"It seems punishment to some but it's exactly what other would like us to do," said John "Jack" Roberts, Michigan High School Athletic Association Executive Director.
A new transfer rule for high school athletes is going to be established in efforts to crack down on the chronic problem of athletically related transfers, according to Roberts. He said that although this problem is nationwide they are trying to make the rule stricter here in Michigan.
Starting the 2018-19 school year, if a student-athlete changes schools they are going to be ineligible to play their sport for an entire season if they are trying to play the same sport at the new school.
FOX 47's Alani Letang asked Roberts why the rule was put in place.
Roberts explained, "those are the kind of transfers that really irritates people."
Roberts said athletically motivated transfers could end up negatively affecting athletes who don't transfer.
"It may seem like a punishment on the student that transfers but that student who transfers might be displacing someone at the new school. And we have to be concerned about both those who are transferring and teams that could be bounced out of a roster or starting line up because of a transfer," said Roberts.
East Lansing football coach Bill Feraco agrees with the rule. He said he doesn't think athletic motivated moves should be entertained because he said it's not healthy to the student. But outside influence may be to blame in some cases
"I'll be candid AAU basketball, I think creates situations where there is undue influence placed on kids to go play with this person or go play at this place. The state of loyalty is not anywhere near where it was at one time," said Bill Feraco, East Lansing High School football coach.
If you do choose to move your child to a different school coach Feraco said it should never be just about the athletics.
Feraco said, "in the hierarchy of the order it cannot supplant the person I want to be first of all, the young man or woman and the student I want to be."
There are some exceptions to this new rule, Roberts said, "for example, a full and complete change of residence, allows a student to be immediately eligible even if he and she played there before." Another exemption is for students whose parents are divorcing.
A third exemption, "a student who is a ward of the court, a student who is 18 years old and both students agree." All three exemptions, Roberts characterized as classic examples.
Roberts explained that this rule was put in place to help speed up the process for those who are exempt. "And it would slow down, pause and sometimes stop those transfers for student's who have played the sport before," the executive director said.
However, the rule isn't perfect. Roberts said " the trouble is the transfer net is imperfect. When you throw the net out there to catch those that you want to catch, you also catch some innocent transfers. So we must make sure we have a process for a waiver. If a rule should not apply to a certain circumstance there is a way for us to waive the rule in those cases.
But like most rules, people will have to adjust.
"Everybody likes this rule until it applies to them, their child or their team. So we have great support for it now because it's theoretic when it's actually applied to some situations I expect they'll be some pushback, there always is with a transfer rule," said Roberts.
