This is the way the NCAA introduces itself to the student athletes.  What is
frightening is that most high school AD's and coaches do NOT know about the
special benefits/ admissible contact rules for the NCAA.  This creates a
potentially damaging environment for our kids, as they are given advice or
placed in situations fraught with NCAA sanctions.  For example:  my daughter
as a Bangor High sophomore, track athlete, having trouble last year getting
her "three-step" for hurdles.  Her track coach told her to go up to the
University and get some of "those people" to help her, a clear violation.
Just because I am suspicious by nature and was well trained by Tammy Light, I
asked Tracey Flynn to give me a ruling.  She declared it definitely NOT
admissible contact.  Tracey told me that part of her job is to go to the
schools around the state and give presentations that let the coaches and AD's
know what is legal and what is not.  She does this gladly but lamented the
fact she needs to be invited, which naturally means there are many schools
which don't get this information.  Now Eiranne (my daughter) is not looking
for track to pay her way through college, so if she had gone ahead and gotten
some college coach or athlete to help her, it probably never would have
impacted on anyone's life.  However, think for a minute how damaging it could
be to the hopes and asperations of some high school star athlete if this kind
of thing is allowed by their high school, and the college recruiting isn't as
trained as U Maine???
 
IMHO, student athletes are pushed into second class status by NCAA rules
which do not reflect reality in many ways.  Not being able to be on the bench
with the teams is just one.
 
Cathy Hart