Age limit in sports

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

The new NBA collective bargaining agreement states that a player must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before entering the league. This raises a few questions:

1. Is this fair?
2. Some people have argued that since basketball is a predominantly black sport, this is an attempt to keep young black men away from their money longer. Is this policy racist?
3. What about sports like golf and tennis, where people compete professionally in their (sometimes early) teens?

What do you guys think about a minimum age requirement in the NBA and other sports?

AudioSavior

I think it isn't fair to make someone wait if they are no longer in school and have a lot to offer in the sport. I do however think it is odd that someone can be in a league and isn't even old enough to take on the responsiblity of drinking and would have to basicly be baby sat while on the road to make sure he follows the rules.Single sports is slightly different because usually yhe parents are deeply involved in the teens career and travel with them everywhere they go.

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

I'm actually a little torn on this one.

Arguments for an age limit:

1. It prevents players from declaring themselves eligible before they are ready
2. There is a huge talent gap between high school and the pros. One year of college will at least give the players some experience at a higher level
3. The sport itself benefits by being limited to players who recieved at least some fundamentals training in college
4. Playing a season of college ball may prepare the player for the rigors of a lenghty professional schedule
5. 18-year old kids may not be able to handle the responsibility of a multi-million dollar contract
6. Teams wont have to waste a roster keeping a "project" on the bench until he's ready for the big time

Arguments against an age limit:

1. It's simply not fair. You are an adult at 18, and you should be able to enter your chosen field at that age
2. Why punish guys who ARE ready to contribute right away (like LeBron and Dwight Howard) just to because of some dumb kids who think they are better than they really are?

All in all, I think I'm more in favor of it than against it. Also, individual sports are different because you're not part of a team. Ifyou're a tennis player and you lose, it only affects yourself. If you're a basketball or football player and you get drafted before you're ready, it affects the not only the team, but the coaching staff, the fans, andf the owner's bottom line.

The Phantom

I don't believe there should be an age limit on sports stars... If your good enough your old enough In my book. The only concern I have with young sports people is over exposure and burn out. But I supose thats all down to the managment of a team to make sure that doesn't happen.

Freak

My main reason for having an age-minimum for some pro sports is a little selfish, I guess, but I love college sports. Anything that takes away from college football or basketball, in my mind, is a bad thing.

Erin

Monk's First Lady

I think all players must have a high school diploma, or should be on their way to one (so they can be in grade 11, as long as they are passing). This prevents athletes from relying on their skills and not finishing school.

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

i agree to an extent, but the problem is that this isnt always how it works, especially in the NBA.

Teams draft high school kids expecting them to be good in 4-5 years (when they would have graduated college normally). So the question remains, would these kids be better served playing college ball and being a starter for 4 years (or at least one or two), or is it better for them to play 2 minutes a night in the pros? The rule is almost saving these kids from themselves. not to mention that it helps teams pick players based on how good they are, and not how good they expect them to be.

Case in point: About 10 years ago, there was a kid here in NYC named Felipe Lopez. He considered going right to the NBA out of high school (this was when maaaaaaaybe one high schooler a year would be drafted) but chose to go to St. John's University instead. He struggled greatly at St Johns and then was a marginal player in the pros. If he had been drafted, it basically would've been a waste of a draft pick, and a high one at that

LeBron James, Amare Stoudamire, and Dwight Howard were all good enough to play right away. But there are plenty of high schoolers who've flopped also

Freak

Consequently, Felipe Lopez could possibly be in a much better situation financially, had he indeed entered the draft. While that doesn't mean a great deal to me, it's one of the arguments that people use when saying an age limit is unfair.

The Phantom

I see your point and would and would probably agree with it. I was talking mainly from from a british stand point and for individual sports, as my knowlage about draft picks and the whole collage system over in north america is very limated.

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

OK, I'll try to explain how it works for the three major leagues.

In Major League Baseball, the age limit is 18. There are a bunch of "minor leagues" with each major league team having a representative. If an 18-year old gets drafted, he is usually sent to the minor leagues to hone his skills for a few years. Most players then get called up to the majors when they are in their early-20's. But, because of the minor leagues, they are pretty well-prepared to play at the highest level. Also, some players decide to go to college and play there, and if they are good, they usually spend less time in the minors than the high school kids who get drafted.

In the National Football League, you must be 3 years removed from your high school graduation to enter the league. There is no minor league in football, so playing in college is a de facto "minor league". Since every player has at least 3 years experience playing at a fairly high level, they are usually ready to play within a year of being drafted, if not sooner. There are exceptions, of course, but usually if a guy is good, he's good right away, and if he stinks, you know right away

In the National Basketball Association, the age limit previously was 18. It used to be that only the best of the best high school students would enter the league. But over time, more and more high schoolers entered, and started getting picked earlier and earlier. There is no minor league in the NBA. So, if a player gets drafted based on potential, and not readiness to play, he is forced to sit on the bench for a few years until he is ready.

I dont know if you have drafts over in England, but the way it works is that if you want to join any of the three leagues, you have to declare yourself eligible for the draft. Thus, there is a big pool of players for the teams to choose from. Once a year, starting with the worst team, they pick the players they want, and anybody who's left over can be signed at any time after the draft.