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I think that coaches should be allow to recruit student athletes prior to high school graduation. First lets face the fact that if some kids go to college, they are just taking up a scholarship that someone else who really wants to get an education and can't other wise afford it. A lot of kids today are just using college as a stepping stone to get to the professional level. If the kids are good enough let them go straight to the pros. There is no sense in them going to college when they don't want to be there in the first place and they have no intention of learning anything. Some of these kids have been blessed with talent and some have gone out and put in the extra effort to make it to the pro level. Either way, they know in the back of their mind that this may be the best ticket for them to get out of their current environment, whatever that may be. I am not going to say the only way out, because we always have choice. What do we say to the kid who is in his second (mandatory)year of college as he is laying in the hospital with a blown out knee that has just ended his career? That is a rhetorical question but think about it. Life is full of what ifs. But here is a kid that could have made a few million dollars and had great insurance and possibly could have had a decent life ahead of him. Now he can barely read and has even less of a desire to be on a college campus. I don't want to read into any college athlete so maybe he is a brilliant student who just wanted to play basketball. He too may have no desire to be on a college campus because no matter how well he does in school, or what type of job he gets, it is not going to be what he has wanted to do his whole life. What he could have done if even for one game. He could have said that he was a professional basketball player. After all, I thought kids went to college to learn things in a particular field or study to help them with their career once they get finished. If a child is able to skip that step is it such a shame? Lets look at other careers like golf, tennis, skateboarding, bmx, or modeling. I don't think people make such a big deal out of it when one goes professional in one of these fields. What is the difference? One might argue that they get home schooled. I would be interested in seeing some numbers on what amount of time is actually put into learning versus practicing their trade. To wrap this up, if they are good enough, let them start their career. Don't hold them back from their future.

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