Dear Principal TEACHER_NAME,

In my opinion, you should keep the grade requirement for grades how it is. Sometimes, what you're saying is true, kids need to focus more on school, but life isn't all about school, there are many life lessons that you can learn while playing sports, and to limit the opportunity for kids to learn these lessons wouldn't make any sense.

Sports teach us many thing, good work ethic, physical health, respect towards higher authorities, and many more. I, for one, was changed by sports drastically. At the beginning of basketball season, I didn't really have any concern for my grades. I slacked off, and my grades slowly started to slip a away. Until one day, my coach talked to me after practice, she was concerned that my grades would keep declining, until I could not longer play. This changed my attitude right around. Basketball means the world to me and not being able to play would make me feel like a failure at life and if that ever happened, I believe I would just give up and my grades would plummet. Basketball has also made me a hard worker. Not only did it help my grades, but it made me realize just how important hard work is. I made a connection one day, me and my friends worked hard at practice unlike some other girls, and me and my friends were the ones playing the whole entire game, I figured that situation is just like life, the people who work the hardest get the best deal in the end.

I understand though your concern on sports being a distraction to academics. There is a simple solution to this though that doesn't include limiting the people who can play. I think that you could just do as the wrestling coach does for all sports and make it so there is a homework time before practice starts. By doing this, there is no excuse for not getting homework done, and there is usually someone there who understands it if you need help.

Thank you for reading this. Hopefully you keep the requirements the same, for sports really are an important thing in life for many students here.

Sincerely,

STUDENT_NAME