Welcome to week five for Football Fridays in Georgia everyone! As you should know, we’ll be at Mill Creek this week as they host the Norcross Blue Devils in Hoschton, Georgia and this week’s poll topic might get people a little heated so let’s talk about it here!

The question this week is “should athletes be allowed to transfer high schools for athletic purposes?”

Let’s preface this topic a little bit with some new rules that were created by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).

In an online article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, it states that these are the new bylaws that have been amended by the GHSA:

1.Boosters are considered an extension of the school and should abide by rules applied to coaches and other school personnel.

2.Evidence includes but is not limited to personal contact by a coach or booster or a social event specifically geared for prospective athletes (other than an official school-wide open house).

3.A school will be given the opportunity to prove that it was not responsible for the actions of a booster who is found guilty.

4.If tuition is charged it must be paid by a parent, legal guardian or other family member, except for payments coming from need-based financial aid.

5. It is not allowed for donated funds to be given to a specific student that are given by non-family members, churches, businesses, or other organizations except programs specified by in-state law.

6.Schools may not employ students to work off their tuition costs.

For more details on the rules, please visit ajc.com.

However, what if you’re a student, destined for athletic greatness not only in high school but college as well. Should you have the choice to train and play with a coach and staff that competes at your level?

A part of me wants to say yes. I think that student athletes should be able to do that; however, realistically it makes sense that rules be applied because boundaries need to be set somehow.

Also, for how many student athletes will this possibly be the case? I would say, not that many.

I think that part of being a great coach, is that sometimes you have to work with the talent you’re given (easier said than done in some cases, I know). You have to know how to deal with the talent you’re given and turn those “he’ll-never-make-it’s” into great athletes who possesses skills of character, discipline, responsibility and courage.

To make it fair for everyone, these rules should exist and I think that it makes the playing field fair.
The only key to making sure this works is going to be the proof. Are these rules going to be enough to prove that “high school recruiting” is happening?

What do you guys think? Has this happened to anyone you know? Start the conversation right now and comment below!