Collegiate Times

In preparation for spring football practices that will start up again next week, Coach Frank Beamer made available the media policies for the 2009 season. This season's policies detail more restricted access to athletes compared to years past with more practices being closed to the public.

Arguments being made against these new policies include what many believe to be a restriction on free speech. Some say that students should have the right to talk to whomever they want, regardless of athletic obligations. Non-athletes are allowed to repeat information given by their professors outside of the classroom. Why shouldn't athletes be allowed the same privilege?

The answer lies in the fact that the news media isn't actively pursuing interviews with most of us. We're also not at Tech for the purpose of playing football and potentially reaching the NFL. While these athletes are students at Tech, athletic involvement is a top priority. Playing football is their job. If any one of us were contacted at work by an outside source and asked for our opinions, we would essentially be seen as a representative of our place of employment. Similarly, when athletes speak out, they are representative of their program.

At such a high level of athletics such as Atlantic Coast Conference football, the coach of the team has the right to cast rules on matters that have an effect on his players.

These student-athletes grant Beamer this right by joining the team, and it's all right for him to try and keep players from making and learning from mistakes that could cause a harmful ripple effect for the program, especially if they can be avoided.

However, in doing this it seems like Beamer missed an opportunity to really allow his players to represent themselves in a positive light. Ultimately Tech is a university and even though football is seen as a job, we are also an institution of higher education. Beamer should have seized this opportunity to instill in his players the confidence and grace to speak at a microphone in front of a group of people. As an athlete at a Division I, ACC school, the coaching staff should not only teach players how to hit, run, receive and throw, it should inculcate some level of public speaking competency. By learning simply the physical aspect of the sport, student-athletes are receiving an incomplete education.

If the football program has nothing to hide, then it would seem unnecessary to even put these rules in place. The new media policies perpetuate Beamer's lack of confidence in his players to handle themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the program. Limiting access to these athletes also demonstrates a lack of faith in their intelligence and seems to speak very poorly of the quality of education some may be receiving.

There's a reason that coaches shield their players from extravagant media attention and ultimately, Beamer runs his team.  However, if Beamer had players whose intellect he believed in, there might not be a need for these perfectly permissible, though arguably excessive rules.  

The editorial board is composed of David Grant, David Harries, Laurel Colella, Jenna Marson and Alexandra Kaufmann.