This Sunday as part of a massive project detailing the pluses and minuses of AAU sports to families and kids, the Oakland Press has a story describing the Michigan High School Athletic Association's rule regarding high school all-star games.
The rule says that if an athlete competes in a sport and then plays in an all-star game in that sport, he or she must forfeit athletic eligibility for the rest of the season.
That's why the football all-star game is played in June or July, some nine months after the season ends.
The MHSAA said all-star games tend to exploit athletes and don't promote educational virtues of high school athletics, which is why the rule is in place.
Kosmo can understand that, but he also understands why a kid would want to have a chance to compete in a once-in-a-lifetime event without being punished. For example, if a football player gets selected for a national high school football all-star game in January, that player can't play basketball or a spring sport.
Kosmo knows the MHSAA means well, but he would tweak the rule to allow an athlete to play in one such game, because there's only so many chances to compete against and mingle with some of the best players in the country.