that is bothering me. With so many kids not making the grade(s), why haven't we heard about any single game suspensions due to lack of class attendence or academic progress? Regardless of who is at fault, suspensions have been used to effect at other universities and teams in the past.
I remember Davis suspending people his first year a for a half or for a game because of missing class. I guess that went out the window after his first year.
MC Blazer Wrote:that is bothering me. With so many kids not making the grade(s), why haven't we heard about any single game suspensions due to lack of class attendence or academic progress? Regardless of who is at fault, suspensions have been used to effect at other universities and teams in the past.
Good point!
What a great indictment of CMD in this mess. Even with Mayfield who everyone knew was struggling. As a coach you have many levers to pull to deal with your players. Players leaving due to ineligibility with no APPARENT previous actions taken place by the coaching staff is a BIG BIG red flag to me about how the team has been managed.
It is easy to be a coach when you are being every players buddy. The good coaches know when they have to be disciplinarians and make the hard decisions to penalize their players. When your players are having difficulties, THAT is when you find out how good a coach you are by being able to make those tough choices.
Not seeing that he made ANY of those tough choices should be a major sign of concern for the Administration and the fans.
Not the problem. A symptom of the problem.
Doesn't the football team have a mandatory study hall system? Even if your grades are "up"? Aren't football players reprimanded for bad grades and missing class? Isn't that how we weeded many under-achievers from our team?
Sounds like we have a working system in place for football that is not being used for basketball.
dragondrummer Wrote:I remember Davis suspending people his first year a for a half or for a game because of missing class. I guess that went out the window after his first year.
To do that might have meant that we would have had to forfeit a game or so....who knows.
MC Blazer Wrote:that is bothering me. With so many kids not making the grade(s), why haven't we heard about any single game suspensions due to lack of class attendence or academic progress? Regardless of who is at fault, suspensions have been used to effect at other universities and teams in the past.
From the article in the paper today, Davis says
Quote:"It's never easy to deal with because you're losing guys you had no idea you were going to lose,"
Apparently there were no one game suspensions b/c he did not look at grades or any feedback from the tutors.
This falls on him, but he will not take the blame for it.
MC Blazer Wrote:Doesn't the football team have a mandatory study hall system? Even if your grades are "up"? Aren't football players reprimanded for bad grades and missing class? Isn't that how we weeded many under-achievers from our team?
Sounds like we have a working system in place for football that is not being used for basketball.
Yes they do. I have a friend on the football team who always makes good grades, and he still has to go to study hall every week. One week he was a little late and had to get up and run some serious sprints early the next morning. It is very strict but it works.
uabfanman Wrote:MC Blazer Wrote:Doesn't the football team have a mandatory study hall system? Even if your grades are "up"? Aren't football players reprimanded for bad grades and missing class? Isn't that how we weeded many under-achievers from our team?
Sounds like we have a working system in place for football that is not being used for basketball.
Yes they do. I have a friend on the football team who always makes good grades, and he still has to go to study hall every week. One week he was a little late and had to get up and run some serious sprints early the next morning. It is very strict but it works.
I like it. But the student athlete must still "buy" into the system.
MC Blazer Wrote:uabfanman Wrote:MC Blazer Wrote:Doesn't the football team have a mandatory study hall system? Even if your grades are "up"? Aren't football players reprimanded for bad grades and missing class? Isn't that how we weeded many under-achievers from our team?
Sounds like we have a working system in place for football that is not being used for basketball.
Yes they do. I have a friend on the football team who always makes good grades, and he still has to go to study hall every week. One week he was a little late and had to get up and run some serious sprints early the next morning. It is very strict but it works.
I like it. But the student athlete must still "buy" into the system.
That the student-athlete is still playing/practicing proves that they have bought into the system. At least for football, we know Callaway has no qualms about booting someone off the team if they don't want to follow the rules.
Students can go to class every day, go to "study halls" (run by some "earning some extra pay" graduate students,not educational professionals) on their schedule and STILL not make good grades because of problems such as "Learning Disabilities". I have seen the mounting frustration in students who make a real effort to learn, but are confounded by LDs that may have never been detected in their K-12 schools. Many times they are just "lumped into" EMR or even TMR programs because the economically challenged school districts can't afford to hire the additional skilled professionals to meet their needs. MOST "LD" students are shown to have at least average IQ scores when properly tested.
It has been demonstrated that the wealthier school districts have few EMR / TMR students while having a substantial number of "LD" students. The poorer school districts tend to simply "dump" them into "special education" classes where they don't get the special help they deserve. With Alabama entering a "retro" period in educational spending (going back to the budgets of earlier years), this problem is only going to get worse for the bottom 50% to 60% of the state's school districts who lack the ability to draw on local funding to make up the lost state revenue.
dragondrummer Wrote:I remember Davis suspending people his first year a for a half or for a game because of missing class. I guess that went out the window after his first year.
I remember Davis saying in his introductory press conference that a coach would be assigned to each player who would communicate with each teacher and make sure class was attended and work was done. That was obviously just a lot of talk, he didn't even make sure his own kid was passing.
BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:Students can go to class every day, go to "study halls" on their schedule and STILL not make good grades because of problems such as "Learning Disabilities". I have seen the mounting frustration in students who make a real effort to learn, but are confounded by LDs that may have never been detected in their K-12 schools. Many times they are just "lumped into" EMR or even TMR programs because the economically challenged school districts can't afford to hire the additional skilled professionals to meet their needs. MOST "LD" students are shown to have at least average IQ scores when properly tested.
It has been demonstrated that the wealthier school districts have few EMR / TMR students while having a substantial number of "LD" students. The poorer school districts tend to simply "dump" them into "special education" classes where they don't get the special help they deserve. With Alabama entering a "retro" period in educational spending (going back to the budgets of earlier years), this problem is only going to get worse for the bottom 50% to 60% of the state's school districts who lack the ability to draw on local funding to make up the lost state revenue.
As an educator, I know what you're saying, but really, it sounds like just a weak excuse as it relates to college sports in general. The odds of having a student with academic issues due to an LD are decent, but to pin all of UAB Basketball's academic issues on possible learning disabilities that were not detected by under-funded schools (none of these players were from AL BTW) is too much. If you recruit a couple of guys with questionable academics, that's one thing, but we have loaded up on them, and now they are crushing us from within!
Also, the regular college student doesn't have all the free tutors and advisors that athletes have. I was an athlete at UAB when we had much fewer resources and you would have had to have been a total dummy to become ineligible. Believe me, I played with some real dummies that somehow stayed eligible, and no one (to my knowledge) cheated or did anything outside of the rules.
<<If you recruit a couple of guys with questionable academics, that's one thing, but we have loaded up on them, and now they are crushing us from within!>>
What's also bothered me is that, for the most part, these are not boys. They are - by the calendar at least - men. Almost all of Davis' players have been older than the typical age-range for their academic class, some substantially so.
Many of us were married, had families, went to war, were well advanced in professions etc. etc. at a YOUNGER age than some of these players who can't be trusted to show up for a damned class.
Yes, Mike Davis bears much responsibility. So do others in Bartow West, some more and some less. But there is a point were a boy/girl has to be a man/woman and earn their place as a Blazer brother/sister.
BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:Students can go to class every day, go to "study halls" on their schedule and STILL not make good grades because of problems such as "Learning Disabilities". I have seen the mounting frustration in students who make a real effort to learn, but are confounded by LDs that may have never been detected in their K-12 schools. Many times they are just "lumped into" EMR or even TMR programs because the economically challenged school districts can't afford to hire the additional skilled professionals to meet their needs. MOST "LD" students are shown to have at least average IQ scores when properly tested.
As an educator, I know what you're saying, but really, it sounds like just a weak excuse as it relates to college sports in general. The odds of having a student with academic issues due to an LD are decent, but to pin all of UAB Basketball's academic issues on possible learning disabilities that were not detected by under-funded schools (none of these players were from AL BTW) is too much. If you recruit a couple of guys with questionable academics, that's one thing, but we have loaded up on them, and now they are crushing us from within!
Also, the regular college student doesn't have all the free tutors and advisors that athletes have. I was an athlete at UAB when we had much fewer resources and you would have had to have been a total dummy to become ineligible. Believe me, I played with some real dummies that somehow stayed eligible, and no one (to my knowledge) cheated or did anything outside of the rules.
I don't personally know the athletes involved so I wasn't trying to excuse anything academically about them as individuals. IF a student-athlete comes to UAB from such a system, is there any assurance that he/she will get the needed theraputic help to make a positive difference? I know from experience that tutors are usually graduate students in a particular field who are trying to pay for grad school by tutoring. Most would not know a case of "LD" from their elbow unless they have been properly trained. ALL incoming scholarship athletes should be evaluated for "LD" if their background suggests any academic problems.
I do know that Alabama is not the only state with underfunded school systems--they may exist in every state for all I know. Funding "LD" detection, evaluation and treatment is not a "glamour" expenditure--sort of the academic equivalent of funding bridge maintenance in highway departments.
The players must be held accountable they are not babies.
It's pretty simple really if they don't make grades they lose their scholarship and their right to play basketball.
If mine don't maintain their GPA they lose their scholarship and learn to serve hot fries, and fill a paper cup with soda.
BlazerDAD Wrote:The players must be held accountable they are not babies.
It's pretty simple really if they don't make grades they lose their scholarship and their right to play basketball.
If mine don't maintain their GPA they lose their scholarship and learn to serve hot fries, and fill a paper cup with soda.
We are not talking here about what a kid is "accountable" for in terms of choices of conduct. If a student-athlete comes to UAB, he/she may very well have NEVER been evaluated in K-12 for an "LD" problem. Many of the poor school districts lack the funds to hire trained professionals to properly detect, evaluate and respond to LD problems--they generally just "dump" the kid into a "special ed" class and are done with them. If we bring a student-athlete to campus, we have a responsibility to meet his needs in learning just like we do in other health issues. REMEMBER- Most LD students are at least of average IQ--they are not "retarded", but they do have trouble learning in usual traditional methods that work for most of us. Some respond to certain medications, but it's not "one drug or dosage fits all".
I have seen many of these students who are delighted to learn they are not "just dumb", but have a learning problem that can be addressed by someone who is trained to do so. As I said, most tutors are simply grad students trying to pay for their grad studies. If they encounter a difficult student, they may just try to do the same old things, just working harder and longer--NOT SMARTER. That would be like trying to speak English to an immigrant who only speaks Spanish, so you just yell louder in English, accomplishing nothing, when a softer voice in Spanish would do the trick.
BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:BlazerDAD Wrote:The players must be held accountable they are not babies.
It's pretty simple really if they don't make grades they lose their scholarship and their right to play basketball.
If mine don't maintain their GPA they lose their scholarship and learn to serve hot fries, and fill a paper cup with soda.
We are not talking here about what a kid is "accountable" for in terms of choices of conduct. If a student-athlete comes to UAB, he/she may very well have NEVER been evaluated in K-12 for an "LD" problem. Many of the poor school districts lack the funds to hire trained professionals to properly detect, evaluate and respond to LD problems--they generally just "dump" the kid into a "special ed" class and are done with them. If we bring a student-athlete to campus, we have a responsibility to meet his needs in learning just like we do in other health issues. REMEMBER- Most LD students are at least of average IQ--they are not "retarded", but they do have trouble learning in usual traditional methods that work for most of us. Some respond to certain medications, but it's not "one drug or dosage fits all".
I have seen many of these students who are delighted to learn they are not "just dumb", but have a learning problem that can be addressed by someone who is trained to do so. As I said, most tutors are simply grad students trying to pay for their grad studies. If they encounter a difficult student, they may just try to do the same old things, just working harder and longer--NOT SMARTER. That would be like trying to speak English to an immigrant who only speaks Spanish, so you just yell louder in English, accomplishing nothing, when a softer voice in Spanish would do the trick.
So, in your learned opinion, are there any stupid or dumb people, or does everyone have learning disabilities?
Memphis Blazer Wrote:BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:BlazerDAD Wrote:The players must be held accountable they are not babies.
It's pretty simple really if they don't make grades they lose their scholarship and their right to play basketball.
If mine don't maintain their GPA they lose their scholarship and learn to serve hot fries, and fill a paper cup with soda.
We are not talking here about what a kid is "accountable" for in terms of choices of conduct. If a student-athlete comes to UAB, he/she may very well have NEVER been evaluated in K-12 for an "LD" problem. Many of the poor school districts lack the funds to hire trained professionals to properly detect, evaluate and respond to LD problems--they generally just "dump" the kid into a "special ed" class and are done with them. If we bring a student-athlete to campus, we have a responsibility to meet his needs in learning just like we do in other health issues. REMEMBER- Most LD students are at least of average IQ--they are not "retarded", but they do have trouble learning in usual traditional methods that work for most of us. Some respond to certain medications, but it's not "one drug or dosage fits all".
I have seen many of these students who are delighted to learn they are not "just dumb", but have a learning problem that can be addressed by someone who is trained to do so. As I said, most tutors are simply grad students trying to pay for their grad studies. If they encounter a difficult student, they may just try to do the same old things, just working harder and longer--NOT SMARTER. That would be like trying to speak English to an immigrant who only speaks Spanish, so you just yell louder in English, accomplishing nothing, when a softer voice in Spanish would do the trick.
So, in your learned opinion, are there any stupid or dumb people, or does everyone have learning disabilities?
As I said, there are EMR and TMR students who actually have very low IQs, and there are LD students who, to an untrained eye, may appear to have similar outcomes from incorrectly used lessons. The very important difference is that MOST "LD" students have at least NORMAL IQ, they just have trouble handling information most of us can deal with. There are many LDs, so it takes a trained professional to work out the best way to get information across to each one. Common LDs are ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, and EC. Some can benefit by being treated by medications, but as I said, one drug or dosage doesn't fit all.
I have two grandsons who have LDs. One takes his "meds" and is starting UAB from Jeff ST. this year. The other is a senior at Thompson whose parents don't believe in LDs and he is barely going to graduate if he does at all. He is becoming so frustrated at being "dumb" and making bad grades that he may yet drop out. It is my opinion that if every child who exhibited signs of an LD was tested no later than the 9th grade, we could cut the drop out rate in Alabama at least by half by properly teaching to their needs.