That has it's pros and cons I guess.......can't compete for prize money any more, right?
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It is official today, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association announced that bass fishing is now an official high school sport. While there have been high school bass teams in the past, it was not sanctioned under the KHSAA. Kentucky is the second state to do this (I believe Arkansas was first).
That has it's pros and cons I guess.......can't compete for prize money any more, right?
Seems like a lot of us were born 30 or so years too late to enjoy our sport as a high school or college team. At least I was able to take a bait and fly casting class in college. We spent most of our time bass fishing. The school could not afford a bunch of flyrod outfits.
Sweet! Artcarney brings up a good point. Could end up being an expensive sport for parents being that no prize money would be awarded, but perhaps the schools will have something setup to reimburse for expenses/travel. Where would you draw the line for funding? Athletic departments purchase most of the necessary equipment for other sports like basketball and football, etc. and usually provide transportation to and from events. I'm assuming it would be like golf. You are responsible for your own clubs, balls, and shoes and just show up? In this case it would be rods, reels, line, lures. What about boats? There's a lot of questions I have, but overall, I'm excited to see this happening.
I would love to be a coach of one of these schools....
Art, I am not sure how the amateurism will change things. Maybe none. KHSAA put a link up on their site today, but there is nothing it links to yet. I am getting ready to try and find out as much as possible about this next week.
IMO the pro's could be in the payoff for state fish and wildlife agencies and the USFWS getting more money by license sales and the Pittman/Robertson act.
hopefully one of the benefits is that maybe some boy/girl will get an opportunity to learn the sport when they otherwise wouldnt have had the chance. sometimes its about money and sometimes its about nothing more than they come from a home where the parents dont fish/hunt etc.
man i hope this takes off, i would rather see a youngun staring at a depthfinder screen than an xbox
Okay, let's think about this like a kid does:
1. I like to fish.
2. I take the class.
3. If I do well, I pass, and don't fish anymore during school time.
4. If I do poorly, I have to stay after school for tutoring, which means more fishing.
5. If after all the extra tutoring fishing time, if I flunk outright, I have to take the class over next year, and get to fish during school time again. If I pass, its over.
6. Ergo, take it, and fish poorly to get to fish more this year and next.
7. Repeat as necessary to avoid gym class.
Of course, I always was an over-thinking under achiever!
Doesn't that mean to take the class, a kid would have to buy a fishing license? He's still consuming a state resource.
Wait got it....the class is strictly theory, spieces study, habitate study, behavior study, intro to equipment, and intro to the motor skills required i.e. knot tying, and casting plugs with no hooks at suspended rubber tires.
Maybe like : In biology class, they dissect animals to learn anatomy, without a coroner's or doctor's license.