Minimum GPA for Student-Athletes Raised to a Shocking 3.0

Joshey Alcantara Staff Writer

Hard news recently hit all public highschools of the San Mateo district. The new minimum GPA requirement for student-athletes to continue their sports has been raised to a 3.0. Starting next school year, this new regulation will be set in motion during the beginning of the fall sports seasons. Many student-athletes across the district have sent many complaints regarding the new standard for athletes to play. Their claims say that the bar has been set to high and may severely damage their sports careers. Parents have also given school staff and faculty a piece of their minds by banding together to address these unfair standards. Parents are concerned about not being able to see their kids play in the sports they worked so hard for. “Playing a sport that you have passion for should not come with such a high price,” states a soccer mom from Mills High School. Many frustrated parents have gone out on strike to defend the future of their children’s sports careers outside the schools.

Although most people may see this new change as unfair and too large of a change, it can be seen in a more positive perspective. If student athletes truly want to continue the sports they play, schools will encourage them to earn their right to play. This way all athletes will have a higher chance of being accepted into universities. Players who fully invest in their sport can be considered a gamble considering the fact that not all highly skilled players get the recognition they deserve. Attracting scouts and other recruiters would only be a reliable option in power house schools such as Serra, St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart Cathedral, etc. This is why the San

Mateo district public schools believe that if athletes can maintain a higher GPA, they will be left with a better plan B option when sports may not go their way. Although students may currently disagree with this decision, in the far future they may be grateful for the opportunities it has presented to them. Many students have already started to submit transfer applications for out of district schools. This new trend will potentially allow students to keep playing their sport without having to maintain a higher GPA. Regardless, school faculty says that they plan to stay firm on their new regulation even though it may cost sports programs to perish. With not as many athletes making grades, smaller sports programs have been put at risk. This issue may cause a domino effect considering that sports league brackets may change over time if teams from the San Mateo district can not pull together enough players to take the field or court. Varsity football player Kai Hernandez (11) states “an abrupt change like this is not fair to the student body.” Worried if he and his fellow teammates will make grades Hernandez preaches that the district needs to reevaluate their decision on the new change. According to the majority of the team, college should not be enforced onto students if they do not plan on going in the first place. Not all student athletes plan to continue their education after high school, making the requirement useless. If anything, the new standard should be consulted with athletes prior to establishment.