[bainsey]

Didn't anyone see "Coach Carter?" Why do some areas continue to ignore the "student" in student-athlete?

Last year, I had a BV soccer game in a small town that's typically very spirited about high school sports. The home team was facing the defending state champions.

When I got there, the mood seemed a little off. I quickly found the reason. There were 18 players on the home roster, but it was discovered that morning that eight were academically ineligible. I really felt for the head coach, who had a continuous look of disbelief in the hand he was dealt.

Long story short, the home team played the entire game with ten players. The visitors took a 3-0 halftime lead before respectfully dropping a player for the second half. (In soccer, you can go as low as seven players.) It finished 6-0, but the visitors clearly held back, and the home team put in a solid effort. It's a shame their buddies couldn't hold up their academic end of the deal.