mistanice
09-11-2007, 12:30 AM
By ROBERT SHY
Contributing writer
Saturday, September 08, 2007
School has been in session for about two weeks now, and many parents and children alike are talking about getting back into their school routine.
It is important to note that, as a parent, the routine you execute has a lot to do with the academic success of your children. If you emphasize studying and getting a good education, that is more likely to translate to better grades. On the other hand, if your focus is on athletics or other activities, then you may increase the likelihood of your children excelling in those areas.
I should also note that the nonverbal messages we send to the children are also critical. If you are among the thousands of people in the football stands for Lufkin home football games and travel to away games but have not been to a parent meeting at your children's school in years, then you may be sending the wrong message. If you know the name of the head coach, the offensive and defensive coordinators but not the principal, assistant principal and grade-level principal for your children, then you may be sending the wrong message. If you are asking your children how they played in the athletic games but not asking them how they are doing in school and about their school day, then you also may be sending the wrong message.
Schools and the coaches can also send the wrong message that athletics are more important than academics and hinder our children. If athletes are given preferential treatment and not expected to perform at a higher level in the classroom as they do on the ball field, then that may be sending the wrong message. If you expect a 100-percent win rate on the field but are satisfied with a 70-percent performance in the classroom, that may be sending the wrong message.
Two incidents from the 2006 football season stick out as glaring evidence that wrong messages are being sent to our students. The first is the early dismissal of all students and staff for the football game last year against The Woodlands. I know everyone was excited about playing on national television, but it was a bad decision to dismiss school early because of the game. The last time I checked, you could get to Conroe in less than two hours so those students and staff who wanted to attend the game could have gotten there if they left after the full school day was completed. If anyone wanted to leave early, they should have individually made provisions and accepted whatever consequences that arose from their premature departure from school.
The second incident appears to be an ongoing issue that exemplifies many people's perception of the football program. That involves tutoring and other academic assistance that is often given to football players. It appears that the tutoring assistance, whether it is voluntary or mandatory, usually ends after the first six weeks of school after the University Interscholastic League's (UIL) eligibility date passes. I checked the UIL Web site and the eligibility date for 2007 is Oct. 5 for the schools that started classes on Aug. 27. The eligibility rules are listed below:
A student who receives, at the end of any grading period (after the first six weeks of the school year), a grade below 70 in any class (other than an identified advanced class) or a student with disabilities who fails to meet the standards in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) may not participate in extracurricular activities for three school weeks.
My concern is that very few if any athletes are ruled ineligible after the first six weeks of school but by the end of the nine weeks or semester grading period, a number of them have grades below 70 percent. Some are way below 70 percent. This also holds true for other sports which begin later in the school year. They also have to follow the first six weeks of the grading period rule for the time period they are participating in their sport. Measures must be put in place to prevent these slides of athlete's grades. Not doing so only sends the message that we only care or are only concerned about their athletic ability.
There is also a major misconception from athletes and some of their parents that athletics is the easiest and best way for African-American children to be successful and escape poverty or improve their economic situation. This notion has been detrimental to the educational development of many of our student-athletes.
A good education is the best way to improve their economic circumstances. Only a small number of athletes receive college athletic scholarships, and those that are fortunate enough to receive them still have to be academically prepared for college to succeed. On the other hand, if the athletes are also good students, there are many funding opportunities for them to attend college, especially if they are from economically disadvantaged homes.
The message I want to leave you with today is that, although athletics is a major part of many schools and communities, we must remember that they are student-athletes and that we must be more concerned about their educational ability over their athletic prowess.
Robert Shy, a Lufkin resident, is a member of The Lufkin Daily News' Board of Contributors. His e-mail address is robertshy1@yahoo.com.
Contributing writer
Saturday, September 08, 2007
School has been in session for about two weeks now, and many parents and children alike are talking about getting back into their school routine.
It is important to note that, as a parent, the routine you execute has a lot to do with the academic success of your children. If you emphasize studying and getting a good education, that is more likely to translate to better grades. On the other hand, if your focus is on athletics or other activities, then you may increase the likelihood of your children excelling in those areas.
I should also note that the nonverbal messages we send to the children are also critical. If you are among the thousands of people in the football stands for Lufkin home football games and travel to away games but have not been to a parent meeting at your children's school in years, then you may be sending the wrong message. If you know the name of the head coach, the offensive and defensive coordinators but not the principal, assistant principal and grade-level principal for your children, then you may be sending the wrong message. If you are asking your children how they played in the athletic games but not asking them how they are doing in school and about their school day, then you also may be sending the wrong message.
Schools and the coaches can also send the wrong message that athletics are more important than academics and hinder our children. If athletes are given preferential treatment and not expected to perform at a higher level in the classroom as they do on the ball field, then that may be sending the wrong message. If you expect a 100-percent win rate on the field but are satisfied with a 70-percent performance in the classroom, that may be sending the wrong message.
Two incidents from the 2006 football season stick out as glaring evidence that wrong messages are being sent to our students. The first is the early dismissal of all students and staff for the football game last year against The Woodlands. I know everyone was excited about playing on national television, but it was a bad decision to dismiss school early because of the game. The last time I checked, you could get to Conroe in less than two hours so those students and staff who wanted to attend the game could have gotten there if they left after the full school day was completed. If anyone wanted to leave early, they should have individually made provisions and accepted whatever consequences that arose from their premature departure from school.
The second incident appears to be an ongoing issue that exemplifies many people's perception of the football program. That involves tutoring and other academic assistance that is often given to football players. It appears that the tutoring assistance, whether it is voluntary or mandatory, usually ends after the first six weeks of school after the University Interscholastic League's (UIL) eligibility date passes. I checked the UIL Web site and the eligibility date for 2007 is Oct. 5 for the schools that started classes on Aug. 27. The eligibility rules are listed below:
A student who receives, at the end of any grading period (after the first six weeks of the school year), a grade below 70 in any class (other than an identified advanced class) or a student with disabilities who fails to meet the standards in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) may not participate in extracurricular activities for three school weeks.
My concern is that very few if any athletes are ruled ineligible after the first six weeks of school but by the end of the nine weeks or semester grading period, a number of them have grades below 70 percent. Some are way below 70 percent. This also holds true for other sports which begin later in the school year. They also have to follow the first six weeks of the grading period rule for the time period they are participating in their sport. Measures must be put in place to prevent these slides of athlete's grades. Not doing so only sends the message that we only care or are only concerned about their athletic ability.
There is also a major misconception from athletes and some of their parents that athletics is the easiest and best way for African-American children to be successful and escape poverty or improve their economic situation. This notion has been detrimental to the educational development of many of our student-athletes.
A good education is the best way to improve their economic circumstances. Only a small number of athletes receive college athletic scholarships, and those that are fortunate enough to receive them still have to be academically prepared for college to succeed. On the other hand, if the athletes are also good students, there are many funding opportunities for them to attend college, especially if they are from economically disadvantaged homes.
The message I want to leave you with today is that, although athletics is a major part of many schools and communities, we must remember that they are student-athletes and that we must be more concerned about their educational ability over their athletic prowess.
Robert Shy, a Lufkin resident, is a member of The Lufkin Daily News' Board of Contributors. His e-mail address is robertshy1@yahoo.com.