FHSAA seeking public input on name, image and likeness
The Florida High School Athletic Association is looking for input from the public on name, image and likeness.
The organization, which told the USA Today Florida Network in October that it was working on NIL legislation, posted a survey Wednesday to get people’s thoughts on the issue.
The nine-question survey includes asking whether NIL should be permissible for high school students in Florida; if there should be a limit on how much a student-athlete can earn; who should be able to offer an NIL deal; and will NIL have an impact on school’s athletic or academic programs.
Florida currently is in the minority of states that do not allow student-athletes to sign NIL deals.
The Georgia High School Association approved a bylaw allowing student-athletes to profit from NIL in October. Georgia became the 30th state, as well as the District of Columbia, to allow high school athletes to profit from NIL.
After Georgia’s decision, the FHSAA said it was working on legislation to be discussed at a future board of directors meeting. Name, image and likeness action was not on the agenda for the meeting in November or the special meeting in December. There are meetings scheduled for Feb. 25-26, April 21-22 and June 3-4.
In an exclusive interview with the USA Today Florida Network in December, FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon said he was hesitant to see NIL in Florida because of the high number of student-athletes transferring schools each year.
“A major difference almost all the other 50 state associations that are members of the NFHS have over Florida is they have strict transfer regulations in place,” Damon said. “These regulations are designed to help mitigate recruiting. Without transfer regulations, our association would have difficulty governing it in a manner to protect our studentathletes.”
WEST PALM BEACH — Late nights spent watching film. Near-mandatory postgame phone calls on what was done well ... and what could’ve been done better.
That’s what Emmanuel Augustin remembers about his uncle, Kerole Ulysse. Ulysse died of cancer in October. Since then, his nephew, an impact player at John I. Leonard High, has been navigating his senior year on the hardwood in honor of the man who inspired his love for basketball.
“Every day I think about him,” Augustin said. “Ever since I was a kid, he would always talk to me about basketball.”
The way Augustin carries himself with a smile, always making sure to share it with others, masks the hurt that’s marked his high school career.
Augustin also plays in memory of his grandmother, Argentine Innocent, who died in March 2021, the spring of his freshman year.
Even in moments that would push most to the tipping point, like nagging comments about his size from opposing players, Augustin remembers those who taught him to drown out the noise.
Something to prove
Then he takes the ball back, flits downcourt for a layup, and lights up the scoreboard, once again.
“Every time I’m on the court, I think about them and I go hard,” he said.
It helps that college recruiters recognize that Augustin’s speed outweighs his 5-foot-9 stature any day, too.
When tasked with guarding some of the tallest guys at the best programs in the nation while playing on the travel circuit with the Wellington Wolves, he proves time and time again that he’s a standout among the top guards in Florida.
“My coaches, they’ve just been telling me to just stay composed. ‘Everything’s gonna come to you, just keep working,’ “Augustin said. “It’s been showing.”
Immeasurable impact
Augustin says Division II programs St. Leo and Alabama A&M have interest, along with a handful of D-III and NAIA teams.
If you couldn’t have guessed, he’s John I. Leonard’s top scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game. Augustin also leads the Lancers in assists and steals, averaging over five per game in each category. His defensive abilities impress as well, tied with 6-foot-4 sophomore Bryce Reed for a team-leading 16 pass deflections.
For his 16-point performance in Leonard’s 62-59 win against Dr. Joaquin Garcia back in December, highlighted by a 70-foot shot to clinch the victory in overtime, Augustin earned the honor of being selected as The Post’s Athlete of the Week.
“It means a lot to me because I’ve been putting in a lot of work this year to prove myself. I’m trying to prove myself in this county that I am who I say I am,” Augustin said, explaining he feels “stepped on” by Palm Beach County athletes.
Now, it’s on to other milestones like a run for the trophy in a stacked District 8, which Leonard would be accomplishing for the first time since 2012 should the team surprise Lake Worth, Palm Beach Central, Wellington, Royal Palm or Forest Hill. The Lancers currently stand 7-3.
“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. Stay composed and don’t worry about the outsiders,” Augustin said. “Just have fun.”
Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.