Many athletes often ask why eligibility exists. After all, it may seem pointless and even discourage some student-athletes that struggle with academics to continue their sports. However, eligibility is a fundamental aspect of being a student athlete; that ‘student’ part of student athlete is very important.
While though some athletes might just want to play their sport for fun, others want to actually make it a career. So it may seem like being a good student is irrelevant to being a good athlete. But that’s also exactly what eligibility’s purpose is — to make sure athletes are successful in school and life to help further there goals and knowledge outside of there sport and this is a great thing.
If a student’s athletic career doesn’t work out because they, for example, got injured, quit, or just didn’t make it as far as expected, maintaining a strong education helps them stay on the right track and path for success as they still have their good grades and knowledge to fall back on. It’s a cushion that sets them at a higher standard level, giving them the opportunity to pursue college or generally have a good life outside of just sports because at the end of the day you never know what could happen.
Eligibility also promotes student accountability. If a student doesn’t meet eligibility and isn’t allowed to play until they meet the standardized requirement, then it forces them to recognize their actions and hold themselves accountable so they can play again. Accountability can also be shown with how a student acts off the field. If a student spends all their time off the field and off school partying, then their grades will reflect that. The student needs to hold themselves accountable and stop creating a hole of bad habits and get their grades back up to where they need to be.
Eligibility is good for is ensuring success in whatever route student-athletes end up taking. Being an athlete isn’t just about winning games — it’s about preparing yourself for the challenges you’re going to face in your life. It also teaches discipline and how to have a positive work ethic, which can and will be used in your work life and personal life.
While right now, student-athletes hate eligibility and find it dumb or annoying, they don’t take the time to think about what it does for their future. Yes, eligibility may seem annoying. Yes, eligibility provides yet another responsibility for student athletes to juggle. But, eligibility is very beneficial for a student athlete in the long run and once their future arrives they will soon understand and appreciate the opportunity and importance eligibility is truly giving student-athletes.
