The National Student-Athlete’s
Rights Movement (NSARM) has launched a proposal pushing for the
implementation of the first ever Student-Athletes’ Bill of
Rights, which defines a set of basic rights and privileges for all
student athletes at NCAA member institutions.
The proposal details concerns about the welfare of student athletes
in the NCAA and provides supporting facts and a rationale for each
of the rights outlined.
This is the pet project of former University of Kansas head track
and field coach Bob Timmons. Timmons, who retired in 1988 and coached
such greats as Jim Ryun, has been a long time advocate of the rights
of student athletes.
The Bill of Rights is part of a 64-page proposal titled “The
NCAA: Who Protects the Student-Athletes?” that the National
Student-Athletes’ Rights Movement recently sent to presidents,
chancellors, trustees and athletic departments of NCAA member institutions.
In the opening letter of the proposal Timmons wrote, “During
my 24 years as a collegiate coach I became concerned about those
policies and procedures of the NCAA that infringe on the fundamental
rights of student-athletes. Today my concerns are larger than ever.”
Appalachian State University Director of Athletics Roachel Laney
does not think the Bills of Rights will go very far. Timmons, while
being a former coach, has been absent from collegiate athletics
for 14 years and since his tenure, many things have changed. The
biggest change has been the creation of a student-athlete advisory
board to deal with these sorts of situations.
“I view college athletics as a privilege not a right,”
said Laney.“ Rules and regulations are there because things
have been abused in the past.”
The effort of a concerned collegiate coach to create the NSARM has
been ongoing for more than 36 years. This organization is designed
to help the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) better
interact with student-athletes.
The NSARM was formed to encourage and assist in the finding of facts
and debate in open public forums of important issues and to focus
public attention on the need for changes in policies and rules that
affect the welfare of all student athletes.
They are concerned with issues that go far beyond those that are
directly related to Title IX. These are issues of basic fairness
and justice in access to opportunity, development of rules and regulations,
safety, and due process among others.
The four major goals that have been established for the organization
are: One, to encourage and facilitate fact finding and national
debate in open public forums by student athletes, coaches, parents,
administrators, and public officials of problems and key issues
relating to the welfare of all student athletes in all sports at
all member institutions of the NCAA.
Two, through this debate restore the welfare of student athletes
to its rightful place as the top priority at the NCAA; three, identify
and bring about changes in policies and practices at the NCAA and
at member institutions that will more effectively serve to enhance
and protect the welfare of student athletes competing in NCAA sanctioned
sports; and four, define a set of governing policies, including
an NCAA student athletes’ Bill of Rights, and other mechanisms
that will help ensure the welfare of student athletes remains the
top priority in the NCAA and at member institutions in the future. |
