BY SABRINA VICTOR
From gruesome football practices in the sweltering heat to the hardcore 6 am swimming practices, high school athletes strive to be their best in order to be granted the chance to play at the collegiate level. However, as soon as these athletes GPA’s drop, they are automatically kicked off the team which may even further decrease their chances of going to college. Although getting good grades is important, it should not determine a student’s ability to participate in sports.
The matter of the fact is some students aren’t meant for outstanding academic achievement. However, the same students could have commendable athletic talent that can help get full rides to Division 1, 2, or 3 schools. Athletics serves as an outlet for those who struggle academically and it’s not fair to impose more rules on their chances for success. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and some of these student athletes are focused on attaining a career in the professional leagues. While many might argue it is imperative to set a GPA requirement for sports in order to prepare these athletes for college, it actually does the opposite. According to the Huffington Post, most students who want to stay on the team simply take less rigorous courses or cheat since they can’t excel in academics on their own.
Additionally, setting a GPA requirement leads to juvenile delinquency. When students have to go to practice every day after school they are forced to stay off the streets. At these practices, coaches teach the athletes discipline, respect, and dignity, which can be applicable to all aspects of the players’ lives, including when they have to resist the temptation of drugs, crime, and alcohol. According to the Huffington Post, high school students who play sports are less likely to be involved in crime or with drugs. The commitment made to sports does keep young adults away from unlawful acts.
For many students, getting dropped from a school team would lead to dropping out of high school. School sports are a stepping stone to making it to college and then professional level sports and when that privilege is taken away they simply just drop out of school. The Rockford Public School District in Illinois set a GPA requirement to participate in school sports for 10 years. Although grades were expected to improve, it didn’t. The athletic teams however got smaller, dropout rates increased, and talent on the fields worsened.
The objective of high schools across the nation is to discourage kids from dropping out. In order to fulfill these goals we must provide the kids with incentives, which allows everyone the opportunity to be involved in high school sports. High school sports create a pathway for talented athletes; grade point averages shouldn’t impose on the valuable skills taught in student athletics.
