{"id":818,"date":"2010-07-29T10:20:41","date_gmt":"2010-07-29T16:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/\/?p=818"},"modified":"2010-07-29T10:20:41","modified_gmt":"2010-07-29T16:20:41","slug":"the-athletic-academic-connection-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/the-athletic-academic-connection-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Athletic-Academic Connection:  Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Parents and Prospects Can Create an Academic Atmosphere Where None Was Before\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_831\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-831\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-kids-5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-831\" title=\"Parents &amp; kids 5\" src=\"\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-kids-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"96\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-831\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Academics can too often take a back seat to athletics in homes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-Kids-22.bmp\"><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-Kids-21.bmp\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Academics begin at home.\u00a0 Make no mistake \u2013 parents are responsible for creating an academic setting for their children \u2013 an atmosphere which should revolve around the following elements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dedication<\/li>\n<li>Focus<\/li>\n<li>Time<\/li>\n<li>Results<\/li>\n<li>Accountability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While ideally the academic structure in the home would start at the earliest possible time frame (i.e. elementary or primary school), we often discover that athletics and social activities have been such focal points of family life that nearly all things impacting good academic performance have been subjugated to something akin to necessary evils.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This arm\u2019s length approach to academics severely limits an aspiring student-athlete\u2019s options.\u00a0 To say it simply, grades are the most influential catalyst to receiving an athletic scholarship offer, so when parents elect not to make academics a priority, their children eventually pay the consequences in some significant way \u2013 they are either passed over for kids with better grades or are forced to pay much more out-of-pocket for college.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As <strong>NSR<\/strong> scouts, after seeing that an athlete has the potential to play at the college level, we home in on grades.\u00a0 We know that good academic performance signals a plethora of positive things:\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_830\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-830\" style=\"width: 132px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/andrewhayes1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-830\" title=\"andrewhayes1\" src=\"\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/andrewhayes1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"142\" height=\"220\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Good grades send a positive signal to coaches.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Mental acuity:<\/strong>\u00a0 College coaches usually present advanced, competitive concepts to recruits.\u00a0 Bright students can be expected to grasp and put these innovations to use more quickly than those who have produced poor grades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Academic insight:<\/strong>\u00a0 High school grads with good grades typically have achieved them because of a keen desire to learn and a need to perform well in the classroom.\u00a0 They enjoy competing academically with classmates and enjoy the personal, social and academic benefits which come with the attainment of good grades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Predictability:<\/strong>\u00a0 College coaches see recruits with good grades as predictable.\u00a0 It is highly unlikely that a good high school student will come to college and suddenly become disinterested in academics, especially since their scholarship is typically in some way linked to classroom results.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>So, can parents and kids improve the academic atmosphere in their home?\u00a0 Yes, but both must agree to work together, to set up standards and expectations, to establish short and long term goals, and to make necessary adjustments if the desired outcomes are not reached.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-Kids1.bmp\"><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are some pointers on where to start:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dedication:\u00a0 <\/strong>There can be no excuses for avoiding academic responsibility.\u00a0 Parents and kids must understand that achieving good grades is the family priority when compared to athletics and social choices. That said, it is essential to be flexible when it comes to study time.\u00a0 Travel to and from away contests in particular can be an obstacle to quality study.\u00a0 And, pulling away from social moorings can be difficult.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the dedicated students always find the time to study and get their academic work accomplished whether it is in the bus trip, in the bleachers while waiting to dress for the game, during other opportunities which may present themselves like on weekends at home and study halls at school.\u00a0 Recognizing and seizing these opportunities to fulfill one\u2019s academic responsibilities are crucial to success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_832\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-832\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-kids-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-832\" title=\"Parents &amp; kids 6\" src=\"\/\/blog.nsr-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Parents-kids-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-832\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">During study time, there should be no distractions allowed. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Focus:<\/strong> \u00a0Study time must be approached and regarded as academic game time.\u00a0 At that point, nothing else\u00a0should matter.\u00a0 It is the singular focus of the student.\u00a0 Phone calls, emails and texts must all be of secondary concern and avoided.\u00a0 As an apt comparison, it would be inconceivable for an athlete to stop during practice to accept a personal phone call or to text a friend.\u00a0 Practice time is honored as untouchable and so should study time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong>\u00a0 How many hours per week are designated for practice?\u00a0 No athlete can be expected to maintain or improve their skills without it.\u00a0 The same attitude should be attached to study time.\u00a0 It should be a designated time of the day and it should be adhered to by the entire family.\u00a0 No TV.\u00a0 No music.\u00a0 No distractions.\u00a0 This is study time and that is what should occur, nothing else.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results:<\/strong>\u00a0 All productive plans include anticipated results.\u00a0 An academic plan must meet that standard as well.\u00a0 Where do you want to be in each class, academically, at mid-term?\u00a0 What scores on tests, papers and exams will you strive to achieve?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accountability:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is where many parents and student-athletes fall short.\u00a0 A lot of worry and work are exerted on the front end of the process, as they should be, but poor follow through in the middle and end of the stratagem creates emotional and practical pitfalls which allow the kids to fail.\u00a0 Although the family may make what appears to be an effective plan, they typically fail to establish benchmarks, outcome expectations, contingencies and consequences, all which are critical components in the most well conceived problem solving game plans. \u00a0Starting has to happen, but finishing is vital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Family dynamics are very difficult to change.\u00a0 Habits, whether physical or emotional, have been in place for years.\u00a0 But, for academics to flourish in a home, everyone must be willing to overlook what has happened in the past, contribute, cooperate and support the effort to make positive changees happen, start to end.\u00a0 It can be accomplished when a family works in concert to achieve such an important objective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents and Prospects Can Create an Academic Atmosphere Where None Was Before\u00a0 Academics begin at home.\u00a0 Make no mistake \u2013 parents are responsible for creating an academic setting for their children \u2013 an atmosphere which should revolve around the following elements: Dedication Focus Time Results Accountability While ideally the academic structure in the home would &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/the-athletic-academic-connection-part-3\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsr-inc.com\/scouting-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}