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Signing Day

By Beacon Staff

In less than a week, high school players will ink their name to a document that commits them to an institution of higher learning to play football.

For most, it is an extension of a storied sports career that some of the players, and probably their family, feel will take them a step closer to the professional ranks.

Realistically, especially at the level of Montana schools, nothing could be further from the truth.

Sure, there are exceptions, as with University of Montana’s Lex Hilliard and Dan Carpenter at Miami, Kroy Biermann at Atlanta, Carroll’s Casey Fitzsimmons, who is testing the free agent market and, most recently, Tuff Harris, who was signed as a late-season edition to Pittsburgh.

But for the most part, the athletes who will sign a national letter of intent on Feb. 3 will be entering their final phase of competitive athletics, save a semi-pro or recreational league opportunity.

Some have been officially recruited since their junior year of high school, others even drew notice before that, but could not be officially contacted.

Many have made a verbal commitment by indicating they have decided to attend a particular school by contacting the media to announce their intentions.

While coaches and institutions may not comment on such commitments until a document is received next week, a wink and a nod encourages a highly prized prospect to make that verbal commitment in the hopes it will discourage other schools from continuing the recruiting pursuit.

With the recent barrage of collegiate coaching changes, just what is attracting that prized recruit to a particular school and what guarantees can an athlete expect?

A player decides to attend a particular school for a myriad reasons, but the relationships that are developed with a particular coach figure highly in the decision.

Therein lies the question: Is the coach committed to the athlete at the same level as an 18- or 19-year old youngster is to him?

Fortunately, at the Football Championship Subdivision level, there is less of chance that a complete coaching staff leaves as quick as the Colts pulled out of Baltimore in moving vans in the middle of the night.

Being successful at coaching is like most other business endeavors – If you win enough in a short period of time there will be other opportunities that pay more money and give you an opportunity to win enough at another institution so you can attract even more notice and ultimately gain that “life- and family-changing position” that sets them up for life.

This is not criticism. That is the American way, right? You can’t eat the scenery and most everybody is compelled to better their lot in life. I get it.

But when youngsters on Feb. 3 are signing their commitment to give their best effort in collegiate competition for a particular institution, they better do it to gain the best available education and to make the most of every second on campus.

Make the decision for more important reasons than a commitment to a particular coach. While their interest is, at the time, sincere and they will be emotionally affected when they choose to leave a program, college sports is a business and simply a means to an end for the coach and the athlete.

Be realistic, make the most of the opportunity and realize what college sports has unfortunately become … a business.