Do Grades Matter?

5 Reasons Grades are Important as an Athletic Recruit

Student athletes pursuing a collegiate career often rely on their athletic ability alone to get the best offers to play at the next level. While athletic ability is the main basis of evaluation for coaches, there are other factors that play a big role in obtaining the best offers possible. Grades are one of those factors that coaches value highly. In this article, we will discuss 5 reasons grades are important to coaches during the recruiting process.

Less Risk for Coaches
One of the most important traits for an athlete to have (aside from natural athletic talent) is availability. Coaches value players who they can rely on to show up to all practices and games; they value individuals who are always spending the time to work on their craft. Grades play a big role in dictating a player's availability because if a player is not meeting the academic requirements at their college, they will not qualify to compete. Coaches do not want to recruit players who run the risk of being disqualified due to poor grades, therefore they value academic performance very highly in their evaluation process.

Ability to learn Playbook
In addition, coaches want players who can get acclimated to their system quickly and effectively. Student-athletes who have high grades show a studious demeanor and the ability to learn quickly, which is a valuable asset to a team and to coaches.

Measure of Coachability
Furthermore, coaches want players who possess a willingness to learn as opposed to athletes who solely rely on their athletic abilities. Grades are a good indication of how much time individuals put into their studies. Grades measure effort and transcripts can even show improvement over time, which lets coaches know that a potential recruit is willing to learn, values studying, and seeks to continue improving.

Analytic and Mental Aspects of Sports
In sports, there is a growing presence of mental and analytic preparation that coaches value in their players, also known as Game IQ. Whether it be studying film or developing game strategies, student-athletes are now required to study their opponent and their system more than ever given the technology that makes doing so more accessible.

Scholarship Opportunities
Lastly, grades can open the doors for more scholarships for student-athletes. When a coach comes across a recruit who has good grades, there is less risk and concern for them, so they are more willing to commit to your presence on the team, and a way of showing that commitment is by offering more scholarship money. On the other hand, good grades can also earn you merit-based scholarships. If you have more scholarship money, the coach may not have to offer you as much, and won't have to worry about you dropping out because you can't afford school