Rules have always been made to be broken – but when kids get hurt for such actions, well that’s inexcusable.
An Alabama high school football team was stripped of a win when their coach admitted to giving gift cards to his players, unknowingly violating the state’s high school athletic rules.
After Tuscaloosa County High School won their season opener against Central Tuscaloosa, 24-21, head coach Adam Winegareden recognized his team’s effort and gifted several players gift cads to a local Buffalo Wild Wings.
The players’ status changed from amateur to professional when they received the gifts, which goes against the Alabama High School Athletic Association rules. The AHSAA’s Amateur Rule states only amateurs are eligible to participate in league-sanctioned events.
Two of the students who received the cards played in Tuscaloosa County’s 55-33 win over Bessemer City in violation of the Amateur Rule as they were non-amateurs competing in the high school game, forcing the school to forfeit their September 1st win.
Winegarden, who gave the cards away as a form of player recognition, never thought he was in violation because the gift cards which were marked “complimentary cards” could not be redeemed, The Tuscaloosa County School System said in a statement obtained by ABC.
“It should be understood that the NCAA’s NIL (Name Image Likeness) does not apply to current high school student-athletes,” the memo from the AHSAA to the school said. “Current high school student-athletes cannot earn money or accept money – cash, check, Venmo, Apple Pay, gift cards, etc. as a result of their connection to their high school team.
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A great start for Xaverian’s Fall sports – Freddy Scuteri had two touchdowns and rushed for 204 yards; Jude Vannoy tossed two touchdowns – one to Owen Conti and the other to Antonio Hernandez as the Clippers topped Kennedy Catholic, 44-7, Friday night.
Aiden Leary and Chris Duffy also scored. Defensive standouts were…
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