Professional High School Athletes Today's athletes are bigger, stronger and faster than ever. A man can run 325 feet in less than ten seconds. A man can jump fifty inches vertically on his flat feet. There is an instinct in everyone that makes them wonder, “How do they do this?” or “I want to be like that!” These athletes push the limits every year, setting new standards and higher bars. These athletes are also getting younger and younger…much younger. This sparks a lot of debate about how much too young is he to be the best? Is it possible to be too young? Is it unconstitutional to prevent them from reaching their highest potential? Are we ruining a child's life by keeping them, of all things, in school? This is the subject that concerns us today, and which is also very controversial. By the time we reach the end of this article, the truth will be known: the fact that knowledge and education outlasts any number of people and sporting abilities clearly shows that this is a very wise decision to stay in school, before pursuing their professional dreams. Let's first look at where most of a child's maximum potential begins. High school athletics is known for being one of the most competitive and demanding sports in the world. Not only must the person attend to all the schoolwork assigned to them, but also their dedication to their sport(s), their social life, their work and their family. That’s a lot of pressure for a 14 to 18 year old kid. High school sports are supposed to be secondary to academics, and that is true in most cases. What if your school relies on its football program for revenue? Is this a subject of debate? There has been an ongoing debate over whether or not athletes are treated more...... middle of article......, 2001. wysiwyg://78/http://www .ihigh.com/0, 1773,2_7_0_39263,00.htmlSivasubramanian, Raj. “From high school to the NBA? Bad news…” Georgia Tech News. May 15, 1998. http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/nique/issues/spring1998/may15/eds.htmlTrenkle, Andy. “Go pro, young man.” Daily Illini.com. Tuesday, April 17, 2001. http://www.dailyillini.com/apr01apr17/sports/stories/column01.shtml Wahl, Grant. “Ahead of his class.” Sports Illustrated. February 18, 2002. Wetzel, Dan. "He's ready now, but James has to wait for Rich Hoops." CBSSportsline.com. January 16, 2002. http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/0,1328,4851404,00.html “What is an amateur athlete? Gball on center court. http://www.gballmag.com/ccamateurism.html Zollo, Rick. "Ricky Davis: Graduating to the NBA." SportsJones. August 24, 2001. http://www.sportsjones.com/sj/183.shtml