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Sample letter to your Congressman and answers to common questions
Since this is a democracy, the person with the most votes, influence, power usually wins. To have power you must speak up. If the kids of the country are going to be free from the fear that their sport is going to be dumped or gutted, we all must speak for them. If you don't speak up, we're probably going to lose this important law (the Hastert language). If you speak up, we will win and every student-athlete who is not told that the program will be dumped will be protected. To win, everyone must write, call or e-mail your Congressman and Senators. The phone number to reach any Senator or Congressman can be found at this site or simply call (202) 224-3121. The operator will connect you with the Congressman or Senator's office. Ask to speak with the staff person who handles higher education matters. Tell them what you think and ask that the staffer let you know what your lawmaker thinks. Then let me know what was said. Also, you can e-mail your Congressman or Senator at this site. It took me about five minutes to send the following letter to my lawmakers. Try to put in your own feelings about this. Dear Senator (or Congressman): I am writing about a section of the education reauthorization bill which requires colleges to notify incoming students about the status of the school's athletic program. The section which is presently making its way through the House and Senate is Title IV Section 485(a) (1) (g) (1) (K) - the so-called Hastert (Illinois) language in the House. This language requires every college president to inform an incoming student if the school intends to drop a sport or reduce the resources of the sport during the next 4 years. This is only fair. The NCAA,however, is attempting to add language to this bill that dilutes the Hastert language so as to make it meaningless. The language that the NCAA wants to add is that the school need only disclose the fact that it is going to drop the sport etc. if that fact is known at the time of the student's enrollment. This additional language virtually kills the Hastert language, and we oppose it vehemently. We realize that the NCAA is strong and that their lobby is a powerful influence on Congress. However, I know that principle and the high ground is on the side of these young athletes. Please tell the NCAA that when a student- athlete decides to attend a college the administrators of that college form a trust with the student that the school will be loyal to the students just like the students are loyal to the school and that schools should not drop a sport unless they inform the student before matriculation that the school is going to. Thank you for your consideration. I know you will do the right thing. Question: "My understanding of the Hastert legislation is that a 17-year old student-athlete going off to college must be informed by the school's administration if the school is going to drop the sport or reduce the resources or participants in the program. My understanding of the NCAA's amendment to Hastert's language is that the school must report the reduction in the program only if the school knows about it at the time the student enrolls. Most schools say this makes sense since how can we report a reduction if we don't know about it? What's wrong with the NCAA's amendment?" Answer: Most importantly for student-athletes in proving their cases, it is impossible for student- athletes (or their lawyers) to prove when the administration decided to drop the program. If the administration decides to drop the program two days after the student-athlete enrolls, the student has no recourse. School administrators have played so many games when explaining why they drop programs (particularly relataing to Title IX) that that this issue should be left to their good faith. The burden, of course, should be on the administration to act in good faith when the student matriculates. Tell him or her that the program is going to terminated or reduced or find a way to keep the program operating for the full four years. The Hastert provision requires that the administrator act in good faith rather than leaving it up to the administrator to be honest with the incoming students.
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