Is your academic eligibility in doubt after this semester?

If you are a college athlete (or parent of one) who struggled in the classroom this Fall and your academic eligibility for the Spring Semester is in doubt, it’s possible that your coach or athletic department could choose to cancel your athletic scholarship for the second semester if you are not eligible for competition.

In one situation two years ago, we consulted with an international athlete who flew home to Europe for the holiday period knowing that he had struggled academically, but he had not been informed that his scholarship was being cancelled for the second semester.

After paying substantial money for his return flight to the US in January and arriving on campus, he learned that he had no scholarship for the Spring when his meal card was denied as “invalid” in the campus cafeteria.

His family was faced with the choice of him staying in school and finding the means to pay for it, or to purchase another plane ticket to bring him home when they were not prepared for that expense so soon after the holiday.

If you are concerned with your academic eligibility and how it could affect your scholarship, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an e-mail to rick@informedathlete.com to schedule a private phone or Skype consultation.

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Student Before Athlete!

This picture hit the national media this week.This picture hit the national media this week.
You may or may not agree with this Dad’s tactics to get his son’s attention, however, he is correct about the importance of academics before sports.
In fact, the NCAA has recently increased the academic requirements for a student-athlete to be eligible to play their sport.
The hardest thing I had to do when I worked on campus was tell an athlete they weren’t eligible to play their sport because they hadn’t met the core course requirements for eligibility!
This is why we created Informed Athlete’s Freshman Eligibility & Transcript Review service so we can help high school athletes and parents be better informed and prepared without unpleasant surprises!

With a Freshman Eligibility and Transcript Review, we will:

  • Explain the freshman eligibility requirements and how they affect your athlete.
  • Compare the courses completed with the courses approved by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
  • Provide a written assessment of the subjects that need to be completed to satisfy initial eligibility requirements.
  • Review your ACT or SAT test scores, and determine the GPA that will be needed for eligibility, and
  • Suggest steps and discuss a plan of action that may be available to satisfy the eligibility requirements.

For more information, call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com

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NCAA Rules on Gambling – A Reminder to Student-Athletes

NCAA athletes, coaches, and athletic staff members are prohibited from participating in ANY sports wagering activity, AND are prohibited from providing information to individuals involved in any gambling activity (such as telling a friend or classmate that a point guard or pitcher is injured and won’t be completely healthy in an upcoming game).

The NCAA defines a “wager” as a person agreeing to give up an item of value (entry fee, a shirt, a dinner) in exchange for the opportunity to receive another item of value, so even a bet over a meal or a t-shirt would be a violation of NCAA gambling legislation.

With the NCAA “Final Four” tournament bracket being revealed on Selection Sunday, athletes may be tempted to participate in a “pool” to fill out their tournament bracket. 

This is only possible
if they do so for bragging rights alone,
and no “item of value” is involved. 

In fact, I recall a few years ago when a college golfer was suspended because he participated in a “pool” with his father and his father’s golfing buddies.  When the athlete’s father posted on his Facebook page that his son had won the pool, athletic administrators at his school learned of the post, and the athlete was suspended.

Also, just within the last two weeks, five University of Richmond baseball players were suspended for their involvement in a fantasy football league.  They are ineligible for competition until the NCAA reviews and completes the eligibility reinstatement process.

If you have questions regarding NCAA rules on gambling and how they apply to student-athletes, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com 

 
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Student-Athletes: Things to Consider Before you Drop a Class!

If you’re a college athlete who is struggling in a class, you may be thinking about dropping that class before the final exam.

My Advice?

DON’T!!!! — UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

  • Will dropping the class affect my current eligibility right now? (If it drops you below full-time status, you’ll become immediately ineligible for competition.)
  • Will dropping the class affect my eligibility next semester? (That depends upon your specific situation. For some football athletes, it could even effect your eligibility next Fall.)
  • If I don’t drop the class, but fail it, how might that effect my eligibility? (If your GPA drops too low, you may be ineligible for next semester.)

    • IN ADDITION: THERE MAY BE OTHER IMPLICATIONS YOU’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT!
    In a confidential phone or Skype consultation, we can discuss your specific situation and the impact that dropping a course, or possibly staying in it but failing the course, can have on your current and future eligibility. To schedule a consult, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or call 913-766-1235.

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    When I worked on campus, the hardest thing I had to do was tell an athlete they weren’t academically eligible to play their sport.

    If you are a High School prospect entering your senior year and graduating in 2019, NOW is the time to review your course enrollment to make sure you are on track to meet the NCAA or NAIA freshman eligibility requirements.
    Many high school athletes fall through the cracks and don’t meet the academic requirements to be a “Qualifier” because they weren’t planning early enough in high school, or due to inadequate advice regarding college athletic eligibility.

    For more information on our Freshman Academic Eligibility & Transcript Review Service, visit https://informedathlete.com/services/ncaa-freshman-transcript-review-service/.

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    Advice for Student-Athletes with Learning Disabilities

    If your student-athlete has a learning disability, or if you suspect that he or she may have, we strongly encourage you to share that information with the college’s athletic department academic support unit.

    As you may know, the college’s coaches, faculty, and staff are not supposed to ask students if they have a learning disability due to Federal privacy laws, and many student-athletes don’t want that information shared with the coaching staff for fear it will affect their playing time or that it makes them look “weak” or inferior.

    However, it might help reassure both student-athletes and parents to know that they are not alone as learning disabilities are more common than most realize. Many athletic departments have a learning disability specialist on staff to assist student-athletes.

    In addition, through their collaboration with the Disability Services offices on their respective campuses, many athletic departments have strong resources to assist with athletes who need academic assistance and support for their disability.

    Examples of these resources include:

    • Referrals for evaluation and assessment
    • Personalized academic accommodation plans
    • Note-taking services
    • Recording of lectures
    • Time extensions and use of computers for tests and exams
    • Text-to-speech and speech-to-text software

    Sharing the information with academic support staff members at the college will allow them to offer the appropriate assistance and support that your student-athlete might need to be successful in the classroom.

    If you would feel more comfortable discussing your particular situation and getting advice on how to approach your coach, or have questions about academic eligibility, we do offer confidential fee-based consultations and transcript reviews to ensure that your student-athlete understands your rights and options.

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