USAFA Changes Policy on Athletes

I agree with the decision, and I agree that it will hurt their sports recruitment - but playing sports (even US football!!) is not the purpose of a military academy. As it is, they are only requiring 2 years from him, not 4.

That being said, the timing was rotten. They should have told the kid the first of April, not within hours of the draft.
 
If people are coming to any SA with the primary goal of playing pro, there's a problem. And if recruiting is focusing on the post-SA professional sports options/benefits, that's a problem. Recruiting should focus on attending a SA, playing a sport while there, and serving as an officer afterwards. If the person is sufficiently talented to play in the pros, well, that's an added bonus. And they should NEVER count on it happening directly after their SA career.

Agree the timing of the announcement could have been better.
 
Agree timing could of been better in this. The few interviews and articles I read he called his military commitment his 'plan B'. Wondering if that impacted things. Also agree that no one should be going to a SA expecting to go pro.
 
I agree with the above. Apparently, most of the commentators at the article disagree though - including a local sports columnist.
As for the timing, I can see how it was bad, but we don't know the back story if there was one. Also, this student entered the Academy under the old rules, so he came expecting to serve. And the AFA is a service academy and being a pro athlete factory isn't the intent.
I hadn't read about his prior comments on the military being Plan B. That might have upset the wrong people.
 
I would like to see the rules clear and consistent among the SAs also.
 
NavyHoops said:
Agree timing could of been better in this. The few interviews and articles I read he called his military commitment his 'plan B'. Wondering if that impacted things. Also agree that no one should be going to a SA expecting to go pro.
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NavyHoops said:
I would like to see the rules clear and consistent among the SAs also.
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I never really understand how someone could apply to an academy thinking that military service will only happen if their sports aspirations don't fall into place. I don't see how you could watch a couple years worth of 1/c team mates graduate and commission and think that this is not also the path you are on. It frustrates me that the academies to some sense foster the sense that military service after graduation is not only what is expected, but also the goal of the institution.

I understand that sports, including varsity sports, can contribute to the growth of future officers. I just think that the preparation of military leaders, not sports professionals is the mission of the academy. If that means that we lose more football games each year, that is ok.
 
unkown1961 said:
The AFA changed the policy on students being able to go pro and then serve reserve. Judging by the comments in this article, some people are upset. Army and Navy haven't changed their policy.
http://gazette.com/air-force-says-j...pros-not-drafted-after-change/article/1602042
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My other issue is why should professional sports be held to a different standards than any other future employer of the students? Gifted engineers, actors, linguists and physicists all delay lucrative payouts in their respective fields to 'pay back' the investment in their superior college education.
 
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I don't like "pro sports" caliber athletes being able to opt out of their commitments because they have a particular ability in that sport, and I think the Army and Navy has it wrong on this issue. Why are athletics more important than say music, or science? If an academy grad has some offer from a corporation, should he/she be able to opt out of the service commitment?
 
Here would be my solution:

If someone is drafted into pro sports then they should be able to make enough money to pay back the government for their education. If for some reason they do not make the cut they still must pay it back. Maybe partial pay back for doing reserve duty after being drafted.
If they are willing to take that risk it's their decision. But once you make that decision their is no going back.

It's such a small number of people I don't see that the military is necessarily going to miss them.
 
Looks like SECDEF reversed the policy (DOD wide) on 29Apr for all SAs and ROTC -- back to a minimum of 2 years. Interestingly, the memo cites professional activities with professional sports as an example.
 
Bravo to Mad Dog for doing the right thing. The taxpayers aren't shelling out half a million dollars to prepare pro athletes and the argument that letting them out of their commitment because they are "good PR" is grossly disingenuous.
 
conrack said:
Bravo to Mad Dog for doing the right thing. The taxpayers aren't shelling out half a million dollars to prepare pro athletes and the argument that letting them out of their commitment because they are "good PR" is grossly disingenuous.
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Do you think he was behind this, or at his level would this just be something he signs off on because his trusted underlings made the decision?
 
unkown1961 said:
Do you think he was behind this, or at his level would this just be something he signs off on because his trusted underlings made the decision?
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I believe it would have been Mattis' recommendation first, then approved by the upper level.
 
I wonder if the author of that article, or anyone who looks at this policy change in a negative way, has ever heard of "service before self?"
 
QA1517 said:
Here would be my solution:

If someone is drafted into pro sports then they should be able to make enough money to pay back the government for their education. If for some reason they do not make the cut they still must pay it back. Maybe partial pay back for doing reserve duty after being drafted.
If they are willing to take that risk it's their decision. But once you make that decision their is no going back.

It's such a small number of people I don't see that the military is necessarily going to miss them.
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This makes a crazy amount of sense, I couldn't agree more.
 
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