Code of Conduct
“THE DO RIGHT RULE” The Ocean Lakes High School football coaches make the assumption that all Dolphin football players know the difference between “right and wrong”. Ocean Lakes football players are always expected to make the “right” decision in relation to matters of behavior, discipline and academics. If a player makes a “wrong” decision in relation to behavior, discipline or academics, the coaching staff will assume that it was a conscious decision on the part of the athlete to do so and the athlete will therefore be held accountable for willfully making a “wrong” decision
The do right rule takes precedent as the main and only rule for the program. It encompasses the following:
- Do nothing to embarrass the program, yourselves, or your coaches.
- Be on time for all football related events.
- No profanity or racial slurs of any kind will be tolerated.
- No hazing of any kind will be tolerated.
- Do not get in trouble inside or outside of school.
- Do not break any school or athletic policies.
Academics
Its important for all players to understand they are a STUDENT athlete. The combination of good grades and performing at a high level on the field can result in players earning athletic scholarships. Without the appropriate grades player limit where and at what level they can continue their playing career after graduation. In fact ,players with low enough grades will not only limit their options post high school but it can even hinder a player from being able to compete in high school. Academic eligibility is calculated every term and if you are deemed academically ineligible due to grades from your previous term you can not participate in ANY sports.
What Grades do I need to be eligible???
- Pass at least 3 classes from the previous term with a D or higher.
- Have a GPA of 2.0+ during the previous term. (“C” average or higher)
- A waiver is offered one time during an athletes entire high school career. This waiver allows a player who passed at least 3 classes but did not have at least a 2.0 GPA to still play sports.
- Ex: Joe Smith gets 2 – D’s, 1 – C and 1- B. Joe passed all 4 classes but his GPA is a 1.75 and therefore would require a waiver to play in the upcoming season. (1 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 7 à 7 / 4= 1.75)
- A = 4.0
- B+ = 3.3
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1
- D – = .7
- E = 0
- It is always important to realize that just because you’re academically eligible for college and a good athlete doesn’t mean you will earn a scholarship to any university. Some university have higher GPA & SAT requirements for athletes than others. Example: UVA vs. Florida St.
- Below is a link to the NCAA website discussing Division 1 eligibility standards.
Recruiting & Offers
A huge part of what we do at Ocean Lakes is help players get recruited and find a college/university that is a great match for them academically as well as with regards to football. Not everyone is D1 and that is fine. The end goal should be to get players a free or greatly reduced education. Some players may find great success on the field and may play in the NFL such as Derrick Nnadi, Shamarko Thomas, Justin Hunter, Eli Harold and many other Ocean Lakes alumni. Even they would tell you that your education is paramount so that you have a life after football.
All that being said you don’t just “get” scholarships….you must earn them. The likelihood that you will be offered a committable offer by a school is directly linked to the level of effort you dedicate to preparing your body in the off season and taking care of your grades. Talent alone is typically not enough to get you a scholarship.
Here are some links to some educational resources on athletics scholarships and what athletes look like in college.
https://scholarshipstats.com/average-per-athlete
https://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting/how-to-get-recruited/scholarship-facts