Cippy back again.  Today I want to discuss grade point averages! The NCAA and my school require that student-athletes maintain at least a 2.0 to be able to practice and compete.  At my school the coaches will assess who is eligible and who is academically in-eligibly to play, whereas most Division I and II schools will have a compliance coordinator overseeing eligibility. 

As a student-athlete you must keep up on your work. I see a lot of freshmen that are struggling with their classes. Many student-athletes think their title is athlete-student; however, they are confusing their reason for attending college.  They need to take a look at themselves and figure out their career goals for their future. But with it being the first time away from home, some college freshmen think the last think they need to do is go to class. You as a student have a choice to go or not to go to class; it’s that simple. For the first time in your life you can really do whatever you want. As a college student-athlete you must know that you need to complete your coursework first to even get a taste of action on the court, field, or rink.  It is the coaches’ job to give out weekly or monthly grade reports to make sure their players are getting work done, but it’s the player’s job to do the work.

As a baseball coach, I make sure to give our athletes a chance to meet their professors by giving them weekly grade reports. The professors must sign their sheets and give them a weekly grade. Our athletes must give their professors a mid-semester grade form as well which they then fill out and return to the coaches, not the player. As coaches we take these great measures to ensure that our student-athletes are putting their education where it belongs, before everything else.

Learn to balance your time now before you get to college.  Learning to do that now will really help you as you make the transition from high school to college.  If you need some study tips, read what Dartmouth College advises to their students. 

Study hard! CIPPY OUT!!!