Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation designed to make things easier for high school athletes by removing barriers from letting coaches and boosters help them out.
SB 538 lets districts use money raised by high school booster clubs to pay coaches and activity sponsors, which DeSantis said will supplement their current District stipend.
DeSantis said Districts can now classify athletic coaches as administrative personnel and negotiate salary compensation outside of typical collective bargaining, giving them flexibility in retaining talent.
The bill also ensures that all students, including those at charter, private and homeschool settings, have access to extracurricular activities and athletics.
“Parents have never been more empowered on education matters than in any state in the country, in our entire country’s history. So this is really leading the way, and we’re excited that so many parents have been exercising those options, but the sports are a really big part of that,” DeSantis said ahead of the signing Friday in Jacksonville at Ribault High School.
SB 178 authorizes a coach employed by a school or School District to use personal funds to support a student, including in physical therapy and rehabilitation services, as long as the parent or guardian of the player consents to the help. It’s popularly known as the Teddy Bridgewater Act in honor of Teddy Bridgewater, an NFL quarterback who coached high school football at Miami Northwestern.
It also requires the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) bylaws to define an athletic team to include junior varsity and varsity squads, and limits the use of personal funds to one coach per athletic team, with a $15,000 annual cap beginning in July.
DeSantis, who played youth and college baseball, says the law recognizes that coaches’ work goes beyond “X’s and O’s,” as he contextualized the circumstances that led legislators to champion the bill through the process.
He said Bridgewater “got into this situation where he was paying for meals and rides for some of his players who were underprivileged.”
“He was using his personal funds to do this. These are people that he was mentoring, and that somehow got him suspended because of the way the rules were written,” DeSantis added.
He said the bill fixes previous rules that “didn’t allow for the upside where a coach really wants to make a difference in folks’ lives.”
Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones, who sponsored the Teddy Bridgewater Act, also issued a statement celebrating the bill becoming law.
“I am grateful for the bipartisan support for this important legislation that will ensure student athletes receive the resources they need with fairness, accountability, and flexibility,” Jones said.
“Coaches play a vital role in young athletes’ lives as not just mentors but lifelines. They should never be penalized for stepping up to protect student athletes and prioritizing their well-being. Thank you to all of the advocates and community members who helped get this bill across the finish line.”
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