Athletes and Grades

Posted by Connie Newbauer Feb 6, 2007

Much is made of student athletes. It seems they are the topic of much discussion from the stereo-typical profile of the ‘dumb jock’ to those athlete’s we idolized in high school, the straight-A athlete with the straight teeth and winning personalities who brought in a school record for touch downs during the current season. Many of us can only hope to achieve the latter’s example. For most, this persona remains a dream. What can we do to bring the ideal student-athlete to a home near you?

I’ve given birth to both: One student athlete that could do no wrong – in the classroom or on any kind of athletic turf you could throw under her cleats…or tennis shoes…or swim fins! Our youngest, however, struggles. He is a bright child with a ready smile and a loving heart with the courage of a lion and athletic ability to boot. What he struggles with is his academics.

Over the years, I’m afraid we’ve fallen into a trap made by his strengths: because his athletics were what we could praise him at, that is what he worked at and excelled in. Without the same praise and adulation for his academics, they’ve somehow fallen by the wayside and now we are faced with the reality of college in a year and a cumulative grade point average that is only repeated in worried whispers between my husband and I late at night while discussing options.

Part of the problem is his happy-go lucky personality, part of the problem must be our parenting of this special child and yet another variable in this equation, I feel, is the school district. I don’t want to over-emphasize the district’s part in an athlete’s academic failure to thrive, because there were many more factors (such as home environment and personality) that inevitably brought us to this point. However, I do believe that more could be done at the high school level and below to encourage more academic excellence from those involved in extra-curricular activities, not just athletics necessarily.

Just about every district has a grade point minimum established for eligibility in athletics. Ours is precariously low – under a 2.0 – which I find inexcusable! In college, athletes are required to attend mandatory study tables. Why is it that when children are preparing for college the grades are less important than when actually enrolled in college?

In addition to district support systems already in place around the nation to aid students, I’d like to see a mandatory study table for athletes beginning in middle school. This would allow students to understand at an earlier age that at least an equal amount of value is placed on the stellar student – and not just the stellar athlete.

Perhaps our ill-placed emphasis on athletics beginning so early in education plays a roll in the fact our educators are paid so poorly when compared to athletes when we grow into adults!