‘Name, image and likeness’ change holds promise for teen athletes

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Georgia High School Association’s new name, image and likeness policy is in full effect.

The GHSA voted to allow high school athletes in Georgia to make money off their name, image, and likeness without losing their amateur status.

High school basketball has proven to be one of the most marketable sports: Nike, New Balance, Adidas and big name NBA players sponsor AAU programs in the country.

It has local coaches weighing in on the possibilities for their student-athletes here in the CSRA.

“With the high school kids, at some point, they will become the collegiate kids. And those colleges will still be making the amount of money. It actually levels the playing field to some extent, to allow those kids to have that opportunity to make not the same amount of money, but potentially make a little bit that could help them or their families,” said Cross Creek Head Coach Lawrence Kelly.

Grovetown Head Coach Darren Douglas said: “It helps with their decision making, just being able to start earning a little earlier. And I think, with as much money as the sport makes, it’s a great thing for them to be able to partake in that.”

Student-athletes have to follow certain guidelines if they want to take advantage of NIL. Students are not allowed to use any school or GHSA branding. Any NIL deals can not be specific to a certain athletic performance or achievement.

It also can’t be used as an incentive to draw or keep players at one school or another.

“Regardless, when young kids can realize that their decisions can cost them early, it usually gives them a chance to be successful later on in life,” said Douglas.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is still trying to navigate ing their own guidelines. Just last week, the NCAA announced that they would allow D1 schools to pay their athletes directly.

It only seems that high schools will eventually run into similar problems.

“I just think we all got to kind of figure it out as we’re go along. With anything that’s new, it may be a little bit of anxiousness or uncomfortableness that goes along. But it’s the field now. So you got to, I guess, hang on and go along for the ride with everybody else.,” said Douglas.

Ultimately, its a move in the right direction.

Kelly said: “For a high school kid to have that opportunity, which allows them to sit down and go out there and be marketable. But it also opens the door for other opportunities, once you get to the college level for you to potentially do business with different businesses.”

Douglas said: “There were other states that allowed it before us. If you’re losing all of your best athletes, to other states, then you either change or you continue to lose all your best athletes.”

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