Matthew Tesdahl has been playing regularly for the Webster City baseball squad since his eighth grade year. (DFJ file photo)

The wheels are in motion for eighth graders to participate in Iowa high school athletics as soon as this fall.

Two months ago, Iowa lawmakers passed House Bill 2591, giving the go-ahead to eighth-grade students to join high school programs a year early. Governor Kim Reynolds signed that bill into law earlier this month, and the Iowa State Board of Education passed a set of emergency rules last Thursday to pave the way for it to become a reality beginning August 1.

This is nothing new or particularly groundbreaking. Eighth graders have been allowed to compete in Iowa’s summer high school sports — baseball and softball — for decades. And over 20 states — including neighboring Minnesota and South Dakota — already allow this in some capacity year-round.

The onus now shifts to the individual school districts. This isn’t a “good” or a “bad” idea, per se — so much is left up to the circumstances of a program or an individual. It will also be the responsibility of activities directors and coaches to handle — and protect — the students and their situations accordingly on a case-by-case basis, rather than making blanket decisions that may put kids in harm’s way.

It could potentially be a welcome surge for non-contact sports — especially at smaller schools if participation numbers are lagging. Tennis, golf, swimming and cross country come to mind. Maybe not sweeping reform, but if an individual seems physically and mentally ready, new opportunities may arise.

I say both physical and mental because so much of the discussion has been centered around the former to date. Some kids mature early, and are absolutely talented enough to “play up” with their skill and measurements. Will a 13- or 14-year-old be able to handle the pressure, scheduling, responsibilities and camaraderie of a sport operating at the high school level? Again, that’s where the temperature of the situation needs to be taken and monitored carefully.

I want to believe this will work for all the right reasons. That eighth graders won’t be used solely to fill roster spots even if they’re not ready, or put in the line of fire for sports that require a level of strength and toughness that stretch beyond what most kids are ready to endure. That this will only help to enhance rosters on rare occasions and not have an unintended adverse effect on participation or increased long-term burnout.

Most schools, after all, simply can’t afford any more attrition.

Is this a real solution to lagging numbers and shrinking school districts? Not necessarily. If a precocious boy or girl checks all the boxes and is cleared to step into the high school arena a year early, by all means, good for them. I don’t think it will solve the participation problem, though.

It won’t take much for a few bad actors to make a selfish decision that could become the rotten apple in the bunch. We may hear about that long before an arrangement that allows an eighth grader to not just succeed, but flourish.

Let’s have faith that both the motivation for and execution of this rule can be taken at face value: that it opens doors in isolated cases and is handled with both care and discretion. Iowa lawmakers ostensibly bypassed the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union — governing bodies who confirmed last week they neither asked for nor necessarily supported this change — and are now putting the ball in the court of adults at the local levels. Due diligence and real leadership will make or break the path to success.

Timing, like usual, is everything. But remember: at the end of the day, there’s really no rush. Hopefully this is treated more like a want than a need.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Freeman-Journal. Contact him via email at sports@freemanjournal.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt