Students who play sports are the required to maintain a 2.0 GPA in college to continue on with playing sports. Should high schools make the balance between sports and academics easier or more challenging?

Apparently in Rockford, Ill School officials believe that making the balance is easier for the athletes. In 2012 officials made a district requirement for student athletes to maintain a 2.0 GPA.Students with less than a C average have been able to compete on Rockford teams since two years ago, when the district dropped its rule requiring athletes to maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Even some big cities have made this change, such as Boston and Pittsburgh. According to the news, just last year OPS Board President Justin Wayne wanted all athletes to maintain at least 2.0. Only 86 percent of students have about a 2.0 GPA.
Should this be allowed? Why don’t athletes have higher expectations? How will higher expectations help the athlete in his or her career?
Student athletes have a lot on their plate and this doesn’t just include academics. This includes being a role model in the school building, practicing on season and off season and also maintaining outside connections.

Having higher expectations could help push these athletes to develop communication skills; the skills that will and can help them with their future. Communicating with college coaches, asking questions and again, answering questions fully.

If an athlete can’t communicate with coaches or fans through the media then it’ll be a long and tough career.

Athletes should have higher expectations because there is always the possibility of human interaction. This interaction includes interviews with student journalist, communicating with coaches about furthering their career or talking to colleges about scholarships. It’s important to know how to answer questions fully when being interviewed for the newspaper or television because this is released to the media, the gate way to fans.

If the expected GPA is 2.0 then the athletes are at a C average which doesn’t require much effort. This GPA should at least be a 2.3 GPA so students are forced to ask for help and forced to communicate with their teachers, even forcing them to communicate with their peers for help. Creating study groups, they may have a lot on their plate but this is a way to gain communication. Even the new Keagan Method is helping them.
Raising the GPA forces them to communicate with authority and peers, which in turn develops more communication skills.