As a coach, educator, and mentor for 40 years, I have seen firsthand how athletic competition equips students with a strong work-ethic, healthy habits, team mindset, and life-changing opportunities.
Student-athletes of all ages benefit from the scholastic and personal development that come from taking part in organized sports. Over time, scholastic competition—especially college sports—has become a part of the fabric of our country, making its preservation important for student-athletes and our nation’s future. In today’s divided climate, scholastic athletic competition is one of the few things that brings people from all backgrounds together. I am committed to ensuring sports continue to thrive and provide opportunities for young men and women across the country.
Title IX is one of the best pieces of legislation to ever come through Congress. For far too long, sports scholarship opportunities were limited to male students due to a lack of resources for women’s sports. However, since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, millions of women have been able to benefit from participation in athletic competition, just like their male counterparts. Unfortunately, women’s sports are now under attack from left-wing politicians who want to undo Title IX protections and allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. This is unacceptable, and I am fighting back to protect Title IX and all female athletes.
College sports have given tens of thousands of student-athletes, male and female, the opportunity to obtain a degree from an institution of higher education. In addition to providing life-changing scholarships for students, college athletics are a vital part of our country’s culture and economy. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that student-athletes must be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness, commonly known as NIL. Ever since the Supreme Court ruled that student-athletes can be compensated, college sports have been in a tailspin. I fully support student-athletes making money. But there have to be rules—and right now there are almost no national standards for NIL endorsement contracts. This has created an uneven playing field for players and puts college sports as a whole at risk.