In Wake of RU Developments, Assemblyman Seeks to Protect Students from Future Abuses
(TRENTON) – Assemblyman Reed Gusciora on Monday called on both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and New Jersey’s high school athletic association to adopt stricter codes of conduct governing athletic coaches in the wake of Mike Rice’s actions as Rutgers University head basketball coach.
In doing so, Gusciora sent letters to both the president of the NCAA and the president of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) asking the organizations to adopt a strict code of compliance in order to eliminate abusive coaching behaviors and nurture the development of student athletes.
“While I understand that the NCAA provides certain guidelines which all coaches and staff are expected to adhere to, we can agree that invariably there are many coaches who ignore such ethical standards. Specifically, I am asking that you and the NCAA board implement a strict code of compliance in order to eliminate the degrading treatment of student athletes. It is absolutely inexcusable to hear and witness such behaviors when our educational institutions are intended to develop and train our youth as future members of society,” Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) noted in his letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert.
“Combined, these two organizations oversee nearly 1,500 high schools and higher education institutions in New Jersey and across the country, providing crucial leadership and guidance for some of the best athletic programs in the nation,” Gusciora added. “It’s important that they play a role in eliminating this behavior, which is not solely isolated to Rutgers. While Mike Rice’s actions have created a stain on our state university, he is certainly not the first coach to abuse his players and he won’t be the last, especially without stricter standards for conduct.”