SIDELINE SCENE: The good and bad of National Signing Day

Wednesday was an exciting day.

It was an exciting day for local athletes, their parents, their coaches, their teachers and administrators and, yes, the local sports media, too.

Much of what happens on National Signing Day is “the good part,” the positive aspect of recruiting and the nationwide competition for college scholarships. 

When a high-school senior signs his or her name on the dotted line and, in doing so, takes a huge step toward receiving a college education for a fraction of the cost of regular attendance, that’s a win for everybody.

So, in this edition of the paper, we celebrate those athletes and their hard work — as well as the hard work and dedication of their parents and coaches.

But — oh, yes, there’s a but — it’s not just a happy day for the athletes; it’s a happy day for thousands and thousands of college football fans. 

Which is fine … except this is where things tend to get problematic.

Signing Day is marketed as a chance for college football fans to look into the crystal ball, to build up their hopes for the future by evaluating the players who decide to join their favorite program.

But some take it further than that. 

High-level recruits, particularly in football, often are engaged by fans of prospective teams they are being recruited by on social media. Most of it is harmless, but that’s not always the case. Young, indecisive high-school athletes change their minds often, and some document each twist and turn through social media — and there are adults who are hanging breathlessly on their every word.

That’s a recipe for disaster, don’t you think?

Thanks to social media and other factors, the privacy of high-school athletes is often compromised by the recruiting process — whether through overzealous fans or coaches. I’ve spoken to dozens of athletes who often reference being happy that it — meaning their recruiting process — was done. More than a few mention their pleasure that they will no longer be receiving the constant influx of messages from coaches.

Coverage of high-school recruiting, specifically for football, has gone off the deep end, and the effects are palpable. The attention thrust upon these young kids, by the media, by college coaches, by fans and by parents and family, is giving them a skewed view of reality. For anyone, there’s always a point where too many people are telling you that you’re awesome, and the effects can be negative.

One of the problems, of course, is recruiting is fascinating. It’s interesting and can be fun to follow, especially in a climate where fans simply can’t get enough information.

But there are pitfalls to a level of interest that has spawned an entire niche coverage market of recruiting-specific websites and services, and we have to strike a balance between keeping tabs on something we’re admittedly all interested in and turning an important decision by teenagers into reality television.