As the winter season is in full swing, the athletic office has begun sending out reminders to watch falling grades. Midterms and finals can result in either a pass or a fail for many students as the first semester ends.

Grades are especially important because a failing grade can end an athlete’s season.

“The head coaches and I usually check grades quarterly,” said Christopher Dailey, Woodland’s athletic director. “It’s a privilege to be on a team, meaning the criteria of a student needs to be met first.”

Especially for juniors and seniors, colleges always ask for a transcript before scouting athletes. Admission into the actual college is needed before admission to a team. 

For students of any age, The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) states that students need to at least pass four classes. Woodland agrees with this statement but also adds in their requirements that a student cannot fail one or more classes. If a student cannot meet these expectations, he or she is put on probation.

“We require students to seek extra help and provide weekly reports when on probation,” said Dailey. “The extra help would be with the teacher who teaches the failing class. If a teacher can only meet on a day that there are activities right after school, the student-athlete would need to miss out on the sporting event.”

As Woodland’s failing grade (sixty-nine or lower) is unlike many other schools, the expectations for athletes may seem grueling; however, Dailey wants to stress a major aspect to the sports world: