Miami Allegations a Cautionary Tale for Student Athletes

Accusations of widespread illegal activity in the University of Miami Athletic Department offer high school coaches across the country the perfect backdrop for discussing with their players the seedy underside of college athletics.

As reported by Yahoo! Sports, Former Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro said that 72 football players and other athletes at Miami received improper benefits from him during the past decade. Shapiro, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for masterminding a $930 million Ponzi scheme, said he gave money, cars, yacht trips, jewelry, televisions and other gifts to a list of players including Vince Wilfork, Jon Beason, Antrel Rolle, Devin Hester, Willis McGahee and the late Sean Taylor. Shapiro also claimed he paid for nightclub outings, sex parties, restaurant meals and in one case, an abortion for a woman impregnated by a player. One former Miami player, running back Tyrone Moss, told Yahoo! Sports he accepted $1,000 from Shapiro around the time he was entering college. Shapiro said he worked in concert with several former Miami assistant coaches during the recruiting process.

"It was me and some other players with my incoming (class). I'm not going to say the names but you can probably figure them out yourself," Moss told Yahoo! Sports. "When I was getting there my freshman year, it was me and a couple more players. It was me and a few more of the guys in my incoming class that he kind of showed some love to."

Given that the scandal has stretched beyond the campus in Coral Gables and into the offices of high school coaches, EducationWorld offers the following 10 talking points for prep coaches to share with high school athletes:

1. Remember that the recruiting process should be run through universities’ athletic programs. This is sometimes lost on young athletes, who see agents representing their favorite stars. A lot of the trouble that Miami is in right now could have been avoided if the prep athletes dealt only with university coaches, and not with dubious “representatives” like Shapiro.
2. Think about the future. Put yourself in the shoes of the athletes at Miami right now. They very well may find themselves banned from athletic play, or even expelled from school. Given the very small percentage of athletes who go on to play sports professionally, you’ll be putting yourself in a position where you’ll have neither an education, a job nor the means to pay to attend a different school.
3. It’s tough, but make the right choice. For a lot of kids, the idea of taking a few thousand dollars to attend a school they would have attended anyway may seem like a no-brainer. Remind them that while they do not get any cash for their performance on the field, they do receive a college education at no cost. Point out the crushing, often lifelong debt into which college tuition forces many people.
4. Ignore the hangers-on. Everyone has friends, and we all want out friends to like us, but sometimes friends have really bad advice. That is even more true when your friends are all teenagers who would love to be in your shoes. Ultimately there are two groups of people you can trust during the recruiting process—your parents and your coaches.
5. If it’s illegal in society, it’s not a good idea in sports, either.  Taking money from someone isn’t illegal, but it is against NCAA rules. Drinking under the age of 21, sleeping with prostitutes and visiting adult clubs are all illegal. While you may be able to rationalize the taking of gifts, there is no rationalization for breaking the law.
6. Is this the type of program for which you want to play? It may seem cool from the outside, but with hundreds of Division I universities out there, why risk your reputation and your future to play for the one renegade?
7. They don’t care about you. The only reason a person like Shapiro has taken an interest in you is because you can play. The second you can’t, someone like him loses interest. Realize that you’re a commodity. Once you understand that, you can make a sound decision.
8. The rules are only going to get tighter.  In the wake of the recent high-profile NCAA scandals, it’s only going to get harder for schools and athletes to break the rules. Taking $100 from a booster 10 years ago may not have been a big deal. Now it could get you kicked out of school.
9. You’re not going pro. The likelihood is very, VERY small. Don’t stop reaching for that dream, but be very prepared when it doesn’t work out. You need a degree, and you can’t earn one when you’re not in school.
10. You know it’s wrong. This has been going on for nearly 100 years, and everyone knows it’s against the rules. If you know it’s wrong, just don’t do it. Be the better person.

Article by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
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