The only stage high school athletes should be on is the one in their theatres. There is no justification to put them on a national stage before high school.

I shouldn’t know the name of any high school athlete who won’t be attending UW next year. However, this year more then ever I have been overwhelmed with supposed prospects and difference-makers that are going to affect the sporting world.

College freshmen, like rookies in any sport, should never command respect before they prove themselves on a new level of play.

Why then are the media televising high school basketball games and news conferences?

The sports fan used to be able to count on ESPN for the best in sports coverage. To my surprise, however, ESPN has felt the need to cover high school athletes and fall just short of naming them the next messiahs.

High school athletes aren’t sports heroes; they’re kids. Kids who are going to ask if you want fries with your burger over the weekend.

Recently I have been bombarded with high school athletics as headlining stories. If a team announces its games over a public announcement system at the end of eighth hour, should they really be considered for national media coverage?

I don’t disagree with the fact that some athletes are very talented, but let’s wait until they grow up before shining the spotlight on them.

The media have gone way too far in their coverage of high school students. I’m not just talking about the young man whose name I will not mention that has captivated the attention of basketball fans, but in areas such as football as well.

This past Wednesday I turned on ESPN because I had a rare opportunity to watch TV. I wanted to watch Sportscenter and enjoy the best highlights from the day gone by.

Instead I was treated to the phenomenon known as national signing day, the biggest day for football in the month of February, and the next absurd opportunity for the media to expose the world to the life of a high school athlete.

I was tuned into the live news conference of Antonio Cromartie, a high school senior from Tallahassee, Fla. Cromartie was going to announce which college he would be attending next fall, and sign his letter of intent in front the entire viewing audience.

Cromartie took the time to thank his family for all their support and he proceeded, thanking his high school guidance counselor and principle. This kid is closer to lunch in the cafeteria then millions of dollars, so let’s treat him that way.

As the news conference started, Cromartie asked out loud if he should start. He began his prepared comments, only to hear a cell phone ringing in the background. Maybe it was one of his friends just as surprised to see him on TV as I was.

I watched as Cromartie reached under the table and grabbed two hats, one for himself, and one for his mother who was seated next to him. How many times have you seen Shaq’s mom cozy up next to the big man at a press conference? I don’t have qualms with his mother being there; I have a problem with the whole thing being televised.

Cromartie will be going to Florida State University next year, where the number 34 will be un-retired in his honor and where you will likely see him struggle through his first year of college like many students do.

Immediately after the news conference, ESPN cut to Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel commenting on his upcoming class of recruits. I wonder how the coach of the defending national champions felt having to wait via satellite for a high school kid to tell the world where he will be furthering his education.

Here’s a novel idea: Let’s broadcast Logan Parker’s news conference about where he will be going to high school. Or maybe we should have gone live to the delivery room to find out what George Foreman was going to name his son, and we can all just assume they will grow to be great athletes on the professional level.

I think it’s time we realize what amateur status is. We need to give amateurs space to grow and time to see how good they really are.

I think it’s time to put the professionalism back in journalism and to take it out of the amateur sporting world.