As a local community sports journalist, several relationships are built with players, coaches and even family members of the student-athletes that appear in our Jasper County papers each week.
I spend as much time with the area student-athletes, coaches and their families as I spend with my own family. So to say I care about them would be an understatement.
Recently, the Iowa High School Athletic Association released new guidelines for media coverage of boys state tournaments, most importantly football, wrestling and boys basketball.
What the new guidelines boil down to involves altering the way we cover our athletes.
Print photographers and TV stations are no longer allowed to be matside at the state wrestling tournament. And press row, where I call home for the large part of three days, is being removed, and we are being placed in a media center in the back of Wells Fargo Arena and away from all the action.
I am trying to stay positive. I want to believe this can work and is beneficial to the athletes the IHSAA are supposed to be promoting.
Whether or not it’s a positive situation remains to be seen. I am not the only media member who is skeptical.
Several articles have been written recently highlighting our concerns of the new guidelines. It appears to be all about money as the Iowa High School Sports Network bought the broadcast rights to the boys state tournaments.
I understand the financial situation the IHSSN is in. It wants to make its money back in some way, but making a deal with Comcast Sports Chicago is not beneficial to the athletes.
If you can’t make it to Wells Fargo Arena for the state wrestling tournament or boys state basketball tournament, the only way to see the action is through Direct TV or Dish Network.
That means a large majority of our state can’t even watch Iowa boys tournament action, but I am sure the folks in Illinois will love it.
Despite receiving plenty of negative feedback, the IHSAA has doubled down on the guidelines. They sent out a press release last week making sure us media folks have our facts straight. And assuring us that it won’t be as bad as it seems.
The facts were in order. The press release didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I am hoping it’s not as bad as it seems but forgive me for having doubts.
IHSAA Executive Director Alan Beste doubled down again when he came on 1460 KXNO last week to explain its side of the story. Nothing was adjusted. Nothing was compromised. It is moving forward with the guidelines as planned.
I cover a lot of these area athletes all the way through their high school years.
I keep track of the fortunate ones who move on and compete at the collegiate level.
I love when the kids come up to me and say hello at events. Some even thank me for coming.
The IHSSN has no idea what that feels like because they don’t know the kids like local media knows them.
That’s the hardest part to understand. Why would the IHSAA sell out to someone who doesn’t have the best interest of the kids?
Simple. The money was too good to pass up. And it’s unfortunate.
Now back to those area athletes. Several seniors have made the decision to extend their athletic careers to the college level.
Grand View University and Wartburg College appear to be popular landing spots this year.
Prairie City-Monroe’s Ethan Thomas and Tatum Nearmyer have decided to play for the Vikings in football and track and field, respectively.
The Mustang duo will soon be reunited with PCM alum Ashley Van Gorp, who is on the GVU volleyball team.
Other recent commitments include Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s Megan Ritter, Abbey Kahler and Hunter McWhirter. Ritter and Kahler will both play softball for Wartburg College, while McWhirter will join former teammates Clayton Weltha and Hunter Gunderson on the Knights’ football team.
Contact Troy Hyde
at thyde@newtondailynews.com