The COVID crisis in 2020 and 2021 was one that turned the sports world upside down. Games and entire seasons were canceled leaving the high school and college graduates of 2020 and 2021 feeling short changed. What could’ve been their shining moment that college and of professional scouts could key in on was swiftly taken away. This was very noticeable in college sports and the outcry of “not fair” rang so loud that the college powers that be gave student athletes an extra year of eligibility to make up for the loss of playing time. But what about the high schoolers who were merely one touchdown, home run, or three pointer away from becoming a division one athlete and raking in some serious NIL money in college? What didn’t they get their extra chance? Well, that chance is coming sooner than many would think. An entity known as The Arkansas Sports Corps Of Knowledge recently passed an amendment that would allow athletes who graduated in the years of 2020 and 2021 and extra year of eligibility starting April 1st, 2025.
The announcement not only came as a shock to the former student athletes themselves, but also to the coaches that will definitely gain extra mature players. Hartford football head coach, Barney Fife, is extremely excited to get some of his student athletes back into the mix. “To have some of our younger players gaining extra knowledge from those who have played before is an absolute blessing,” said Fife. “Sure, there will be some of smaller, less athletic players lose playing time and possibly even get hurt as they go up against twenty two and twenty three year old grown men, but that’s a risk we’re willing to take. I love this new ruling implemented by the ASCK”. Even Y City’s basketball coach, Beatrice Taylor, voiced her praise on the new amendment. Taylor was quoted as saying “this is evidence that fairness is still alive and present in high school sports. Our returning girls have already let their bosses know that they will only be working part time this upcoming season to allow them to re-pursue their dreams”.
With the excitement of this ruling going through the roof for some, other have some reservations on the matter. Area parent and little league coach, Floyd Lawson, is dead set against this new ruling and claims that if this is allowed to continue, they’ll be no stopping other amendments that lean along the same lines. “What’s next”, said Lawson, “are they going to start paying high school players NIL money just to be on the team? It’s all hog wash if you ask me”. While Lawson’s concerns are legitimate, his rant in the interview were overheard by a couple of ASCK board members who swiftly have brought up a Pay For Play System idea to the table which will now likely brought up and passed next April 1st when the ASCK committee resumes.
For the time being though, graduates of 2020 and 2021 can start stretching and practicing their post-game celebrations because they’ll be coming off the benches today. They say if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball, and these adult athletes dodged a big ball bringing them one step closer going back to their old school stomping grounds.
