Letter: WIAA must tackle problem of schools that can recruit

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Prep football

WIAA needs to take action

“Adversity” was the word used by players and coaches of the Archbishop Murphy High School football team to describe their receipt of a “win” following the forfeiture by Granite Falls. The article describes how “allegations of improper recruitment and enticements” spurred the coaching staff to hold a press conference to express their disappointment.

But a follow-up article describes the “common sentiment from parents” is they want to protect their children from a program that “can attract outstanding athletes from a vast geographic area.”

There seems to be two different messages here, addressing separate issues.

The first is that football is violent and potentially puts the athlete in harm’s way each and every play. The second is there is a discrepancy between the student population of small-town high schools and private schools that can “recruit.”

The WIAA must take action to prevent this recruiting practice.

Changes at the WIAA level should not prohibit teams from forfeiting just a few days before a game, as AD Jerry Jensen advocates. The decision to forfeit — whenever it is made — is done for specific reasons and not made lightly.

Changes that need to be made include reevaluating how private schools receive their league designation. It is my understanding a school can opt into a higher classification. If correct, Archbishop Murphy could to move to 3A or possibly 4A.

If this cycle continues, the WIAA needs to mandate that schools that can “recruit” student athletes should be placed in a different category than those that cannot.

The three high schools who opted to forfeit did so with the children’s safety first and foremost. Don’t forget: Each of these three schools also forfeited the opportunity to play a game.

Matt Hartman

Granite Falls