Failing grades....

There are teams across the State that lose some quality players due to grades. It appears, with minimal effort, most kids can attain at least a "C".

How does this happen?..and should all the blame rest on the student?

 

You are correct that it seems a minimal effort should get a kid a "C." Howwever from what I've seen in some occasions are kids that refuse to do the work they need to do to stay eligible. I'm lucky that my kid was an overachiever in the classroom and a good ballplayer. He knew though that his ticket was academics and it has paid off for him so far. He knew baseball wasn't going to be any more than a high school endeavor for him, while so many parents and kids have the notion that their skills will bring on the A-Rod type salaries, and they don't have to do well in school. That's a sad scenario and one bound to escalate as salaries escalate.

To answer the question, yes, I think the kids are to blame follwed by their parents, and then IF any blame is left over, MAYBE the teachers can share it. My contention is that the teachers teach their subject, the kids are supposed to be in class learning it, and the parents should be supporting the kids by making sure their work is done. It doesn't seem to work that way though and the blame is heaped on the teachers when they are the least to blame in the situation. Maybe if schools celebrated academic achievement and made it more difficult for kids to play with bad grades, they would get the message. But with coaches' win at all costs attitudes, it'll never change. The coaches get the recognition while the majority of the kids mostly disappear. And that is sad.

 

One sad scenario to this is parents that go in and get all over a teacher for flunking their athlete in a class. Afraid that it might hurt their chances for a college scholarship. Wonder how many C & D baseball players get scholarship money? I doubt there are very few.
I put as much blame on the parents as the student. Not having their priorities straight. I can tell you that a C & D student in my house doesn't have time for athletics, or playing on the computer, or gameboy, etc. The proper emphasis on academics vs athletics has got to start with the parents. It's called discipline.

 

So many times the player forgets that he/she are "student-athletes"- not "athlete-students." There is a reason, I imagine that the student comes first in "student/athlete." Good grades are imperative!! Working hard in the classroom as well as on the ball field should go hand in hand if the player wants to play at the next level.

 

I think in this case the blame should be on the student, not the parents. Given that in some cases I have seen kids that cannot do the work required, but I know that in cms schools they are willing to work with you and allow you to play as long as you show that you are putting forth the effort. For everyone else, I think that by the time a student gets to highschool they should know what is required of them, and if a parent is still hounding them to do homework then they are not ready to go off to college. When a student makes good grades, the parents dont get congradulated for a job well done, so I dont think they should be repremanded when a student does poorly. If a 17/18 year old is responsible enough to be given a car or in some cases go off to war, I think they should be given the responsibility of handling their own school work.

 

agree!!!!!!!!

mostly the students responsibility by this age YET how much or what was expected of the player kid as he was younger then we can look at the parents level of responsibility can t we?????