Virginia lawmakers are pushing forward with a new bill to prevent school officials from misusing the “homeless” status to recruit student athletes. This bill, known as House Bill 1656, was introduced by Del. Dan Helmer from Fairfax. It also bans officials from accepting cash or gifts meant to sway students’ school transfer decisions for sports reasons.
The legislation passed out of the House Education Committee with an 11-10 party-line vote. Interestingly, no discussions occurred before the vote took place.
This bill arises from recent controversies in Virginia high school sports. For instance, in November, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) found that Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria broke rules by letting students who transferred play on its football team. Hayfield had an impressive regular season with a 9-1 record but withdrew from the playoffs after the first week because many players had transferred from Freedom High School, a back-to-back state champion.
Additionally, Edison High School’s varsity boys basketball coach in Fairfax County faced suspension for allowing kids not enrolled at the school to play in an official summer tournament.
Del. Helmer sees these issues as part of a larger trend affecting high school sports. He stated, “I’m concerned that the professionalization of college sports is now creeping into high schools.” Helmer believes that the bill is a step toward safeguarding the educational and competitive values of high school sports. He said, “These sports should teach leadership, good conduct, and sportsmanship. We must protect that.”
While Helmer feels this bill starts to clarify the law, he acknowledges that more efforts are needed. He said, “We need to set some standards and then build upon that to ensure high school sports retain their integrity.”
