I guess I have very mixed feelings about this. I miss the good old days of being a good to great athlete that works hard, could make a college team, get the college team experience, contribute to the team from a competitive stand point, and create lasting friendships. Perhaps they were not a scholarship athlete, but they were able to contribute to the team. It seems to me that most if not all college sports with this ruling will be unable to recruit the diamond in the rough.
What I have heard through the grape vine is that at our local Big 12 track team is that if you are not in a position as a freshman to immediately score for the team, you will not be able to get on the team any more. Now there are many colleges that have D2 and D3 track and cross country teams that athletes can move to. But in gymnastics there are 18 D3 teams and only a handful of D2 teams. D3 sports used to be the place where athletes could go to school to get the college sports experience but not have to be an elite/top 5% type athlete. I feel like this ruling will now eliminate this opportunity for a lot of high school athletes and college sports will be this out of reach/impossible dream for many high school athletes in all sports. I was one of those athletes many many years ago for track and field/cross country, and my daughter is now one of those athletes at a D3 school doing gymnastics. In a couple of years all the D1 gymnasts who don't get on a team will move to D2 and D3 and D3 will just become what D1 was say 5 years ago.
To me this also will continue to separate the kids whose parents can afford to send them to the best teams/coaches, pay for privates, home school so they can practice 30 hours per week, etc. from the parents who can not afford a lot of extra practice/coaching. Let's face it club sports for any sport these days is very expensive between paying for coaching, uniforms, and travel it all adds up. Now college sports scholarships are going to be harder to get at least at the D1 level. Most D3 schools do have a lot a academic scholarships that a good student can qualify for, but I know too many parents that really push their kids to get that D1 sport scholarship. I hope parents understand the reality of high school athletes being able to achieve that goal once the new ruling is fulling in effect.
Sorry for the ramble, just my two cents, but I feel like D1 sports is just going to become an elite athlete only type of opportunity and only a few people really fit that category. I am glad my daughter got on a team last year and will have the opportunity she always dreamed about because in a couple of years I don't think she would have made it and she is having a great experience right now.
