ISSA RULES ON STUDENT ATHLETES NEED REVISIT

Much has been said and written about the exclusion of Odean Skeen and Demar Robinson from the ISSA Boys and Girls Athletic Championships 2013. Both young men, reports said, did not meet the required academic standards set by the Inter-Secondary Schools Spors Association (ISSA) that would have allowed them to compete for Wolmer’s Boys and Calabar respectively.

Now that the championships are underway these two young men will be relegated to the back burner while the nation focuses on the ongoing battles on the track and in the field to see who will come out on top on Saturday night. My personal opinion is that Calabar and Edwin Allen will successfully defend their titles but only just. Of bigger concern to me however, is that the obviously broken system will continue to perpetrate the hypocrisy or double-standard that forced two of the island’s most talented athletes out of the championships.

As former principal of Camperdown Cynthia Cooke stated on my radio show a couple weeks ago, high school sportsmen and women are the only people subjected to these standards. No one checks who has the required grades when a student has to represent their school at the dramatic arts so why then are athletes held to this ‘higher’ standard?

The other thing that troubles me is that Skeen was accepted at Wolmer’s because he could run really fast, and over the years – based on his academic achievements – not much seems to have been done to help him achieve his full potential as a student. He was even allowed to attend sixth form even though it was apparent that he had not met the required standard. Why then at this late stage when he is virtually out the door, is he now being brought to book and being denied doing what he does best for Wolmer’s and has been doing for Wolmer’s for the past few years?

If this was an effort to go after Robinson and with the ISSA president being the principal of Wolmer’s, Skeen was made the sacrificial lamb, it would smack of even greater hypocrisy because both young men are not alone in falling below academic standards. I would venture to say that there are many more student athletes – male and female – who are falling short. Why then are they not barred, since ISSA is holding these two boys up as examples of the governing body’s ‘good work’ of helping student athletes maintain their academic standards.

I won’t even bother mentioning the influence of old boys on the schools that are chewing up and spitting out athletes all for the sole purpose of winning Champs, because that would require more space than is allowed here. What I will say however, is that there needs to be a revision or an overhaul of the current system as it relates to holding students to minimum academic standards.

I am fully supportive of the idea of kids attending school to learn, but that is solely from an academic perspective. School is where kids learn the fundamental skills that will help shape their careers. It is where they will begin the relationships that will allow them to ‘fall back’ on something sturdy should their athletic careers come to naught. School can be the foundation for a very successful life. However, from a more holistic perspective, is it just to deny a student athlete the right to use all the talents available to him or her just because they are unable to matriculate academically to their full potential?

I have a friend who attended school here in Jamaica and was barely able to read or write. His ability to run fast earned him a scholarship to an American university. Five or six years later he graduated with honours and returned to this country well-educated. During his time in college he managed to improve his reading and writing skills and he discovered that he had an aptitude for certain things at which he eventually excelled.

Who knows what Skeen and Robinson will be denied by not being out there for these championships – a scholarship, a million-dollar contract perhaps? This is a new age and things that obtained years ago sometimes have to evolve in order to remain relevant. Denying these young men an opportunity to compete denies them the ability to truly be all they can be. At this moment they may not be the best students, but they are among the best of athletes. School is supposed to bring out the best of us, so why are they punished for being good at one talent and not so good at another?

Older Entries

Newer Entries

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
The Gleaner reserves the right not to publish comments that may be deemed libelous, derogatory or indecent.
To respond to The Gleaner please use the feedback form.

19 Responses to “ISSA RULES ON STUDENT ATHLETES NEED REVISIT”

Raoul says:

March 15, 2013 at 1:01 am

This also happened in 2011 with a Jamaica College athlete although they managed to win champs that year but my problem is if the student could not run for their high school at champs why a few weeks later are they running at penn relays and representing their country at carifita … It’s not fair to the school and student at the end of the day
Jakan says:

March 15, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Full 100 to you on this article. What is more,how appropriate can it be to publicly subject young people to embarrassment? Why hold them up to public ridicule? Why thwart their future?

Simply put do does doing those things to these young people benefit us? It is abusive and it should stop.
lincoln shell robinson says:

March 16, 2013 at 9:44 am

as i have addressed this isssue already in the regards to the muggy graham expose be it football/soccer.what have been done in the 60′s at vere in clarendon by the principal,mr.ben francis and the bursar mr.ronald wilmott,was to create a craft course for the athletes who had problems with the general curriculum.that worked wonders,many of us who did not get a scholarship or a contract to the us,had jobs at the bauxite in mech/eng,elect/eng and you what vere did in the 60′s-70′s.track/soccer are also skills that need to be nurtured,my team mates and i did not disappoint mr.wilmott,to name afew skill cole,bop campbell,authur ennis, magwa earle,ruddy friars, ansel styles bam fullwood and i shell robinson to name a few.look into the trades and skill courses their potentials could be there.peace shell .t. robinson.
Jamaica Life TV says:

March 16, 2013 at 10:54 am

I have no problem with ISSA’s rule. These students, the teachers and their parents/guardians were well aware of the rule long before Champs.
Without the rule in place, it would a free for all in which students would attend no classes and turn up to run at Champs, just as they did in football in the ‘bad old days’.
I am disappointed if the former principal thinks its OK for a student to completely ignore their studies so that they can score points for their school.
SuSu says:

March 16, 2013 at 11:36 pm

It’s about time they realized it’s school work first, and sports after. So many are unable to even take up sports scholarships which could aid in their developementa as athletes because their grades are dismal. Some of these schols thin only of their glory, not the kids’ welfare.
Neisha says:

March 17, 2013 at 8:41 am

I just want to give my support to ISSA. It is not their fault that other programmes do not follow suit. Please remember that in order for these kids to get scholarships to international programmes or even to get I to college to continue competing they need to meet a minimum academic requirement.
Andre Gordon says:

March 17, 2013 at 12:01 pm

Why is it that a brilliant student is not denied the opportunity to sit his exams, when he doesn’t represent his school in at least ONE extra-curricular activity (sports), but a brilliant athlete is denied the opportunity to participate when he is not stellar at academics.
Michael says:

March 17, 2013 at 12:08 pm

Is there an educational requirement to make the National Team or to run at the Olympics? If not then ISSA is out if line.
cisaacs says:

March 17, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Yes,there may need to be a comprehensive review of the current system,but the fact is this type of system where student athletes are denied participation based on academic failures is not only practiced inJamaica but also here in the good ole USA.My son felt the brunt of this full force and he was denied participation in the athletic dept.It is not a knock against the athletes,they must meet the academic requirement and then all arguments are off.Here you cannot play if you don’t pass your classes.So,if you were upset that Skeen and Williams did not participate,cheer up,it’s the norm here too.Too bad.And YES,THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME TUTORING ALONG THE WAY TO HELP THESE KIDS.
Hugh says:

March 17, 2013 at 10:37 pm

That rule has been around probable before these athletes were born! The other athletes adhered to the rules! For the persons who know of athletes who ran and have not met the rule then present the case and help to purify that which has been working!
It should be noted that the rule does not impact other games like CARIFTA, so the athletes are career is still on track if he/she so choose. The schools are to be blamed as also the athletes.
Pat Lando says:

March 18, 2013 at 8:44 am

Student Athletes or What?

Not all students attending schools will have achieved the exact academic standards – that is one of the reasons why we institute a grading system to measure their learning levels. Not every student runs fast or is an exceptional soccer or netball player. Does a lack of athletic powerless means that we neglect a child who is not meeting the required academic standards, this is what is setting back our school systems across the globe. School systems should prepare youngsters for a world beyond their academic learning years whether as academics or athletes, why then should the educators subject their students to public humiliation by deny them the right to pursue either of their goals? The parents should take legal action against the schools and associations to prevent this taking place in the future. A better solution would have been to offer these students an alternative learning program by identifying any short-comings they might have regarding the regular school curriculum and continue to encourage them to meet their goals whether academically or in a professional sports arena where they can also earn a living.
The decision makers needs to get their heads out of the cloud.
Maitland Rose says:

March 18, 2013 at 3:32 pm

I agree with ISSA, but blame the school. If you have an athlete thats is so good. Wouldn’t you get him the tutoring to get the retired grades. I believe if an athlete can employ enough discipline to be top in his/her sport, he/she can get the required academic standard. Maybe just a different manner of teaching
johntowit says:

March 19, 2013 at 3:02 pm

I used to attend a very prominent High School in Jamaica back in the days. And athletes in general (track stars, footballers, etc.) took academics 4 muckery. While others were bizzy trying to finish up course work, home work and exam preps. these lot used to idle under trees and at the canteen, with a lot of hype. Because they knew they will get a scholarship to the USA anyway.

School is for the education of the person’s whole – academia, general mannerisms & personal developments, extracurricular activities, etc. Standards must be set & maintained and an institution must perform in an orderly manner. The school with its tradition and reputation continues decades/centuries after students have graduated.

Sometimes I am ASHAMED of how our JAMAICAN ATHLETES (footballers, netballers, cricketers, etc.) answers questions to international media during interviews – no grammar, sentence construction and very limited vocabulary, they dont listen properly, they try to talk over the interviewer, they dont answer what is asked, etc. Even the manner in which they protray themselves during the interview is a big joke – far from being PROFESSIONAL.

Look at the former athletes who are now working in the media, Colin Jackson, Michael Johnson, Denise Lewis, Johnaton Edwards, (BBC), Jeffery Dujon, etc. Does anyone ever check out their presentation, use of English, vocabularies, etc. There’s a carreer after track and field that can let the former athlete earns even more than what they’ve already earned.

So don’t scoff at doing your home work, go to labs, library (often) and study intensly 4 exams, guys !!!!!!!! And read GOOD books.
U. Sawyers says:

March 23, 2013 at 10:52 am

As someone who used to teach in a Jamaican school who had outstanding athletes, I fully endorse the rule which says that students need to achieve a certain standard in order to compete in sports or any other area for that matter.
One must remember that school is for educational purposes first and also to prepare students for the world of work. You have to teach life skills too and students meeting standards is a part of that.

I remember seeing students coming to school merely to play games and totally ignoring the academics even to the point where they come to school just in time to train or on game day. That can’t be right.

I agree with Mrs. Cooke and with that, the rule should extend to students participating in the Arts though I think the impact would not be the same.
levyl says:

March 23, 2013 at 2:14 pm

Here is the thing though, for many athletes; whether football, track and field, tennis, etc. their world of work is the sports they excel in and which I might add, pays them more than most professionals. So the environment is heavily skewed against them when you take away what they do best just because they are not academically sharp at this particular point in their lives. Maybe as they mature they can go back to school when they are better able to grasp the information. As such why take away any opportunity they have to excel. Lebron James, for example, jumped straight from high school and into the NBA. Let us say we have a promising athlete who is as good as he was in high school and he is not book smart, do we take away his right to earn millions which will enable him to go back to school when he is ready? I agree that school is important, extremely so but I know people who excel in high school who amounted to naught, so what are we saying about those kids?
Neisha says:

March 24, 2013 at 10:58 am

Firstly, the athlete does not have to be academically sharp. They need to meet a minimum academic standard, not the maximum. Secondly, the school or the parents/guardians can get them a tutor. The student athlete does not need to be book smart to pass.

Additionally, their right to make millions is not taken away. As an amateur athlete he or she is not earning an income. So, after high school, if they chose to turn pro, then that’s always an alternative.

If Lebron James did not perform academically at a minimum standard then he would not have graduated high school but he could always join the NBA. Now the NBA require all student athlete to attend college for at least a year so they too are in full support of academia to a certain extent.

Again, to your last question/statement….student athletes do not need to excel in academics. It is in their best interest to be able to read and write, do basic mathematics, etc in order to make wise decisions, speak on their own behalf etc in their professional athletic career. As someone said before, their is life after sports for these young people so it’s good to have a basic education background.
Former Student Athlete says:

March 24, 2013 at 8:36 pm

Levyl it’s obvious that you really don’t truly understand or care about student athletes beyond seeing them please the crowd at Champs and give us great headlines! What we are blatantly expressing to these boys and girls is that ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY DOES NOT MATTER! ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE TALENTED. Unfortunately you are simply reflecting a snippet of Jamaica’s social, business, legal and political leadership style.

As a former student athlete who excelled academically and on the track for years (through the late 1990’s at a perennially dominant high school), it is the opinions, attitudes and behaviors akin to your blog post that have promoted the demise of brilliant young Jamaican minds for decades. When it comes to our high school athletes, education has been relegated as an “okay-to-have”, versus a “must have”. For so long we pretend that good/great high school athletes automatically result in great professional athletes, and so with this we train these students to think the same. So with this one-sided mindset, these boys and girls disregard the need or importance of any meaningful academic achievement.

So what if the Arts have different academic requirements – if any? Do they have the same problem? You ask “why then are athletes held to this ‘higher’ standard?” When did higher standards become a bad thing? And are these standards truly “high” in the grand scheme of things? In your mind, the young men & women are victims because they didn’t get to compete at Champs. Aren’t they bigger victims when they dominate Champs, then leave high school without the basic academic skill sets at their age to help further themselves? How can their education even be something they “fall back on”, as you say, if they can’t even meet some mediocre academic requirements to compete at Champs? If that’s a “fall back” plan, then I hope you are ready to hire them.

It is true that not every child learns the same way, nor will every child be astute in the same subjects. But just like the training of the body to compete, the brain has to be trained & you have to practice in order to learn – it’s called studying. And I know it’s not easy as a high school student, to study, train & compete successfully, year after year. You get to school by 8am and leave at 5pm/6pm, to take the bus home, and get home tired & worn out by 6pm/7pm at night most days of the week. Add competing on Saturdays to that and it can become crazy schedule to have. BUT that’s a part of the “job”! The teenage years is when you mold a young person to understand and appreciate the commitment, focus and sacrifice needed to succeed on & off the track. These sir, are some of “the fundamental skills that will help shape their careers”.

A failing student not being able to compete is now ISSA’s problem? What a joke for an opinion! (1) Every September at the beginning of the school year, the coaches know that there are academic requirements that need to be met. They also know the learning challenges of many of their athletes. But many coaches simply care more about winning than the overall development of the student athlete. And to be fair to even those coaches I disagree with, they get paid (though little) to win or get the points at Champs! (2) Then you have kids who do not have the parental or adult support to push/motivate/guide them to maintain decent academics. (3) Then there are student athletes who are given every opportunity from teachers, tutors, principals, etc to develop academically, but throw these opportunities away because they believe or are led to believe it’s not important. It’s the same thing every year – start school in September, then 6-7 months later when Champs rolls around, everybody is “surprised” that the student is failing to meet the standards! While the student athlete ends up being the biggest victim of a culture that wants them to be the next Bolt, Powell, Frasier-Pryce or Campbell, these same students play a first-hand role in their dismal academic performance.

For every friend that you have who couldn’t read or write before they got a scholarship to a university, then graduate honors to become a model citizen, I know 10 former high school student athletes/friends who excelled in high school but couldn’t go further and said they regretted not taking school more serious. PLUS I know 10 more friends who earned scholarships of some sort and flunked out, or now as an adult struggle to feed their families simply because they realized too late that track and field was only going to be a highlight reel in their life.

While it’s great to be thinking about scholarships and multi-million dollar contracts, let’s stop putting the cart before the horse. Teach the kids accountability and responsibility before you start removing any or lowering the standard any further.
Lastly Levyl, if you want to tell your child that having physical/athletic prowess with an inferior, unchallenged & under-developed mind is the order of the day, that’s your right. But please don’t fight for that cause on my child’s behalf.
levyl says:

March 25, 2013 at 8:19 am

Why do you assume that because I posit a different opinion that that equates to me not caring. I am putting forward an opinion that we cannot and should only look at things from an academic perspective? Some of the most successful people on this planet never had the benefit of school. It is a reality that we must face. Not every child is going to excel athletically or academically but we need to give each a chance to excel at what they do best. A child, especially a teenage child that has a shot at athletic success has perhaps 10 years to make the best of his talents. Schools really don’t go anywhere so he or she can always go back to school. That however, doesn’t mean that I am advocating for the child to give up on schooling altogether. What must happen is that the school and the child’s parents MUST ensure that the child fulfills his academic potential; any other scenario boils down to exploitation by the school and indifference by the parents.
What I did say also was that there are many out there who did well at high school and have not amounted to much. Why does this happen? It depends on what the child, once grown, wants out of life. You cant want it for them, they have to want it for themselves.
johntowit says:

April 2, 2013 at 10:16 pm

We don’t even need so much talk and debate. Just look at the practical facts/end results.

When the World Championships in Russia is on this summer, just get your tape out and listen to all the athletes after-race talks, especially to the international press. Then you all will get an idea of the level of presentation skills that are present in our beloved athletes.

I am so ashamed most of the times, athletes whom I admired just seems to put their foot in their mouths. E.g. listen to a Rosemary Whyte interactions with the media, even Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Sherone Simpson, I could continue. Its a disgrace, its a poor representation of Jamaica, sometimes I try to ignore but I cant, its utter diabolical.

So you tell me, does Jamaica really want these athletes to talk to the international media on their behalf? They have a responsibility apart from winning medals to ALSO interact eloquently with the media.

So our education system must now organise a programme to improve the standard of written English language and spoken English language.