Remember Education Outweighs Them All.....

Rich Kosik posted a message on http://www.nycnjhoops.com/ what he said was very important to any student athlete dreaming of getting a scholarship. If you don’t know who Rich is, here’s some background information. He has served as academic advisor at the James P. Sullivan Games (NYC) and the ABCD Basketball Camp. Rich Kosik, is a nationally recognized advocate for student athletes and motivational speaker. I had the pleasure of working with him at the 2005 ABCD camp and he is a great guy who is serious about academics. Here’s what Rich had to say

“The (Aug 7) Daily News did a nice job in their Tuesday Boro Sports section article of former Grady H. S. star Trevor Charles (Class of 06) rebuilding his academic credibility so he can transform himself from being a student-athlete suspect to a legitimate prospect for college via his two year stopover at Genesis One Christian Prep in Mississippi. The article failed to mention the fact that one & two year stints at Prep Schools is now a thing of the past.

High School players, their parents and coaches have to remember that Trevor is amongst the LAST group of student-athletes who will be allowed to "do-over" one or two years of academic shortcomings. The new NCAA rules only allow a student who has been in high school four years to take JUST ONE academic course in order to meet his/her CORE requirement. We can scream/protest all we want about this change, but it's the NCAA's game and if you want to enroll in a Division I NCAA school to and be a member of any team you must adhere to this rule.

For those members of the high school classes of 2008 & 2009 I advise you to check your transcripts very carefully & find out now, NOT later where YOU stand academically. Don't wait till Feb. March, April or May to find an option. Junior Colleges will now return as the primary option for those students who neglected their academic responsibilities in their first few years in high school. Incoming freshmen & returning sophomores (HS Grads 2010-11) must buckle down NOW and make sure they become/stay strong academically. Those of us who work with these aspiring young men must continue to bang the drum on academic responsibility. The memories of having great players/teams are nice, but guiding a young man toward being a successful adult who returns to his community as an asset is one that will last forever.