In two separate sports, the controversy surrounding the allowing of high-school athletes to enter the pro-level has sparked major debate and strong opinions.
When U.S. District Judge Shira Schleiden declared Maurice Clarett eligible for the NFL draft in February, people around the league were skeptical. "I still believe a kid 18 years old is not ready to play in the NFL," said Gene Upshaw, president of the NFLPA. Players such as Ravens' Ray Lewis and Redskins' LaVar Arrington publicly voiced their intentions to "gun for Clarett." Although their deliveries varied, the underlying statement was the same: the kids were not ready for the NFL.
NBA Commissioner David Stern, likewise, has launched a campaign to lock out athletes 18 or younger from the league.
The NFL has the ability to allow the drafting of these kids. With a roster of 51 players along with a practice squad of five, the NFL can nurture athletes. However, the ability of these athletes to thrive in the NFL is highly questionable. For example, an NFL safety is generally around six feet tall and weighs around 220 pounds. Usually with around 10-15% bodily fat. High school athletes, if they were to be of that size, would have had to spend an inordinate amount of time in the weight room, or even worse, have had to take questionable supplements.
Another major aspect of is mental maturity, or lack thereof. This aspect of people is not quantifiable and is a problem for even college players. Professional scouts must attempt to decipher the maturity level of players, and for athletes in their teens, it is nearly impossible to figure out. It is possible that more Ryan Leafs will come out of high school athletes. Even for an athlete with an incredible amount of will and determination to succeed, it is difficult to imagine an 18-year old athlete withstanding the sledgehammer hits of 230 pound linebackers day-in day-out while running grueling training for almost twice the length of their usual high school routine, and, in the case of those that end up starting games, must cope with the incredible amount of pressure from the fans and media.
The problems associated with drafting youngsters become even more intensified in the NBA. Each team has a roster of 15, and basketball has no minor league system. This inevitably leads to slow maturing of players, with the most notable and famous being Darko Milicic of the Detroit Pistons. Recently turned 18, Milicic played a total of 158 minutes over his rookie season. That is less than the time Kevin Garnett plays in four games. However, players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Darko Milicic, and LeBron James, whom have all skipped college in order to enter the NBA, are actually far from the norm. Five high schoolers entered the NBA draft last year. Their names are Ndudi Ebi, LeBron James, James Lang, Travis Outlaw, and Kendrick Persons. No doubt the name LeBron James rings a bell, after all he was a phenomenal rookie and likely will impact the game for a decade to come.
Again, maturity and a high physical level is necessary in the NBA. One example, although unfair, is 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett. While he has become one of the greatest all-around players in the history of basketball, one of the greatest knocks on Garnett has been his reluctance to post-up. This could, although admittedly unfairly, be attributed to his early entrance into the NBA. Skipping college, Garnett was not ready for the physical game of the NBA and struggled in his early years, and has since become a regular 20-point scorer by taking jump shots. Imagine if he had learned to post-up with his seven-foot body. Kwame Brown, a former first-overall pick, is the perfect example of a high schooler with not enough maturity. Brown has finally, in his third season, managed to show flashes of dominance, at last showing hustle and determination. Had it not been for his first-overall status, Brown could very well be out of the NBA by now, looking for a job outside of basketball. Not every high schooler will have the opportunity to be drafted early and have that leverage in being kept in the league to develop.
Isamu Bae. Isamu Bae (AKA Izzy) is a senior and finally put up his staff bio. He's 17 and has no idea what he's supposed to put here, so this is all some filler material. He writes, draws, reads, plays games, practices martial arts (for lack of … More »
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