Survey results: Should athletes be allowed to transfer penalty-free?

In February, Coach and Athletic Director asked readers whether state associations should allow high school student-athletes to transfer schools without penalty. Similar measures are currently being considered in Florida, and parents have long argued they should be able to enroll their children in any school they want. The concern from coaches and athletic administrators is it would lead to an increase in recruiting.

Here are the results of our survey, along with some responses from readers.

• If they transfer and the new school location is less than 50 miles there’s a one-year sitting period. If it’s outside 50 miles then they are good to go right away. This eliminates the neighborhood schools from losing players to their rivals.

• There is so much recruiting going on at the high school level that it’s becoming a joke because principles and AD’s are afraid that they will offend another principle or AD by turning them in. It’s not fun getting beat by players who should be playing for you because they are zoned for your school. What kind of example are we setting for these kids if they can go wherever they want just to get a championship ring. This is why a lot programs never get any better because these kids get pressured all the time because of the promises that these coaches make to them. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

• I think all transfers on the high school level should have sit a year, Can play lower level, but not varsity level. It would end a lot of the 3 high schools in 4 years that we are seeing from players.

• Agree that parents should be able to choose their school. Once they choose, they should be allowed to change their minds based on academic reasons, but not for the purpose of athletics. Allowing kids to change schools based on athletics, degrades the mission of the academic institution and hurts student athletes. To assure that parents are requesting transfers based on academics, student athletes should not be allowed to participate in games the following year. Participating in practices should be allowed during the probationary year so skill development continues.

• The state legislation, in our state, is proposing to allow kids to transfer to any school they wish to attend without any penalty. I believe they can transfer to a school to play football and go to another school to play baseball in the same school year! It’s a joke. Our state athletic association is against this proposal. They are fighting the politicians to not allow this to happen.

• It’s gotten way out of control. Some students are even switching during the same school year. One team had two players who won a state championship in football transfer to another school because it would give them a better chance to win a state championship in basketball. After a victory in the state tournament they were interviewed by a sports writer and they stated this was the reason they came to the second school.

• If a kid changes schools, the school he is leaving and the new school he is going to has to be at least 30 miles apart, period! Here in Atlanta, the high schools are like five-minutes apart all over the place and kids change high schools and never move! That is wrong, man! They use phony addresses like crazy, etc. Some people are calling for it to be like a 50-mile radius between schools, but 30 miles is good with me. Or, the old principal and AD and the new principal and AD must do a old home visit and a new home visit to verify that the kid has really moved into his new school zone. Something has to be done asap man and don’t give me that; “If you have a good program, they will stay junk….” or “kids want to go to a school where they can win and get a scholly to college ” stuff either…….move 30 miles and/or verify the residency pronto.