This school year alone, the CIF office covering Sacramento has fielded nearly 500 requests for transfers from high school athletes. Many of these requests are driven by financial hardships or change of residency. Those are legitimate reasons for transfers, said Pete Saco, the Sac-Joaquin Section director who oversees the Sacramento region. Still, Saco said he believes the ability to move has created a marketplace mentality among parents and athletes. Saco and other CIF officials worry that families follow the scent of a winner.
Top players move and make strong programs stronger while diminishing weaker teams left behind.
Schools across Sacramento are dotted with case studies proving the point. Florin, which has struggled to establish its football program since opening in 1989, lost Tyrice Daniels, a skilled player who might have helped turn Florin's team around. Daniels is now a sophomore at Elk Grove. The tailback played a key role this season in helping the Thundering Herd win its third City Championship since 1997. His parents gave legal guardianship to an uncle who lived near Elk Grove.