Dear Principal TEACHER_NAME,

It has come to my attention that you are thinking of changing the policy of the sports and other extra-curricular activities. With your idea of having at least a B-average in order to participate, I feel that the school could have some major problems.

The first one is the sports teams. If a team's top player has a C+ average, even though they are so close they can't play. The team will suffer without that player. Teams are like families. Take one member away and the whole structure could fall apart. If you cut someone from a team just because of bad grades, they wouldn't be getting the experience in that sport that could help them later in life. Also, since a team is so close, removing one player could affect the entire way the team plays. A well built team has an understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses. If you remove a vital link, the team doesn't function like it should.

In sports, there are those few that are the best at their sport, but don't do well in school. They may have tried everything to improve their grades, but the grades don't change. By cutting them from the team, you are punishing them for something that may not be in their control. It would damage their self-esteem because since they can't do what they love, they are forced to do something that is torture to them.

Another reason to not change the cut is that clubs are a great way to make friends and learn new things. Like a sports team, clubs are like a family. You have all sorts of people with similar interests as you do. You can also make a lot of friends that you otherwise would have never met if it weren't for the club. Clubs can also teach you skills that you may have never learned, but may regret later not having. For example, I was once in a club that taught me how to work with electricity and other types of electronic devices. A few months later, I needed to help my dad with fixing a light fixture. Since I was in that club, I figured out that the reason the fixture didn't work was because the wires weren't connected correctly. If I didn't participate in that club, we would still be having issues with the lights.

Another benefit of being in a club is that you could find a hobby that you will do for the rest of your life. If a certain part of a club really interests you, you may go on to learn more about that subject and make it your hobby. That hobby could lead to a future career. If you cut kids with poor grades out of clubs, they may never learn about a hobby that could turn into a job that could help them prosper.

One way to compromise is to have a Homework Club for those who need a bit of extra help. They still get the benefits of being with people and making new friends, but at the same time they are learning better study skill that could help raise their grades.

By raising the cutoff for clubs and sports, you are depriving many of the students at this school of the ability to make friends, learn new things, and do well at what they do best. I want to thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and I hope that you will consider my points while you make the final decision.

Sincerely,

STUDENT_NAME, student