Not making grades leaves crucial positions unfilled

A soccer player gets a red card for intentionally tripping another player. He's benched. A football player intentionally socks an opposing team member in the stomach. He's benched. A high school athlete gets less then a 2.0 GPA and only passes two classes. He's benched. Schools often require that athletes need to have a certain GPA and pass a certain number of classes in order to compete in a sport, and MVHS is no different.

It's a common belief that MVHS is a high performing, academically strong school. However, there will always be those students who are more athletically inclined, rather then academically inclined.

The minimum in CCS includes passing at least four classes and having at least a 2.0 GPA. However, the minimum for our district, which supercedes that of CCS, requires that athletes are passing at least five classes and are earning at least a 2.0 GPA. Our district has higher standards because of our higher performance, comparatively to the rest of the state. 

The first time the athlete doesn't earn the necessary grade, they go on probation, and they have six weeks, or the grading period, to make up their grade. If after six weeks, they haven't made up their grades, they can't compete. If they succeed at raising their grades by the end of the probationary period, the athlete can compete. 

If athletes don't make up their grades, their position on the team is compromised. If a starting quarterback is benched, the team chemistry is compromised. The more a player participates, the more strongly the team is affected when the player is benched. If a player is benched that is characterized as a bench warmer, their effect on the team is minimal. 

The necessity of the policy is clear to both coaches and players. Ron Freeman, boys varsity water polo coach, thinks that the minimum is necessary because he believes school is for learning, and establishing a minimum on athletes' grades ensures that they are coming to school for the right reasons. Students should come to school for the learning, not just to play sports," Freeman said. 

Students typically tend to agree. ìI think its a good rule,î said MVHS swim and cross country athlete junior Brigitte Hong.  "You shouldn't be able to participate in extracurricular activities if you're not keeping up with the main point of school, which is the learning."

Athletes cannot simply be focused on athletics, because only a select few will ever make a career out of sports. If students are only capable of playing sports, they will never succeed in life past high school. 

The necessity of this policy is clear, athletes are expected to be educated and make it to league finals every season.