What's so difficult about qualifying to play?

[SvFan4life]

Looking at a couple of players that UK wants, James Hearns and Taj Williams, I see that they may not qualify to play college football.

 

Got me thinking, what's so difficult about qualifying? High schools are supposed to have rules in place per the board of education that makes sure players have certain grade to be able to play in high school. From there as long as the player has okay grade the toughest thing is the ACT or SAT. Even with that they have it where u can still get a lower grade and just have to take prerequisite classes once you enroll.

 

I know some of these players may have difficult home lives and what not but it seems like itd be very difficult to not qualify if the player put forth any kind of effort towards academics.

[Bert]

I know some of these players may have difficult home lives and what not but it seems like itd be very difficult to not qualify if the player put forth any kind of effort towards academics.

 

A friend of mine teaches at UofL. Many of the students in his freshman class do not have a basic understanding of algebra and their writing skills are atrocious. Most of them come from high schools where many students need to be held back but are not due to various outside pressures.

[John Anthony]

You would be surprised OSU has basically a prep school for kids that do not qualify. Heisman trophy winners have attended it.

[truthbtold]

Looking at a couple of players that UK wants, James Hearns and Taj Williams, I see that they may not qualify to play college football.

 

Got me thinking, what's so difficult about qualifying? High schools are supposed to have rules in place per the board of education that makes sure players have certain grade to be able to play in high school. From there as long as the player has okay grade the toughest thing is the ACT or SAT. Even with that they have it where u can still get a lower grade and just have to take prerequisite classes once you enroll.

 

I know some of these players may have difficult home lives and what not but it seems like itd be very difficult to not qualify if the player put forth any kind of effort towards academics.

 

Some students do not take standardized test well.

[Jim Schue]

Looking at a couple of players that UK wants, James Hearns and Taj Williams, I see that they may not qualify to play college football.

 

Got me thinking, what's so difficult about qualifying? High schools are supposed to have rules in place per the board of education that makes sure players have certain grade to be able to play in high school. From there as long as the player has okay grade the toughest thing is the ACT or SAT. Even with that they have it where u can still get a lower grade and just have to take prerequisite classes once you enroll.

 

I know some of these players may have difficult home lives and what not but it seems like itd be very difficult to not qualify if the player put forth any kind of effort towards academics.

 

You don't think maybe some of the high schools these guys attended might have been a little lax on their grading standards?

 

Of course, that's a rhetorical question, because we all know of cases where kids were shuffled through the system without being forced to apply themselves academically, because of their athletic prowess.

[ColdHard]

Quite an easy question to answer. In KY it is only necessary to be passing your classes to be eligible. Theoretically, one could get a D in every class for each of four years in high school and graduate with a 1.0 GPA.

 

If he let hi grades slip in non required classes after football season he could still pass high school and have a GPA less than 1.0

[Jim Schue]

Quite an easy question to answer. In KY it is only necessary to be passing your classes to be eligible. Theoretically, one could get a D in every class for each of four years in high school and graduate with a 1.0 GPA.

 

If he let hi grades slip in non required classes after football season he could still pass high school and have a GPA less than 1.0

 

Yeah, but don't most schools impose their own rules on GPA? Everywhere I've ever seen it's 2.0.

[Harry Doyle]

A friend of mine teaches at UofL. Many of the students in his freshman class do not have a basic understanding of algebra and their writing skills are atrocious. Most of them come from high schools where many students need to be held back but are not due to various outside pressures.

 

Might think I'm crazy here, but I attribute a lot of the poor writing skills to these kids who learned to text at a wayyyyy tooooo early age. They spell everything how it sounds or short hand it, acronym it, etc.

 

Love what you said about holding kids back. It needs to happen. I've never seen holding a kid back truly be detrimental to their progress as a student, person, athlete, etc.

[Harry Doyle]

Yeah, but don't most schools impose their own rules on GPA? Everywhere I've ever seen it's 2.0.

 

Correct. That's it for many places.

 

I know some who implement a No Pass, No Play (one F and you are done). Some do two F's.

 

Quite honestly, I'm from the camp of, TYPICALLY, those kids who struggle academically (well, I shouldnt say struggle, bc a warm, breathing body can make a 'C' if they so much as act like they give a dang), are usually the ones who sandbag it out on the field, miss practice, workouts, etc.

 

It all goes hand in hand.

[RockPride]

NOTHING

[Harry Doyle]

You don't think maybe some of the high schools these guys attended might have been a little lax on their grading standards?

 

Of course, that's a rhetorical question, because we all know of cases where kids were shuffled through the system without being forced to apply themselves academically, because of their athletic prowess.

 

 

I've encountered just as many who are shuffled through because they are absolute behavior problems to the max, and teachers don't want to deal with them any longer than they have to. But, those kids don't attract the attention that student-athletes do, so they aren't discussed.

 

With that said, (and, Ms. Betty the English teacher who has never played anything and despises sports doesnt want to hear or admit this) I know several kids that if it weren't for the chance to play athletics, they wouldn't have even stayed in school to graduate, let alone not qualify to go to college.

 

^^ That side of the coin isn't ever brought up, either. Heavens no. "What? You mean a kid who comes from a single or no parent family, having no guidance whatsoever only comes to school so that he can participate in athletics (the one thing that resembles a family in his life)?" Nope. Can't say or admit that. Heck no.

[ColdHard]

Agreed on the other side of he coin. Easy for some to sit here and say lazy, undeserving, cancer to the team. Walk a mile in the shoes of some of these kids and to see them show up in school at all is amazing.

 

Recall a situation several years back where a kid was coming to school late often. It was determined that his mother was out late working most nights and often brought friends home to party after work. (Mom was a stripper, so the party at home began about 3am) the boy would get up whenever he happened to wake up, make himself something to eat, and walk to school on his own. This was going on in one of the highest performing districts in the Commonwealth, not the ghetto, and not some far off place where education is not valued. All of the burden for this boys schooling,from getting out of bed, making breakfast, getting to school, getting home, and doing homework was his own. No parent participated. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that some kids would not qualify. So as we sit and judge those that don't qualify, let's think about the fact that simply getting to school is an accomplishment, given the circumstances of some. They should be credited for doing what they have against great odds. Oh, and the boy described above was in the second grade. Think he might have trouble qualifying.

[Jim Schue]

You don't think maybe some of the high schools these guys attended might have been a little lax on their grading standards?

 

Of course, that's a rhetorical question, because we all know of cases where kids were shuffled through the system without being forced to apply themselves academically, because of their athletic prowess.

 

I've encountered just as many who are shuffled through because they are absolute behavior problems to the max, and teachers don't want to deal with them any longer than they have to. But, those kids don't attract the attention that student-athletes do, so they aren't discussed.

 

With that said, (and, Ms. Betty the English teacher who has never played anything and despises sports doesnt want to hear or admit this) I know several kids that if it weren't for the chance to play athletics, they wouldn't have even stayed in school to graduate, let alone not qualify to go to college.

 

^^ That side of the coin isn't ever brought up, either. Heavens no. "What? You mean a kid who comes from a single or no parent family, having no guidance whatsoever only comes to school so that he can participate in athletics (the one thing that resembles a family in his life)?" Nope. Can't say or admit that. Heck no.

 

Please don't misunderstand my comment -- it was not a blanket statement or some kind of condemnation of the system as a whole, or any individual system. I've been around long enough to have seen many different scenarios play out, positive and negative.

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

A friend of mine teaches at UofL. Many of the students in his freshman class do not have a basic understanding of algebra and their writing skills are atrocious. Most of them come from high schools where many students need to be held back but are not due to various outside pressures.

 

You're right, and I learned that in my freshmen English class during peer reviews. One young lady had me read over her paper, and I kid you not, I wouldn't have wiped my beehind with that monstrosity she called a paper. I was shocked.

[Harry Doyle]

Please don't misunderstand my comment -- it was not a blanket statement or some kind of condemnation of the system as a whole, or any individual system. I've been around long enough to have seen many different scenarios play out, positive and negative.

 

All good here. In noway did I think that, I was just giving the other side of the coin.