A highly ranked high school football player moved from his town in New York State to Pennsylvania to play football in a better high school program. The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association said that this is a violation of state rules that forbid a player to move for “athletic reasons” and declared this nationally ranked player, ineligible to play football.

This situation is a prime example of the professionalization of youth sports. Yes, high school football is very important in our society. The lure of the "Friday night lights" brings out the excitement and expectation in all of us. But, should high school football be about entertainment or education? It should first, be about education. The needs of those kids on the field should be first, not the needs of the parents in the stands.

That being said, I don't think education is the issue in this case. I understand that the WPIAL wants to eliminate out of town recruiting of high school players, but when a family chooses to move, that should be their decision. In the bigger picture, no one would object if a family wants to move to another school district so their children can get a better education. Nor, would anyone object if the parents of a clarinet player moved so as to be in a better band program. But, football is too important. It has more value in our society than music or education, therefore, it follows that society feels it needs to be regulated. As is often the case, politics is the motivation. Last year, the WPIAL ruled that Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh could recruit a quarterback from North Carolina, now they have sullied their reputation by voting the opposite way for Woodland Hills High School. Because football is so important to the adults, the needs of the kids are ignored.