By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
Jefferson Davis Community College coaches are mostly supportive of the National Junior College Athletic Association's new rule that will force athletes to sit out one year if they transfer to another NJCAA school and do not receive a transfer waiver.
The current rule allows athletes to be eligible immediately if they receive a transfer waiver from the school they previously attended. If no transfer waiver is granted, athletes must sit out 16 weeks.
Each of JDCC's three coaches, volleyball/softball coach Misti Nims, men's basketball coach Allen Gainer and baseball coach Darrell Blevins, have used junior college transfer players in the past in different amounts.
Nims has had only two transfer athletes during her tenure at the school.
Gainer has had several transfer players in his program, but has tried to use an ethical approach in dealing with them.
Blevins has had one junior college transfer so far since he arrived at JDCC with two more coming next season.
The new rule is designed to curtail member schools from possibly raiding another member school's roster especially those that compete within the same conference.
Nims said there can be a down side to the new rule.
Gainer said his program has often been a victim of transfers leaving for other schools.
Blevins said he likes the new rule because it works both ways.
While supportive of the new rule, Blevins said it is also subject to abuse.