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Hello
Any suggestions on how to run an academic achievement incentive program? We coach a small town rep team, not high calibre ball, 12, 13 yr olds. We want to offer this and hope parents and kids see the value of this. It is no cost and just wondered if anyone had ideas how to do this. We want to show that 1. We care about these boys outside of ball
2. The importance of striving for excellence and being your best off the field as well.Thanks
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Positive reinforcement is a fine idea. My son never had one select coach ask to see his grades, but every college coach does.

Just asking to see grades indicates that you think school is important. Obviously it is no substitute for parent involvement.

Next week my son receives his a academic letter, just like he has done with baseball. I am incredibly proud. He has baseball opportunities that kids with lower grades don't have.
Thanks for the replies so far. I am thinking run it as an "achievers club", where they get recognized and they are working to be the best they can be vs the best overall. As we don't want team competition among the 12 team mates. We want to see growth and ex. of how they are working to make their classrooms, school and community better, as well as growth as students individually, even with those who have learning disabilites. Just not sure how to put this out to parents, as a voluntary program or mandatory, also how to keep track, have teachers send me email udates etc???.There will be a confidentiality agreement. Any more thoughts or opinions appreciated.
Our travel ball club requires a 2.8 GPA to play. This has really helped motivate a few kids to put in extra work in order to be able to play.

Our parents know the deal going in and most are very supportive.

Way too many kids don't have parents that force them to try harder in school and we all end up worse off because of it.

My sons HS team has a very good pitcher whose only option right now is a JC. Problem is the kid wants a bigger program but when every college coach asks to see his grades they stop recruiting him. He needs to use the JC route to get to a bigger school but he doesn't have parents that will push him to do that.
Every kid is different. Some work hard and still struggle. Some don't have to work hard at all and do very well in school. Every kids parents are different as well and some put a strong emphasis on academics, some not so much. So your going to have a team of young kids who are all coming from different situations for the most part.

What I would do at this age is educate. Educate the parents and the players. Some of your parents are going to be up to speed on the importance of academics. Some are not. Some will have stressed strong academic performance and some will have not. But hearing it from the coach and staff and how it relates to athletics can really help a young player.

I would have a seminar for my players and parents. I would bring in former college players to talk to them about opportunities gained and lost because of strong and poor academic performance at the HS and College levels. I would tell them no matter how good of a player they are they can lose the opportunity to play baseball at the HS and college levels if they do not take care of business in the class room.

There many reasons for poor academic performance. These young kids have yet to be faced with the lures that can catch them and be major stumbling blocks to poor academic performance. I would address those issues at a young age. Drug use, including alcohol. Losing focus on whats important and falling in with the wrong crowd. The just getting by syndrome. I will do just enough to be elgible to play baseball. But then its not enough to move on to the next level that I could have. I lost opportunities because I didn't take care of business.

Telling kids they can't play if they don't do "This" good in school is not enough. Address the issues that will cause them to not do as well as they can. Explain to them how they can be an absolute stud but be in the stands in HS. How others will try and entice them to join with them and they need to be strong enough to say no and stay focused. That poor decisions today can impact their life for years to come. They have a small window of opportunity and if they close it now it will never be there again.

Educate yourself. Educate the parents. And together educate the young players. And then pray that they get it. I would focus here rather than some system or incentives. You could have the parents come to you if they are having issues in the classroom with their kids. Together you could come up with punishment for the player as it relates to baseball. But its more important for the player to understand there will be a time when its not up to the parents or the coach. It will be in someone else's hands.

Your conversation with the players is very important. Do you always talk to them about baseball? Spend some time each day your with them talking about life. How is it going Jimmy? How is school going? Are you doing well in class? Are you having any trouble with school? Let them know that its important and you care about it. Kids need to know you care and its important to you. Talk to them about the importance of not getting in the wrong group. Talk to them about substance abuse and the way it can destroy a life and opportunities in life. Talk to them about WIN. Whats important now. In other words talk to them. Educate them. And good luck.
This is a nice idea, Coach May.

The reality is that those kids that get the parental reinforcement at home will do well no matter what level their academic potential is. Those that don't won't, with some exceptions.

But the opportunity for coaches to make a difference, like you talk about here, are undermined by other coaches who refuse to set the academic standard and sacrifice these ethics for winning at all costs.

These coaches keep high school student athletes in the game even though they do not attend class, these coaches lean on their fellow teachers to keep their star athletes eligible even though no work has been done in class, these coaches have attorneys who are close associates actively keeping their star athletes out of trouble by postponing felony arrest hearings so that they can remain eligible. These coaches undermine anything positive you would do to instill academic integrity on the part of those 12 and 13 year olds. And these coaches will be successful and be kept coaching because they have a winning record.

This is the reality of high school and college sports in "many" but not all cases. So I salute your entry into the struggle for providing academic incentive but do it admitting that parents and coaches are both the problem and the solution. Young adults are quick to recognize hypocrisy rather easily.
Thanks for your input all. Coach May, I have had 2 replies from parents so far. Progress reports come out soon. I will use it as a starting point. I like the idea of bringing in some older guys they can relate to, better than an old coach in his 40's. I have always told my own not to do it for me or for your teachers, but for you. Struggling to figure out what motivates some of these young boys. I am already leaning away from incentives. I am willing to help set up a an academic success plan if the desire is there. For some they have never had to work hard in pusuit of a goal and therefore never reaped results for their efforts. Anyway I'll update you as it goes and appreciate any advice to help with this idea. Many play another sport in the off season so we plan on attending those games for support and to show interest in them outside of ball.

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