Student Grades

[Unregistered]

Could it ever make a player feel badly especially if you don't want them! Let the kids enjoy their after school activity. Clubs focus on the soccer curriculum and helping each kid get better in soccer. Focus on raising money so the top aged teams can travel to showcases or you can bring college coaches to the club. And so on!

I think you are misinterpreting the previous poster; it was not that anyone would not want them, but an assumption that parents would pull them from the team as a consequence for poor grades!?

There is a place for everyone in life, and obviously, we, as parents, want that place to be productive for our children. Soccer can be instrumental for many kids, and a few may make it to a better place. However, even the few that make it to a better place, still need to be able to compose a simple essay, outline, resumé, etc.

[Unregistered]

I think you are misinterpreting the previous poster; it was not that anyone would not want them, but an assumption that parents would pull them from the team as a consequence for poor grades!?

There is a place for everyone in life, and obviously, we, as parents, want that place to be productive for our children. Soccer can be instrumental for many kids, and a few may make it to a better place. However, even the few that make it to a better place, still need to be able to compose a simple essay, outline, resumé, etc.

I don't believe many parents would pull kids out of athletics because they are smart enough to know it keeps them out of other trouble. And forcing kids to stay home and demand them to learn to write better does not always solve the academic issues.

[Unregistered]

Two thoughts:

1. what if the kid doesn't get any school grades? (They are homeschooled. about 4% of kids are homeschooled and if you have one homeschooled kid on your team, you likely have more.)

2. What if the kid's "intelligence" does not translate to their school work? A kid can have less than stellar grades but be a future expert in the field of carpentry, plumbing or other trade.

[Observer from West Coast]

Credibility

One of the recurring topics on this site is how helpful are - or are not -coaches in getting players recruited.

If you were a coach and you were going to go to bat for a kid with a college coach, would you want to know how the kid is doing in school?

When youth coaches approach a college coach with a prospect the coaches credibility is on the line.

Wouldn't the coach look like an idiot if he got a college coach to spend time on a kid who has no chance of being academicially eligible to be accepted to that college?

If I'm a coach promoting one of my players, I sure would want to know what type of student they are.

[Unregistered]

I don't believe many parents would pull kids out of athletics because they are smart enough to know it keeps them out of other trouble. And forcing kids to stay home and demand them to learn to write better does not always solve the academic issues.

Yes, actually, many parents do make academics a priority over soccer. We feel that playing soccer is a privilege, not a right, nor a career opportunity. If our child needs to spend time after school with a teacher, or have a tutor, or online assistance to get their grades up, than that is what they need to do, and soccer will wait until they do it.

No one is saying that straight A's are expected, but we do want them to realize discipline, time management, and put their best effort towards academics, for even a carpenter will need to make calculations and write an estimate.

[Unregistered]

Yes, actually, many parents do make academics a priority over soccer. We feel that playing soccer is a privilege, not a right, nor a career opportunity. If our child needs to spend time after school with a teacher, or have a tutor, or online assistance to get their grades up, than that is what they need to do, and soccer will wait until they do it.

No one is saying that straight A's are expected, but we do want them to realize discipline, time management, and put their best effort towards academics, for even a carpenter will need to make calculations and write an estimate.

A few get pulled but not many. The player could accomplish the tutoring with the soccer. Season is paid and committed for the year. Teach the player about team commitment and paying soccer bills on time as well.

[Unregistered]

Raise the Discourse!

No one is saying that straight A's are expected, but we do want them to realize discipline, time management, and put their best effort towards academics, for even a carpenter will need to make calculations and write an estimate.

Thanks for the reasoned post.

Was speaking with my sister recently who happens to be on the Alumni Board of the highest ranked liberal arts college in the South. She said the president has expressed several times her desire to recruit more high-level athletes to the school. President said these athletes bring the discipline, time management, team-building skills that are necessary components of 21st-century life at a higher level than regular students.

Everything I've read about college recruiting says that grades come first!

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the reasoned post.

Was speaking with my sister recently who happens to be on the Alumni Board of the highest ranked liberal arts college in the South. She said the president has expressed several times her desire to recruit more high-level athletes to the school. President said these athletes bring the discipline, time management, team-building skills that are necessary components of 21st-century life at a higher level than regular students.

Everything I've read about college recruiting says that grades come first!

Yes because they have balanced school and club soccer and studies for most of their lives.

[Unregistered]

One of the recurring topics on this site is how helpful are - or are not -coaches in getting players recruited.

If you were a coach and you were going to go to bat for a kid with a college coach, would you want to know how the kid is doing in school?

When youth coaches approach a college coach with a prospect the coaches credibility is on the line.

Wouldn't the coach look like an idiot if he got a college coach to spend time on a kid who has no chance of being academicially eligible to be accepted to that college?

If I'm a coach promoting one of my players, I sure would want to know what type of student they are.

Yes, a coach involved in the recruitment of the player should have a player's school resume, however some clubs are wanting the grades at younger levels. This has been more of the debate on this thread. Also, a talented player can be accepted being below the minimum acceptance grade range for a college.

[Unregistered]

...however some clubs are wanting the grades at younger levels. This has been more of the debate on this thread...

While we all believe that clubs and coaches should emphasize academics, the only debate has been whether clubs and coaches can require players not seeking college recruiting assistance to divulge their GPAs.