Students not passing all classes should be ineligible to play high school sports

My opponent continues to insist that students who are competitive athletically will also be competitive academically. However, as I have demonstrated previously, this is not necessarily the case. A student athlete’s competitive nature results from his or her passion for sports. This competition is further fueled by the attention an athlete receives from other students (1).Nevertheless, not all athletes have the motivation necessary to succeed in the classroom. According to the University of Michigan, “For students with poor academic performance, a reoccurring problem appears to be a lack of motivation. Some students just cannot be motivated by academic goals or teachers” (1). My opponent even acknowledged that, “The problem in students not passing classes is in general apathy for the classes.” However, he seemed to retract this statement later in the debate. Towards the end of round two, my opponent claimed that most student athletes are genuinely trying their hardest. He then suggested that some students struggle simply because they have difficulty grasping certain subjects. If my opponent’s second suggestion were correct, No Pass No Play policies would be entirely ineffective. Students would already be putting forth their best effort, and the new policies would not encourage them to work much harder. However, this has not been observed in reality. Research articles have established a direct connection between No Pass No Play policies and significant improvements in academic performance. This proves that many struggling students are not trying their hardest. It also demonstrates that extrinsic motivation can help students to succeed academically. Despite this compelling evidence, my opponent still claims that No Pass No Play policies are not effective in the long term. As he stated in round three, “Next the way these students try harder to keep their grades up to stay eligible seems to be akin cramming for a test; they keep their grades just above the red long enough to play when their sport is in season; and then they quit...just like cramming doesn't work in the long run neither does this system.” However, this analogy is seriously flawed. During their season, struggling student-athletes put forth extra effort to remain eligible. While they might not try as hard during the off season, No Pass No Play policies are still effective in the long term. Dr. Fernandez at the University of Boston demonstrated empirically that, “A one-subject increase in the minimum subjects standard (for example, students have to pass 4 as opposed to 3 classes in order to participate in sports) is associated with a two-percentage-point increase in the probability of graduation.” This increase may not seem large. However, as Dr. Fernandez stated, "In order to get a better idea of the magnitude of this effect, let us suppose that approximately 20% of students are interested in athletics, and that half of those are challenged by the requirement. Then, the implied effect for the affected students is a 10% increase in the likelihood of graduation” (2).The long term benefits of No Pass No Play policies have also been observed at the college level. In 1986, the National Collegiate Athletic Association adopted Proposition 48 which reformed initial-eligibility rules for student athletes. Under this proposition, athletes must receive a high school GPA of 2.0 and an SAT score of 700 to be eligible for college athletics during their first year. To meet these requirements, high school athletes must put forth additional effort throughout the entire school year. Thus, students who want to play sports in college have an incentive to focus on their long term academic success. As it turns out, many have done so. When Proposition 48 was initially enacted, a large number of incoming African-American freshman were ineligible to play. However, after only two years of enforcing this rule, significantly more African-American freshman met the criteria I described above (3). This demonstrates that No Pass No Play policies encourage college bound students to place an emphasis on long-term learning.My opponent may argue that this conclusion contradicts Dr. Keller’s research. As I mentioned in round two, Dr. Keller found that high school students tend to have better grades during the seasons in which they play. However, only 55% of the United States’s population will ever attend college (4). Therefore, many student athletes have little reason to keep up their grades during the off season. Had Dr. Keller examined only college bound athletes he probably would have arrived at a different result. Throughout this debate, my opponent has claimed that academic success isn’t important, as most information taught in high school isn’t applicable to everyday life. However, most required high school classes are actually very practical. This is especially true for struggling students who aren’t likely to obtain a four year degree. For example, Algebra and Geometry are frequently used by carpenters, electricians, and plumbers (5-7). A carpenter might employ his or her knowledge of basic trigonometry and linear equations when calculating the angle of a roof. The carpenter would first need to calculate the pitch of the roof using basic algebra skills. Then, he or she would need to determine the inverse tangent of this value to find the roof’s angle. Skills obtained in English classes are also useful in most careers. All employees need to be able to communicate effectively with customers, coworkers, and management personnel. Reading comprehension skills are also a necessity. Industrial and technical workers must be able to read written instructions, blue prints, safety regulations, etc. Core science classes may also have applications in some careers. According to the College Board, knowledge of basic physics may be useful for electricians (6). Once students have completed the required classes in core subjects, they can select courses which would be even more practical. Under the Texas graduation requirements, a student who has successfully completed Geometry does not necessarily have to enroll in Algebra II the next year. Instead, this student could choose to take a course such as Mathematical Applications in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (8).High school students also have the opportunity to select electives which relate directly to their areas of interest. In fact, students must earn 5 elective credits to graduate in Texas (8). A few examples of elective courses include Art, Drama, Fashion Merchandising, Construction, Business Law, etc. In round three, my opponent claimed that, “Society works as a body...Not everyone needs to know how to do everything; we need to focus on our strengths and allow help from others. However that is exactly what the current educational system tries to do.”This is not true. As I have demonstrated above, students have opportunities to select classes that are applicable to the careers they wish to pursue. Conclusion: No Pass No Play policies are highly effective. In a time when the US is losing ground in education schools are only hurting themselves by letting their athletes get by with low grades. I encourage everyone to vote pro, as I've backed up my claims with highly credible sources. References http://sitemaker.umich.edu... http://www.economics.smu.edu.sg... http://eric.ed.gov... http://www.census.gov... http://www.collegeboard.com... http://www.collegeboard.com... http://www.collegeboard.com... http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us...