Adults are always saying, “kids grow up so fast these days,” and this is a direct result of kids losing the chance to just be middle-school kids. That’s exactly why LB 742 should not advance.
LB 742 would allow middle schoolers the opportunity to suit up for varsity competition and would also extend their eligibility for varsity play through senior year.
While the bill has some benefits for these younger players and teams, by far, there are more negatives, and it ignores the athletes who have waited until high school to compete at this level.
It’s true that some smaller schools in the state struggle to have a complete roster and fail to have the necessary kids to follow the mandatory number. Even if you co-op with another school, it isn’t always possible due to sheer distance. These schools would benefit from adding 7th or 8th graders to their rosters so their school can compete that year.
LB 742 allows the schools to hae a bigger roster. In doing so, it allows certain sports to fill spots that would otherwise be vacant.
In a swimming sense, if there were no swimmers in the 500 freestyle event in the high school, there could be a middle school club swimmer in the area who was breaking records. That club swimmer now has a chance to compete in high school and for that specific high school. Therefore, allowing a high school that didn’t have a 500 freestyler to now have a kid who could medal at state in it, which would boost points in the overall meet, and bring up the school’s placement.
They would overall have the required minimum so that they are in compliance with NSAA, the Nebraska School Activities Association. Although there is no listed requirement for every sport, there is a required rule that the team needs to compete in five competitions. Therefore, the requirement purposely makes sure you have enough athletes to compete in 5 events.
The opportunities for this would be positive for rural areas, but for the urban atmosphere, it would be pointless. It’s beneficial, but the cons outweigh the pros.
If the bill passes, there will need to be more protocols and rules to create a safer space. There would have to be an age-level coach for the middle-schoolers on top of the other presiding coach.
The practices could be broken down into 7th-9th and 10th-12th graders. It would be run in a format such as a club sport.
It would not just be a high school sport; it would become more like an organization. Practices and the typical high school setting would have to be broken down differently to work for the younger athletes.
Similar to club sports, it would need regulations that would call for more intricate planning over how to work practices into two different school schedules, including transportation.
Besides the logistics and coaching aspect, adding middle schoolers to a team if you are already in a more populous school creates a difficult atmosphere for the competing athletes. It seems good for the individual kids, but it hurts the group as a whole. High schoolers who have only had four years of eligibility may find it difficult and upsetting that 7th and 8th graders get the chance to compete for more years.
If a 7th grader were to compete with high school seniors, there’s potential for rising social conflicts between the two. It would be like hanging out with your 7th-grade self. The growth from 7th grade to high school doesn’t show up in three months. It comes from experiences and learning development.
The emotional maturity between the two ends of the spectrum would ultimately lead to frustration and arguments. It would work out well for the smaller schools, but not for the bigger schools. It’s just not probable.
