Coaches push to host college showcases
Seek to loosen out-of-season restriction
Boys high school basketball coaches from across the state are pushing the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference to host college showcases for student athletes, and loosen out-of-season coaching restrictions.
In a proposal, the Coaches Advancement for Racial Equity committee — composed of Windsor’s Ken Smith, Capital Prep’s Levy Gillespie, New Britain’s Kurt Reis, Fitch’s Charles Silvan, Ledyard’s Dave Cornish and Wilbur Cross’ Kevin Walton — argues that the out-ofseason restrictions (which disallow coaches from working with student-athletes in the offseason) has created an unequal playing field for many athletes, specifically those without the financial means to pay to play.
“We find that in recent years an unfair advantage has been created for students and programs based on systematic barriers that impact equity relative to race/ethnicity, geographic location and socioeconomic status,” the letter read. “Certified high school coaches can help to combat this effect If modifications were made to allow coaches to work with student athletes out-ofseason.”
The CARE committee proposed that high schools should be allowed to host showcases this summer for athletes looking to play collegiately. The showcases, which the committee suggested should run from June 20-27, during the NCAA’s live recruiting period, and June 28-July 4, would be directed and run by certified high school coaches, and would allow players to work out in front of college coaches and recruiters.
When reached for comment, CIAC executive director Glenn Lungarini said he had not received anything from the coaches. In the past, most proposals have come from individual sport committees.
The NCAA established state-by-state Division I recruiting showcases in 2019, though Connecticut was one of 32 states to chose not to participate, as Lungarini cited gender inequality, the finances behind it and the logistics of hosting it at a CIAC member school’s gym. The CIAC had planned to host a similar event in 2020, though COVID-19 wiped it out. Lungarini said that if the NCAA were to hold showcases again this June, the CIAC would host one pending favorable COVID19 metrics.
UConn hosted an invitation-only showcase in July of 2019, though some coaches felt it was not inclusive enough.
The letter from the CARE committee proposed at least three different sites for these showcases. Smith told The Courant that he believes college coaches would have interest in attending, and that all athletes who want to participate would be allowed to.
“This event is studentcentered, which provides a college fair atmosphere using athletics, and will be hosted by the schools to help students matriculate onto college,” the letter wrote.
Said Smith, “We’ve got to make the game better. We’ve got to improve it ... we’re not trying to attack the CIAC. We’re just trying to make it better. It’s an equity thing. Everybody can’t afford to do certain things, and certain people can.”
Gillespie has seen firsthand — as a coach and father — what the cost of these opportunities are. His daughter, Kiah, was a two-time state Gatorade Player of the Year winner, participated in the McDonald’s All-American game, and played at Florida State prior to being drafted by the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. Levy Gillespie said that wouldn’t have been possible if the family didn’t have the financial means to put her through AAU basketball and to train her year round.
Many families, Gillespie said, cannot afford that.
“I think [coaching out of season] creates a more even playing field,” Gillespie said. “I think this is just a start to going down the road. A lot of these kids don’t have these opportunities. They don’t have the money for AAU. They don’t have the money for private or personal trainers ... When we’re talking about equity in terms of sports, there’s a distinct disadvantage for some kids that don’t have the access or the finances to afford AAU, personal trainers, that’s what sports are becoming in terms of basketball these days.
“A lot of kids lose opportunities in terms of college coaches being able to see them.”
Gilespie said the group will continue to meet and identify “ways to effect positive change” in high school basketball, and that he believes the group can work with the CIAC for the betterment of student athletes. He said the group hopes to start the conversation about hosting a college showcase with the CIAC by March.
Coaches and administrators have long requested that the CIAC to allow out-of-season coaching. In 2019, the Southern Connecticut Conference requested the CIAC create a subcommittee to explore the state’s limitations on seasonal coaching. The SCC argued there are numerous benefits to more coaching during the summer including improved play, potential for limiting early season injuries and limiting the use of for-profit coaches and programs.
The CIAC’s subcommittee had planned to finish its research in the spring of 2020, though COVID-19 put it on pause. Lungarini said the subcommittee will reconvene this spring.
Across the country, 32 states have no restrictions on seasonal coaching, while 14 others have less restrictive rules than Connecticut. Gillespie believes that a rollback on restrictions will help basketball across Connecticut continue to grow, and to keep athletes in public schools as opposed to prep schools, which follow different rules.
“People told me to take my daughter out of the public school system and put them into prep schools [for basketball purposes],” Gillespie said. “What I said is, I believe in the public school system, and I’ll help her as much as I can to create that pathway without prep school. That was able to happen — proving that it can happen.”