A bill that could reshape how high school coaches support student-athletes in Florida has unanimously passed the Florida Senate. Florida is set to become the first state to pass the Teddy Bridgewater Act, allowing head coaches from kindergarten through 12th grade to spend up to $15,000 of their own money each year to support student-athletes’ welfare, with specific guardrails in place.Sen. Shervin Jones, the bill’s sponsor, explained the measures included in the legislation. “We did put guardrails, we put the $15,000 cap on there, another guardrail that we’re putting in place, done by an amendment, was ensuring the parents are aware of what’s being purchased for them,” Jones said.The funds can be used for essentials such as food, transportation, sports equipment and other basic needs for any public or charter school student. Additionally, Jones explained coaches will have to keep a receipt of purchases, saying, “Coaches can’t just willy-nilly and just purchase unlimited things for these young people.”Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsThe bill is named after Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was suspended from coaching at his high school alma mater for admitting he paid for food and transportation for some of his players. “As a former teacher, I know that on the front end he was helping … when we found out by the FHSAA, he was suspended because of that, and so, what I did was after speaking with some community members and to some of the student athletes, we went on and found legislation to ensure that this never happens again,” said Jones. Jones emphasized the importance of the bill, saying, “We all grew up in different communities. In the community I represent, a student-athlete walking home at 8 at night could be dangerous. And so, a coach purchasing an Uber ride home for the safety and well-being of their student athlete, I don’t think that’s grounds for suspension. I think that’s grounds of a thank you, and it also goes to show how much our coaches mean to student-athletes.”Jones added that Bridgewater acted in “good faith,” which inspired him to create the legislation and include the phrase “good faith” in the bill language to prevent similar suspensions in the future. “Good faith means that in your good conscience that you’re doing what’s right for the well-being of that child. It’s not for recruiting, it’s not for your own self-interest or to lure, anything of that nature, it’s being done in good faith,” Jones said.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Alex Gonzalez, assistant athletic director and football head coach for Somerset Academy Canyons, expressed mixed feelings about the proposed legislation but ultimately supports it. “As coaches, we go above and beyond for our student-athletes every single day. Many of us spend our own time, energy, and money to make sure our kids have what they need to succeed both on and off the field. The reality is that our players come from many different backgrounds, and some of them simply need more support than others. I believe this legislation protects the coaches who are doing things the right way and truly care about helping young people. It allows us to provide support without the constant fear of being penalized for trying to help a kid in need. At the same time, we can’t ignore the fact that there will always be individuals who try to take advantage of any rule or law for their own benefit, including using it as a recruiting tool. That concern is real and something that needs to be monitored. At the end of the day, I support it because it allows coaches like me to continue doing what we’ve always done, looking out for our kids, supporting them when they need it most, and making sure they have every opportunity to succeed without worrying that helping a student-athlete could get us in trouble,” Gonzalez said in a statement.While the bill has passed in the Senate, it still requires approval from the House before it can be sent to the governor’s desk.
A bill that could reshape how high school coaches support student-athletes in Florida has unanimously passed the Florida Senate. Florida is set to become the first state to pass the Teddy Bridgewater Act, allowing head coaches from kindergarten through 12th grade to spend up to $15,000 of their own money each year to support student-athletes’ welfare, with specific guardrails in place.
Sen. Shervin Jones, the bill’s sponsor, explained the measures included in the legislation. “We did put guardrails, we put the $15,000 cap on there, another guardrail that we’re putting in place, done by an amendment, was ensuring the parents are aware of what’s being purchased for them,” Jones said.
The funds can be used for essentials such as food, transportation, sports equipment and other basic needs for any public or charter school student. Additionally, Jones explained coaches will have to keep a receipt of purchases, saying, “Coaches can’t just willy-nilly and just purchase unlimited things for these young people.”
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
The bill is named after Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was suspended from coaching at his high school alma mater for admitting he paid for food and transportation for some of his players.
“As a former teacher, I know that on the front end he was helping … when we found out by the FHSAA, he was suspended because of that, and so, what I did was after speaking with some community members and to some of the student athletes, we went on and found legislation to ensure that this never happens again,” said Jones.
Jones emphasized the importance of the bill, saying, “We all grew up in different communities. In the community I represent, a student-athlete walking home at 8 at night could be dangerous. And so, a coach purchasing an Uber ride home for the safety and well-being of their student athlete, I don’t think that’s grounds for suspension. I think that’s grounds of a thank you, and it also goes to show how much our coaches mean to student-athletes.”
Jones added that Bridgewater acted in “good faith,” which inspired him to create the legislation and include the phrase “good faith” in the bill language to prevent similar suspensions in the future. “Good faith means that in your good conscience that you’re doing what’s right for the well-being of that child. It’s not for recruiting, it’s not for your own self-interest or to lure, anything of that nature, it’s being done in good faith,” Jones said.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Alex Gonzalez, assistant athletic director and football head coach for Somerset Academy Canyons, expressed mixed feelings about the proposed legislation but ultimately supports it.
“As coaches, we go above and beyond for our student-athletes every single day. Many of us spend our own time, energy, and money to make sure our kids have what they need to succeed both on and off the field.
The reality is that our players come from many different backgrounds, and some of them simply need more support than others. I believe this legislation protects the coaches who are doing things the right way and truly care about helping young people.
It allows us to provide support without the constant fear of being penalized for trying to help a kid in need.
At the same time, we can’t ignore the fact that there will always be individuals who try to take advantage of any rule or law for their own benefit, including using it as a recruiting tool.
That concern is real and something that needs to be monitored. At the end of the day, I support it because it allows coaches like me to continue doing what we’ve always done, looking out for our kids, supporting them when they need it most, and making sure they have every opportunity to succeed without worrying that helping a student-athlete could get us in trouble,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
While the bill has passed in the Senate, it still requires approval from the House before it can be sent to the governor’s desk.