D students: Should they play sports?

Wonderful plan, let's let the kids who are flunking play sports.......because that's what high school is about right?
And how will these kids ever function in the real world when there is an expectation of performance by their bosses?(Note I did not say college, because they would not be able to get into any).
I attended catholic schools and we had academic standards at the beginning of school sports (4th grade I think), that had to be met weekly in order to play. Soemtimes "star" players sat out, but that was the way it was. High school was the same yet many athletes were among the top students as well.
If you lower the standards, you send the message that your football record means more than these kids futures. Then again, maybe to these people it does.

I think a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a current C average would suffice. However, I don't think D average students should be allowed to play. Scholar first, athlete second.

Sometimes it is the below average students that can benefit the most by being allowed to play sports. By determining that only average grade or better can play, we are already starting to establish a class system.
We must start at an early age and early in the educational process to treat all students equally, regardless of sex, grades, skin color or even physical ability. It is only by doing such, will they learn to accept an individual for who they are, and not what they are not.
Inclusion is the key to the future and not exclusion, including special education, it should not be in a different educational environment but in the same building, teaching acceptance and promoting inclusion later in life.
God Bless America,

By having a low standard, what the schools are saying to me is, Sports are more important that an Education. I'm not sure if increasing the standard will do any good, because if the school is big into sports, the teachers will find a way for a student to get the grades needed so they can play...

sports practices and games take away valuable time that failing students could spend studying. getting a good education will benefit them far more than participation in a sport that a fraction of a percent of people go on to play on a career level.

I don't think there is a concept of inclusion in the business world. You have to outperform the competition in this world and you can't do that by letting Dee Dee Dee students fail before they are even out of the starting block. If they love it then let them work for it. They want new stuff when they become adults then they have to work hard at it or are they going to steal it. Raise the standards, school today is easy.

Wow! Some of these schools sound pretty soft on their atheletes. At my kid's school, not only are they required to carry at least a "C" in each class (no cumulative averages), but if they are missing two or more assignments in a row in any class they are benched for the next game and until the grade improves or the assignments are turned in. I think it's a good standard and support it wholeheartedly. The number of these kids that will actually make a living at sports is miniscule. They need the education in order to succeed in life.

Here is my problem, some of these low grade students are learning disabled, if they aren't allowed to play sports, then you're just making it all the harder on them.

Baruch HaShem wrote:

Sometimes it is the below average students that can benefit the most by being allowed to play sports. By determining that only average grade or better can play, we are already starting to establish a class system.
We must start at an early age and early in the educational process to treat all students equally, regardless of sex, grades, skin color or even physical ability. It is only by doing such, will they learn to accept an individual for who they are, and not what they are not.
Inclusion is the key to the future and not exclusion, including special education, it should not be in a different educational environment but in the same building, teaching acceptance and promoting inclusion later in life.
God Bless America,

Spring Lake you guys have a really good school system, especially for "D" and challenged students. Sports and and a focus on the challenged is the way to go

Grades are the most important. Many "star" athletes are now selling drugs or getting killed because they were not required to do well in school. In Grand Rapids two former basketball stars are now dead. Remember? Even though schools have a requirement, kids are given the grades to play. Is winning at the high school level that important? Many would say yes including the heads of leagues in Grand Rapids and other cities. Unfortunately, winning games does not make these young athletes successful after high school. They fail and get into trouble and have nothing to fall back on. Sports are a privledge, not a right. Students must earn this privledge in the classroom. Wake up high school athletic directors and school administrators. Three months after school is out a new life begins for most students. Who cares what there record was in high school? Where are they going now?

Grand Rapids is notorious for this.

Baruch HaShem wrote:

Sometimes it is the below average students that can benefit the most by being allowed to play sports. By determining that only average grade or better can play, we are already starting to establish a class system.
We must start at an early age and early in the educational process to treat all students equally, regardless of sex, grades, skin color or even physical ability. It is only by doing such, will they learn to accept an individual for who they are, and not what they are not.
Inclusion is the key to the future and not exclusion, including special education, it should not be in a different educational environment but in the same building, teaching acceptance and promoting inclusion later in life.
God Bless America,

Go away...you're always bringing race into it. Race doesn't matter here. If they can't keep their grades up, they obviously should be spending more time on their school work than playing sports. Sports is not a right, it's something you earn. Work hard, get good grades, play sports...see how that works!!! Parents should be the first ones to say...NO if their kid isn't keeping their grades up.

Our children have been catered to far too long (we have 2 teenagers). It is time to raise the bar, not lower it.

It's time for a change!!!

Here's a thought:

If you were to grade honor roll students on being athletic would they still be on the honor roll?

I think eligibility and grades should no longer go hand and hand.(let me explain) Times have changed and we need to change with them, kids are continuing to look for other outlets (gangs, drugs, school shootings,) basically and overall failing in society. Kids need something they can feel apart of, instead of feeling secluded at they do now.

Grades are important, but what about the things that sports can bring to ones future?

Wow. Sports more important than an education. That is why I didn't allow my children to go to the high school where I went where that thought process was also present. How are these kids going to make it in the real world?

While I'm in general agreement that high school is for learning -- and learning well -- the truth is that not all students have the aptitude or the home environment to maintain high grade point averages. If they work on their assignments, and attempt to learn, are respectful and honest, sports can bring the necessary success to keep them from being complete failures. This should be determined by the schools and adminstrators on an individual basis. Further, many organizations and schools have dropped the intramural sports/after-achool activities that these students could have participated in despite their grades, leaving them no outlet for a well-rounded, participatory life with their peers' acceptance apart from drugs, gangs, and video games. The answer is to provide alternatives for everyone.

maa wrote:

Wow. Sports more important than an education. That is why I didn't allow my children to go to the high school where I went where that thought process was also present. How are these kids going to make it in the real world?

They may learn to be part of society, work as a team, as see things differently from other than in a text book.

High GPA's, we are talking a 2.0, which is a C. That means average, or at leats it did when I was in school. But then again we only had 1-2 out of 350 with a 4.0, and those seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. So I am guessing that as the to obtain a 4.0 or higher went down, so did the abilty to get a 2.0...These are kids that most likely would have flunked out 20 years ago and then what woulrd they do?
School is meant for education, it's sick to see people make it anything less. Now wonder so many are suffering in this economy, they were never challenged to develop to their full potential and now have nothing to fall back on. It's not all learning disabled either, I get tired of hearing that. Most of them are failing because they choose not to apply themselves and nobody makes them. Not the schools and not their parents.
Funny how at my 25 year reunion, everyone I talked with had a steady job. But we all were challenged in high school, and most went on to college (and not on sports scholarships).
But hey, whatever it takes to make them "feel good" about themselves right?
You are only averaging a 40% in your classes, that's okay because you play basketball well and that's whats really important..........oh and here is your worthless diploma, have a good life!

If my kid gets below a B- he is not allowed to do anything . All TV ,Video Games , Dirt Bike everything fun is gone . I will however let him continue with his BSA .

Tom wrote:

High GPA's, we are talking a 2.0, which is a C. That means average, or at leats it did when I was in school. But then again we only had 1-2 out of 350 with a 4.0, and those seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. So I am guessing that as the to obtain a 4.0 or higher went down, so did the abilty to get a 2.0...These are kids that most likely would have flunked out 20 years ago and then what woulrd they do?
School is meant for education, it's sick to see people make it anything less. Now wonder so many are suffering in this economy, they were never challenged to develop to their full potential and now have nothing to fall back on. It's not all learning disabled either, I get tired of hearing that. Most of them are failing because they choose not to apply themselves and nobody makes them. Not the schools and not their parents.
Funny how at my 25 year reunion, everyone I talked with had a steady job. But we all were challenged in high school, and most went on to college (and not on sports scholarships).
But hey, whatever it takes to make them "feel good" about themselves right?
You are only averaging a 40% in your classes, that's okay because you play basketball well and that's whats really important..........oh and here is your worthless diploma, have a good life!

Are you saying that sports can't be a education?

Or maybe just not your idea of education!! LIFE IS A EDUCATION!! Why not force kids to be in a sport (of there choice) as part of there education- Grade them on particaption.

They may find there place not only in a school, but in a text book as well.