may not make the grade

Welcome to HSBBW PitchersParent!

You will get plenty of good advise on here from parents whose son's have gone through this exact same scenario. I know it had to be very hard for you to come and ask this disheartening question. This is a classic example of just how hard it is to play college ball and keep academics up at a high level Division of ball. As it really is at any college program.

He would have to sit this spring and I would imagine be given the option to Red Shirt. If he wanted to stay at the program and prove he belonged. Very admirable and many do it. Another option if he wanted to transfer and try to play somewhere this spring (2012) would be to a D2, NAIA, or JUCO program. Transferring to another D1 after this school year IS an option but he would have to sit next year which means he wouldn't be available to play until 2014. I may have some of these a little off kiltered but hopefully not by much

Hope this helps and good luck.

YGD

My son's grade point was under 2.0 last fall, and he took a online course over Christmas to boost it over 2.0 so he would be eligible for the spring. His advisor helped him find a course. I hope that helps.

First, I'm not aware of any NCAA rule that would make him ineligible. D1 freshman year eligibility is determined by his status as a qualifier. (14.3) However, a college and the conference it belongs to will have eligibility rules, which may include a 2.0 GPA, but it could be less.

If he isn't academically eligible at his first school, he'll have to serve a year in residence as a transfer to a D2 (14.5.5.3.9b) or D3 (14.5.5.1.1). Of course he'd have to sit out a year after transferring to a D1 regardless of his grades.

JC rules vary by sponsoring body, but the NJCAA rule for semester system schools is that he would need 12 hours at a 1.75 during his first semester or sit out 16 weeks. (Article V, sections 10 and 4D/4E). The rule is more complicated for schools on a quarter system.

Staying on the team at his first school may be problematic, depending on how the coaches perceive his chances of succeeding academically in following terms. D1 schools have to meet an Academic Progress Index, and each term a player who doesn't return to school costs a point, as does any player who isn't academically eligible. If the coaches fear that he may have academic issues in the future, they may decide to limit their loss. It is very much in your son's best interests to strive hard to make grades, or at least to show the coaches and athletic department that he has the right attitude.

3FingeredGlove <----- What he said!

I have had players use Western Oklahoma St. to take winter courses for improving grades...they offer three 10-day inter-session courses (starting now most likely). Students can pick up nine credits and hopefully bring that GPA above 2.0. www.wosc.edu

Also, that can either get him eligible for his new school, or let him transfer to a JUCO. JUCO's for freshmen need his best 12 credits at 2.0 (if he was full-time in the fall, which he must have been) So if he gets 2 C's and 2 F's, he can take 2 winter courses at WOSC and get C's. This will give him 18 attempted credits still under 2.0, but for a JUCO he'll have one full-time semester where they can claim his "best" 12 credits, for which he'd be at a 2.0.

Coach, great post.

Boy, do we know ALL about WOSC! LOL

YGD