Athletic Eligibility Issue - Please Help!

my daughter is a middle school cheerleader in a small town in central kentucky. her squad is getting ready to compete in their major competition this coming saturday. my daughter has missed a few days of school over the last few weeks due to problems with migranes. the school has a policy to pull the grades of all students who participate in school athletics. they are usually pulled on friday or monday. in the school bylaws if a student has fallen below the required GPA the school is to notify the parents and the coach on friday and no later than monday. due to my daughter being absent a few days her grade had dropped the week before so when they pulled grades on friday she was not eligible. the school did not notify me at all and did not notify the coach until the following wednesday evening and she then informed me. we had thursday and friday to get with the teachers to see what was missing for my daughter to make up so the grades could be put in the system. one of the teachers was out that thursday and did not contact me until late friday afternoon. i explained the situation to her and she told me my daughter could stay monday to make up the work. in the past this really hasnt been a problem. when they pulled the grades again this past friday her grade was still a point or two to low to participate. of course we did not find this out until tuesday instead of on friday or monday like the bylaws state. when they went back and pulled the grade on monday after she finally got to get with all her teachers for the make up work her grade advanced far above the minimum requirement. however, the principal and vice principal are telling us she cannot cheer at the competition on Saturday because of the grade on friday. we all know that there have been many occassions when the grades were pulled on mondays instead of fridays and it was never a problem for any other sports team to do that. we feel we are being discriminated against because the leaders in the school do not look at cheerleading as a "real" athletic activity. Can anyone tell me anything we could possibly do to be treated fairly or make sure that the rules apply to everyone. the cheerleading coach is beside herself because my daughter is one of the strongest tumblers and bases she has on the squad. without her, they are going to have a lot of trouble just getting through there competition routine.

My response:

This is not a "legal problem". This is merely an internal school "policy" situation. Therefore, and except for perhaps some emotional support from others, there's really nothing more we can do for you and your daughter than you've already done for yourselves.

Quite frankly, and from a personal perspective only, it really doesn't matter to me whether she "makes the squad" or is able to participate. Her grades are the most important thing for her future - - not tumbling, or yelling "Rah, Rah, Rah." I don't know of any employer, or school of higher education, who will care whether she was a cheerleader or not. Cheerleading, or being on the "squad", has no importance to the rest of Society.

I would like to be able to say that I am sympathetic to your daughter's situation, but I can't. If your daughter suffers from physical maladies, then she really can't afford the time to engage in extracurricular activities. She needs to concentrate on her school work, and focus her energy in the direction of keeping her grades up when she misses classes. Missing classes is, in my opinion, a far more important issue for you to concentrate on, than whether she can participate in cheerleading. Whether it be cheerleading, or the Debate Team, or the Chess Club - - since it is obvious she can't afford the time for these "extra" activities because of missed school days, then she needs to concentrate on her grades.

Make sure her education comes first, and that she obtains the best grades possible, and stop worrying about cheerleading. Cheerleading should come in as a "distant second" to her education - - because her future depends on her grades, not the cheerleading.

Good luck to you.

IAAL

Education First

I never once stated that my daughters education did not come first. she has maintained very good grades throughout her school career and had briefly fell below average due to the fact that she has been ill. i also never said that cheerleading would ever get her anywhere in life. my daughter is a very good student and i don't appreciate you implying that i would put an extra cirricular activity over her education. this is not a normal situation for my child and i don't think she was treated fairly. my question was is there anything that we as parents can do legally or otherwise to make sure that the by-laws of the Bluegrass Conference Policy (not the school's policy) are followed routinely by the schools. I do believe that making exceptions for a football player to be eligible to play football without abnormal circumstances for having low grades and not making exceptions for a cheerleader when there have been abnormal cirmstances is a form discrimination.

My response:

I'm sorry you took offense to my response, and that I actually took the time to give you a response. Perhaps it would have been better that I just let your post drop to the bottom and into the Great Abbyss.

You really must understand that your issue is completely, and utterly, unimportant to the rest of Society.

No one cares whether or not your daughter "makes the squad." What is important is her grades, and "falling below average" means she can't afford the time for such activities.

However, in a sincere effort to help you, you should know that there are a few people who live in Ballard County that care about your situation. I don't live in Ballard County.

Concentrate on her grades. Help her with that.

IAAL

Education First

I did not ask for your personal opinion on this. my daughter does make very good grades and we do put her education first. Her grades were not bad because she couldn't do it they were low because she had missed a few days because of illness. She has since made up all missed homework and her GPA is back up to a 3.2 where it usually is. So don't tell me I need to focus on my daughters grades.

I didn't ask you to care if my daughter "made the squad" nor did I ask anyone in society to care. I simply asked if there were ways parents could ensure that regulations and policies are enforced equally and in our situation they are not.

Don't bother responding, I wouldn't want to waste "your time" and I definately don't want any advise from someone who seems to have an attitude towards "cheerleading" or athletics in general. If my question goes unanswered by someone else so be it. There are other ways to find answers other than from someone as "reliable" as you. Maybe your angry because you didn't "make the squad" or got turned down by someone who did? I have heard therapy does wonders.

A lesson for you IAAL. No good deed goes unpunished.