apartments provided on top of the stipends.
You got guys preying on junior high kids right now in your utopian basketball fantasy. The AAU circuit is more corrupt than any sport circuit anywhere.
College athletes get apartments provided for them. They just don’t necessarily get stipends. I could support a stipend program. I just can’t support a free wheeling “make whatever you can” solution to the issue. Most of those kids aren’t ready for it and its forever going to fuk with them, like child stars in Hollywood.
I certainly agree with you there. But at least the AAU kids still get to be kids. In other countries and even with some of our olympic teenagers, they don’t really get to be kids. In the end while they are “sports,” I don’t really like trying to compare basketball players with football players too much.
Great, nice talk.
1 Like