“I’ve taken the past year, and have weighed my options. After careful thought and prayer, I have decided to sign with ... ”

Cameras flash. Family, friends, coaches, teammates, students and faculty cheer in acceptance. All for a 17-year-old high school senior who has just decided to where he or she will play collegiate athletics.

These “kids” have not even performed at the next level yet but are already being projected by some analyst to be the next Tom Bradys and Michael Jordans. What happens when these supposed student-athletes become the next James “Boobie” Miles or flunk out of school? Before they step into practice, they are already put on a pedestal by the media. From there, who knows how high their egos go.

Recently, 12-year-old Brad Dalke, a golf prodigy, made a verbal commitment to OU. The problem is a verbal commitment needs the involvement of two parties to take place. Though the university denies these allegations, in this day and age, don’t be surprised if it becomes commonplace to recruit middle schoolers. After all, the Amateur Athletic Union begins ranking basketball players in fifth grade.

This over-exposure amateur athletes has saturated American sports. After playing with a future University of Texas starting point guard, I have seen firsthand how media can affect a high school program and cause more than just family turmoil.

Overall, parents, family friends, coaches and administrators should look out for the best options for their student-athlete and not take their athletic ability and making it a public spectrum, placing them on a king’s throne when they are just a pauper.