Injury/Letter of Intent

[cougvb]

Been lots of talk lately about sophomores making such an important decision. What happens if a sophomore (or any recruit, for that matter) has a catastrophic injury that keeps them from playing volleyball? Is the school still obligated to pay for their education? Do they get an exception, ie-they get 13 scholarships as long as the girl is still in college?

[roy]

I am sure others can bring up the exact NCAA rules but I would think the answer is no. If a player has a major injury that keeps them from playing volleyball, the school is not obligated to pay for that player. Generally, a lot will happen regarding when the player gets injuried. If she gets injuried before she signs the letter of intent, she is probably a junior or younger. By that point, a coach and player will have enough time to figure out whether she can physically play or if she even wants to continue playing. If she has signed a letter of intent, it will be up to the school and the player. Depending on the injury, she might be able to come back from it.

I have heard of coaches still using that scholarship for that player for her first year at the school if the injury is so close to the time she is going to start college. But the program doesn't get a 13th scholarship out of it.

[Chance]

I know (in other sports at least) that it is common for a school to give a scholarship to a committed player who suffered a career ending injury.

I also know that if a player suffers a career ending injury in college, the school can keep them on scholarship without it counting against the limit.

I don't know if you can combine the two.

[foreignball]

chance said:

I know (in other sports at least) that it is common for a school to give a scholarship to a committed player who suffered a career ending injury.

I also know that if a player suffers a career ending injury in college, the school can keep them on scholarship without it counting against the limit.

I don't know if you can combine the two.

Off topic question: Are you a Tottenham Hotspurs or Dimitar Berbatov's fan....or may be both? ;D

[Chance]

foreignball said:

Off topic question: Are you a Tottenham Hotspurs or Dimitar Berbatov's fan....or may be both? ;D

I'm a huge Spurs fan, and Dimitar Berbatov is possibly the most awesome athlete on the face of the planet.

You?

[foreignball]

chance said:

I'm a huge Spurs fan, and Dimitar Berbatov is possibly the most awesome athlete on the face of the planet.

You?

I don't have particular affiliation with any UK soccer team even though Premiership is may be the best soccer league worldwide but I have been Berba's (btw the right spelling should be "Berbo") fan since he started his pro career. On top of everything else I have to be his fan at the moment (personal reasons ).
Can't say whether he is the most awesone but definitely one of the few that use brain and improvisation. BTW he is quite inteligent for a soccer player - he speaks fluently 3 languages and is a very good artist (rumors are he will have his 1st exhibition very soon).

[BearClause]

chance said:

I know (in other sports at least) that it is common for a school to give a scholarship to a committed player who suffered a career ending injury.

I also know that if a player suffers a career ending injury in college, the school can keep them on scholarship without it counting against the limit.

I don't know if you can combine the two.

It's within the rules to keep a "fund" to pay for student-athletes suffering a career ending injury.

The rules for how the scholarship situation sorts itself after a career ending injury/illness is complex. Going that route means never coming back at that same school as an NCAA athlete. I don't have the exact rule in front of me, but it's that the former student-athlete no longer becomes a "counter" against the scholarship limits for the sport. If the athlete ever plays again due to some "miracle recovery" at the same school, then the student-athlete must be counted against the scholarship limits back to every year of receiving the "career ending injury" scholarship. If the coaches decided to max out the scholarships, then it's not a viable option to come back.

[JustInCase]

Once the player has signed a letter of intent, a school cannot remove a scholarship due to injury.

[BearClause]

collegecoach8502 said:

Once the player has signed a letter of intent, a school cannot remove a scholarship due to injury.

The letter of intent can only guarantee the athletic scholarship for the first year. The NCAA's rules specifically say that athletic scholarships are renewable on a yearly basis.

However - I don't know what the situation might be if the scholarship renewal letter is already given in writing before the injury. Still - there's nothing forcing an athletic department to fully fund a four/five-year scholarship if the player becomes injured. It is typical policy for well funded athletic departments to fund the education for players injured beyond their ability to play.

[Not Me]

The NCAA only allows athletic only allows athletic awards to be granted for a year at a time. They must be renewed every year.

JustInCase, you are incorrect to state that "It is a violation not to renew a scholarship due to athletic injury." The scholarship can be removed for any reason. Now a player can appeal that decision, but the coach and athletic department have control over what is offered.

What a school cannot do is remove a scholarship in the middle of the year because of an injury. So if a scholarship player gets injured in the Fall, they cannot pull the scholarship for the spring semester. (Section 15.3.4 of the DI byLaws.) Remember the "period of award" is just one year.

CougVB - keep in mind that H.S. Sophomores or Juniors who commit do not sign an NLI until November of their Senior year. So, there is nothing binding until the NLI is signed.

I would doubt that any school would pay a 4 year scholarship for a player if they get hurt before even signing an NLI. I just don't see any coach doing that. Wouldn't wasting a scholarship for 4 years have a very negative impact on the program?

A school may not tell a student up front that if they get hurt, their scholarship will be guaranteed for the full 4 years. (15.3.3.1.3)

[azvb]

We had a kid (Joe Kay) in Tucson with a partial scholarship to Stanford to play volleyball. In his last basketball game, he made a shot at the buzzer and the fans rushed the court. He was at the bottom of the pile and his Aorta was torn. He basically suffered a stroke. He's ok mentally, but physically still has some challenges. He enrolled I believe last fall after a couple years of therapy. The article I saw said his scholarship was switched to a medical scholarship. He covers the VB team for the school newspaper, and it sounds like the team has tried to include him in every way possible.

[StanfordFan]

I read about that incident in the Stanford magazine. Just so tragic.

azvb said:

We had a kid (Joe Kay) in Tucson with a partial scholarship to Stanford to play volleyball. In his last basketball game, he made a shot at the buzzer and the fans rushed the court. He was at the bottom of the pile and his Aorta was torn. He basically suffered a stroke. He's ok mentally, but physically still has some challenges. He enrolled I believe last fall after a couple years of therapy. The article I saw said his scholarship was switched to a medical scholarship. He covers the VB team for the school newspaper, and it sounds like the team has tried to include him in every way possible.

[BearClause]

15.3.3.1.3 Injury or Illness Policy. It is not permissible for an institution to assure the prospective student-athlete that it automatically will continue a grant-in-aid past the one-year period if the recipient sustains an injury that prevents him or her from competing in intercollegiate athletics, but an institutional representative may inform the prospective student-athlete of the regular institutional policy related to renewal or continuation of aid past the one-year period for recipients who become ill or injured during their participation.

15.3.4.3 Reduction or Cancellation Not Permitted. Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability may not be increased, decreased or canceled during the period of its award: (Adopted: 1/16/93; Revised: 1/11/94)
(a) On the basis of a student-athlete’s athletics ability, performance or contribution to a team’s success;
(b) Because of an injury that prevents the recipient from participating in athletics; or
(c) For any other athletics reason.

15.5.1.3 Counter Who Becomes Injured or Ill. A counter who becomes injured or ill to the point that he or she apparently never again will be able to participate in intercollegiate athletics shall not be considered a counter beginning with the academic year following the incapacitating injury or illness.

15.5.1.3.1 Incapacitating Injury or Illness.If an incapacitating injury or illness occurs prior to a student-athlete’s participation in athletically related activities and results in the student-athlete's inability to compete ever again, the student-athlete shall not be counted within the institution’s maximum financial aid award limitations for the current, as well as subsequent, academic years. However, if the incapacitating injury or illness occurs on or after the student-athlete's participation in countable athletically related activities in the sport, the student-athlete shall be counted in the institution's maximum financial aid limitations for the current academic year but need not be counted in subsequent academic years. (Adopted: 1/10/91; Revised: 3/26/04)

15.5.1.3.2 Change in Circumstances. If circumstances change and the student-athlete subsequently practices or competes at the institution at which the incapacitating injury or illness occurred, the student-athlete again shall become a counter, and the institution shall be required to count that financial aid under the limitations of this bylaw in the sport in question during each academic year in which the financial aid was received. (Revised: 4/26/01 effective
8/1/01)

15.5.1.3.3 Waiver. The Management Council, by a two-thirds majority of its members present and voting, may waive the requirements of Bylaw 15.5.1.3.2 upon determination that sufficient documentation is available from competent medical authorities to indicate that the original injury or illness clearly appeared to be incapacitating and that there was no reasonable expectation that the student-athlete ever again would be able to participate in intercollegiate athletics.

I'll just add that I don't think it makes any sense to note the stuff on "incapacitating injury" and status as a "counter" unless there's some financial aid involved. If they completely cut off financial aid, then it shouldn't matter.

[Not Me]

The incapacitating Injury and counter language are important for that year. But more so for Winter or Spring Sports, as it is harder to get injured before VB season. Once a player is a "counter" in a season, then that person counts against their scholarship limit, even if they drop out of school.

the counter language refers to the way an individual counts against their maximum scholarship numbers.

And again all of these bylaws only effect one year at a time.