The reaction to the recent adoption of an Illinois High School Association rule aimed at stopping recruitment of athletes has been both varied and predictable.
In much of the state outside the Chicago area, there`s agreement that it`s a good rule-but that it doesn`t have much to do with what`s happening in their areas. ”It doesn`t have any effect on us,” said Bloomington Central Catholic football coach Dan Boynton, voicing the feelings of many questioned in the last week.
In the Chicago area, where the ruling probably will have its greatest impact, the feelings range from approval to ambivalence.
Many welcome it as long overdue. ”I`m totally against recruiting of any kind until a player gets to the college level, so I`m for this rule,” said Carol Plodzien, the girls sports coordinator at Fremd.
”The concept is excellent. It`s something that is needed,” added Thornridge Athletic Director Ron Bonfiglio.
Other administrators and coaches, at private and public schools alike, reserve judgment while wondering what can and cannot be done in terms of selling their schools and what they have to offer athletically.
Many others, especially those at Catholic schools, are angry, feeling the rule is being foisted upon them by members of the public school system because their athletic teams are so successful.
”Rather than admit they (the public schools) are being outcoached, outplayed, outworked, they resort to the claim that the only reason Catholic schools win is because we can recruit,” said Mt. Carmel football coach and Athletic Director Frank Lenti, whose teams have won four straight state championships.
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The real reaction to Proposal No. 11 probably won`t be heard until the IHSA spells out specifics of the rule, which was passed overwhelmingly
(534-90) last week in a vote by Illinois high school principal and will be effective July 1. The IHSA Board of Directors will be meeting between now and then to hammer out what can and can`t be done.
Until then, the questions will continue. And the questions from representatives of private schools are strident. They argue that recruiting is an essential part of the marketing of their schools.
”The public schools have to learn to live with us or give us the heave-ho because we`re not going to change,” said Matt Senffner, whose
Providence team won the state Class 4A football title. ”Now, they`re trying to manipulate us and trying to make us like public schools. We`re different, and it`s the only reason we exist.”
Some public school representatives are also unhappy.
”If they enforce it, it will hurt me,” said Richards football coach Gary Korhonen. ”I speak at grade schools and work home visits. I do everything the Catholic schools do. To be quite honest, this is just a lot of philosophy to pacify the people who moan and groan and complain, those who don`t do anything.
”The power structure got this thing ramrodded through. Obviously the IHSA is run by the power Downstate. They like the Cook County money, but they don`t listen to us.”
”I`m a public school coach, but I`m also a Catholic and a Chicagoan,”
said Andrew football coach Mike O`Neill, who formerly coached at St. Laurence and has a son being recruited by Catholic League schools. ”I think it`s a bit anti-Catholic and anti-Chicago, and it offends me.”
”If someone wants to go out and work hard and get kids, why not let them?” said Washington girls basketball coach Willie Byrd. ”Sure, I`ve done it. Everybody does. The winning programs are the ones who go out and get the kids like this.”
”It`s not a viable set of rules and regulations,” said Hinsdale Central Athletic Director Gene Strode. ”If I talk to the junior high and mention the quality of our academics and don`t mention our athletic achievements, I`m selling our school short.”
Strode`s concerns are similar to those voiced by many of those questioned-what can and cannot be done under the rules, how will the rules be enforced, what will happen to those that break the rules?
”If they are going to do something, what is the penalty? And is it going to be enforced on everybody?” asked Westinghouse basketball coach Roy Condotti. ”I guess we`re going to have to have a test case and see what happens. They seem to define undue influence, but when the teeth come out, let`s see how sharp they are.”
”The concept of what the IHSA is doing is good. Recruiting is going lower and lower in grade levels,” said Tom Dineen, the athletic director and girls basketball coach at Buffalo Grove. ”The only thing is, I find it difficult to understand how they`re going to enforce such rules. There will always be accusations, but proving things will be difficult.”
”I think it`s great,” said Diane Darrah, the athletic director and basketball coach at Mother McAuley. ”I hope it reduces some of the nonsense of coaches and recruiters going after 8th graders. I just hope the IHSA can find a way to enforce this. You see coaches sending birthday cards to girls, calling them all the time and visiting their homes. That`s the kind of stuff that should stop.”
”How is this going to be enforced?” asked Benet Athletic Director and football coach Gary Goforth. ”How do you go about proving it. Are we talking about hearsay? I don`t think that will be fair.”
”I spoke at a clinic for grade school athletes recently, and under the new rules, I couldn`t talk about my football team winning the state championship,” said Senffner.
”You have some kind of a problem when you can have a city of 3 million and kids can go wherever they want and you have private schools who can recruit from wherever they want,” said Proviso East basketball coach Bill Hitt. ”I`m glad to see that there is a desire on the part of the IHSA, and hopefully on the part of the institutions, to put a little bit of control on the recruitment.”
”I think they`ve got to do something and make a step in the right direction,” said Geneseo Athletic Director Del Nicklaus. ”We`ll see. I don`t want the IHSA to make more of a separation between the public schools and private schools.”
That option is one that`s been discussed more often since the passage of the rule-the separation of the public and private schools into different associations. In that case, eliminating or controlling recruiting would probably become impossible.
”If the Catholic schools left the IHSA, there would be no rules,” said Mother McAuley volleyball coach Nancy Pedersen. ”You could do anything you want. You could steal someone`s whole team. I think that would defeat the purpose of high school athletics.”