By: Samantha Mariano

 

A new student athlete tutoring program will be available for all sport involved students who need an academic boost. Called Smarter Starters, sophomore Jacob Deyell recruited about 10 juniors to assist him with the program. They hope to begin tutoring after AP tests are finished.

Deyell noticed how a few students who took part in a sports curricular were deemed ineligible to play due to their low grade point average (GPA). Therefore, he approached Principal Jennifer Earl with the idea to have “high academic achieving students” tutor these athletes in order to improve their grades.

Deyell plans to have the tutors teach the subjects they are best at and divide the tutees into groups of three each. This “trial run” is to determine how well this idea works and to provide next year’s students with a good quality program.

Although the current tutors were chosen by Deyell, applications will eventually be handed out for students who desire to take a tutoring position. To be eligible, a student must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, preferably ranging from being a sophomore to a senior. It is yet to be decided whether or not second semester freshmen will be eligible.

Tutor Veritas Kim (’13) claims that fellow athletes “spend a large chunk of their time practicing,” and therefore have less time to focus on academics. Now that most of their seasons are over, Kim will assist in “managing the time they have left” and aim in raising their grades.

Athletes who wish to be tutored may seek Deyell, or ask Assistant Principal Mark Rubio or Coach Andrew Policky for more details.

According to Deyell, “playing is what [athletes] love to do.” Therefore, he hopes that the “barrier,” or ineligibility to play due to grades, could be “broken down.”