SAM Act serves public school athletes

CLYDE — A local student's love of soccer kicked off the Student Athletic Mobility (SAM) Act, which passed the Ohio legislature last week. The bill, sponsored by state Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Angie King (R-Celina), will allow students to play a sport for another school when their desired sport is not offered at their home school. Click said the SAM Act originated after he received an email from Sam Greenslade, a student at Clyde-Green Springs who missed his freshman and sophomore soccer seasons because his school wasn't able to field a team. "I loved the sport and wanted to play," Greenslade said. "But I couldn't play for another school." Before the SAM Act, students in private schools and homeschooled students were able to play on local public school teams, Click said, but the same opportunity did not exist for public school students. Click and King introduced the SAM Act in December 2025, and it now awaits Gov. Mike DeWine's signature. Click said safeguards are built into the legislation to guard against unfair recruiting practices, and the superintendents of both schools involved must agree to the arrangement. The SAM Act is meant to "provide opportunities, not superteams," he said. To help ensure the legislation passed in time for the 2026-27 school year, Click said the SAM Act was amended into Senate Bill 276, allowing for a faster process. Click said the bill came directly from constituent feedback. "Every voice deserves to be heard," he said. As Greenslade considers life after his senior year, he said he would like to attend college and is weighing a pre-law track. His experience with the SAM Act sparked an interest in politics, he said, one he didn't expect going in.