Know Your Limits
You are a Representative of Athletics Interest or a Booster if you:
- Have ever or are currently a member of an organization promoting Shepherd athletics
- Have ever made a financial contribution to a Shepherd athletics' team or the Ram Nation Booster Club.
- Have ever assisted or been requested (by Shepherd athletic department staff members) to assist in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete
- Have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families (including arranging employment for student-athletes, prospects or their families)
- Have ever participated in Shepherd athletics
Remember, once you become a Representative of Athletics Interest, you retain this status FOREVER!
To donate and become a Booster of Shepherd Athletics, click here.
Role of a Booster in relation to a Current Student-Athlete
A student-athlete is any student who reports to any team practice, competition or attends classes at Shepherd.
This student does not have to receive athletic aid or have been recruited to be a student-athlete.
As a representative of Shepherd Ram Athletics, you
may NOT do the following for a student-athlete:
- Give them cash or other tangible items (i.e., clothes, cars, jewelry, electronics/stereo equipment, etc.)
- Co-Sign a loan of any kind
- Provide the use of an automobile
- Employ relatives or friends of a prospect
- Arrange for free services or reduced charges for professional or personal services, purchases, or charges
- Promise employment after college graduation
- Provide transportation
- Provide clothing, equipment, or any other tangible item
- Provide free or reduced-cost services, rentals, purchases, or housing
- Provide free tickets to a prospect or his/her family to either home or away SU games or to any athletics or non-athletics event
- Use the name, picture, or appearance of an enrolled student-athlete to directly advertise, recommend, or promote sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. (*Procedures are in place to allow these activities in certain instances.
However, you
may...
Extend invitations into your home for an occasional or special occasion meal on an infrequent basis provided the meal is in the home and served only to student-athlete(s), with prior approval from the SU Compliance Office. Please contact the Compliance Office to complete the appropriate paperwork prior to the meal
- Provide summer employment for enrolled student-athletes at the going rate for similar positions
- Provide housing for enrolled student-athletes, provided student-athletes pay market rate
Role of a Booster in relation to a Prospective Student-Athlete (Recruit)
A prospective student-athlete (recruit) is any student who has entered the 9the grade.
However, any student contacted for recruitment purposes becomes a PSA (recruit). It is best to treat all athletes as a recruit.
As a representative of Shepherd Ram Athletics, you
may NOT do the following for a prospective student-athlete (recruit):
- Be involved in the recruiting process, only coaches and authorized SU staff may recruit
- Make any contact in person or by telephone with a prospect or the prospect's family for the purpose of recruiting for SU Athletics
- Contact a prospect to congratulate the signing of a National Letter of Intent or scholarship offer at SU
- Employ/arrange employment of a prospect before completion of his/her senior year in high school or withdrawal/graduation from junior college or prep school
However, you
may...
Forward information about prospects to the appropriate coaching staff member as long as you were not asked to do so by a staff member
- Speak to a prospect on the telephone ONLY if the prospect initiates the call, but you may not have a recruiting conversation. Refer any and all questions about the athletics program to a member of the coaching staff
- Continue relationships with prospects or relatives provided the relationship pre-dates the prospect entering the 9th grade
- Continue involvement with local youth sports that may include prospective student-athletes, provided you do not solicit any prospect's participation in SU athletics
Extra Benefits provided to Student-athletes
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the
institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
Examples of Extra Benefits include:
- Gifts, money, loans
- Tickets to professional, collegiate or community events
- Use of automobile
- Providing a free or reduced cost for a service or product
- Providing a special discount or credit on a purchase
Hiring of Student-Athletes
As a booster, alumni or friend of Shepherd, you are permitted to employ a current student of Shepherd under the following conditions:
- The student-athlete is compensated only for work actually preformed.
- The student-athlete is compensated at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.
- You do not use the athletics reputation of a student-athlete employee to promote the sale of your product or service.
Remember, ASK before you ACT! Contact the Compliance Office before providing any potential benefit to a student-athlete or recruit by calling at 304-876-5404.
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