The Rundown 

Five is the number. You have to be passing five classes in order to be eligible to play VHSL sports. 

Student eligibility has taken a hit ever since last year’s 90/10 grading policy was introduced.

Now, the newest grading policy will continue to be a challenge for students.

The 0% for missing work policy might be a dark horse for winter athletes.

Fall athletes were able to rely on the start of the school year and lack of grades to keep their GPAs up. Spring athletes will have had plenty of time to adjust and get their grades up before the season begins. 

Winter athletes will have to stay vigilant and on top of their work if they want to remain eligible to play. 

“The winter season has always been tough on athletes because the first quarter ends right as the winter season is beginning and that has always impacted kids’ eligibility,” said Head Swim Coach Carmen Lucas. “I feel that this year the dark horse is that we have these zeros that can carry over as the quarter ends because of the rolling grade book.”

Seniors with free periods on their schedules have to be extra studious.

“If a senior has two free periods they cant have any Fs, so they need to make sure that all of their work is submitted by the end of the quarter so that they can be eligible for winter sports,” Lucas said. “I really feel like that’s going to have an impact on tryout week and coaches staying on top of our athletes for their grades throughout the season.”

Coaches will be receiving weekly grade reports from the activities office for each of their athletes this year.

On top of adjusting after the end of the first quarter, the sluggishness of January and February might leave athletes falling behind.

The early months of the new year are notorious for sweeping students up in their quiet storm. After all of the holiday spirits have worn off, many students are left feeling unmotivated.

The eligibility requirements are not evil, though. They can encourage students to stay motivated and diligent throughout those difficult months.

Using the incentive of sports participation gives students a reason to stay up to date with schoolwork.

“I think that the eligibility policy is very reasonable because it’s still very lenient but it’s making sure that athletes still know that school is important so they can participate in a sport,” senior athlete Jana Russell said. “This rule just helps me make sure I know what I need to do in order to participate in a sport.”

Advice to keep up

It is easy to slip under the radar and fall behind without anyone noticing. 

Grade reports are a good way for coaches to stay updated, but it is still on the students to do the work.

Your basketball coach is not going to write your English paper about the themes of Othello for you.

So what can you do to get back on track if you fall off?

“I’ve been known to sit down and talk with [students] during Pride Time to try and work with them and their other teachers to create a plan to get them in good standing as effectively as possible,” Lucas said, “reminding everybody that school comes first.”

Teachers are here to help you. If you are lucky enough to have a coach in the building, talking to them is a great first step.

Sit down with teachers and work out a plan to get caught up on missing work and re-do assignments.

Utilize Pride Time and W4 to your advantage. Use that time to do homework, so coming home from a two hour practice will not be followed by two more hours of schoolwork.

Being a student-athlete is entirely manageable. It just takes some effort and hard work.

At the end of the day, it’s on you to stay on top of school work and remain eligible.