Lexus Matos is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Peoria High School for AZPreps365.com

Peoria High School, like any other high school, has a system for athletes who fail their classes. If an athlete fails, they are given a red or yellow card based on their circumstances. However, head coach Jason Golden adds his own twist to the rule.

“If a player is failing in class, they’re required to go to tutoring after school. We don’t have practice til 4 o'clock so that gives them more than enough time to go to tutoring,” Golden said. “Give them that opportunity to be a student first.”

Golden spoke of sophomore linebacker Lawrence Zarkpah Jr. with a great sense of pride. According to Golden, Zarkpah Jr. leads the top of his JROTC class, is a 4.0 GPA student and even stays behind to clean up the locker room.

“Coach has already given us enough time to go and get that help if you need it,” Zarkpah Jr. said. “Coach Golden will come to you and say ‘Hey, you are failing your classes, otherwise I can’t have you here.’ So I think it’s a good system. It works.”

“There’s a lot of a sense of pride and responsibility. Make sure you aren’t failing yourself and making sure you’re the best person you can be while also being the best person to others around you.”

Golden ensures that his players have the proper help and time to get caught up with classes. He doesn’t have practice on the weekends for players who have other activities like JROTC or those who have jobs.

“We try to communicate with teachers and get them the help they need. A lot of it does fall on the students to be mature and figure out how to manage their time,” Golden said.

“It instills a sense of accountability for players knowing that they are giving you resources. They are giving you time for tutoring,” Zarkpah Jr. added. “If you are failing, the only person to blame is yourself.”

The reasoning behind Golden’s effort to push his team academically was because of the changing requirements to be accepted into college and to improve the lives of his players.

“The days of getting into college with a 2.0, that’s of the 80s and 90s. Now, you have to have a 3.0 or higher to get into college or college football,” Golden said. “We really push for students to go above and beyond just passing a class. If they do well in their classes, they can go on to the next level. You have to have a college degree or some type of trade school to better your life.”

Many high school student-athletes aspire to play in college. There, students learn about time management, class schedules and balancing their social and academic lives. However, that’s if they are only just a student.

Collegiate athletes have to attend practices, meetings and games while managing classes and homework. If an athlete were to fail one or the other, they could be at risk of losing their eligibility or scholarships.

Sophomore quarterback Dominic Kramer plans to play at the collegiate level. Kramer understands the importance of being able to balance being a student and an athlete. Kramer said that Peoria offensive coordinator Chris Miranda has guided him on and off the field. As Golden has emphasized, Kramer understands that “the student comes first.”

“Yeah, of course, because I have a good balance between life and football. I understand the work and amount of sacrifices needed to play on the next level,” Kramer said about whether he could continue to excel as a collegiate athlete.

“I push that with our kids to challenge themselves academically, not just athletically,” Golden added. “To be smarter is a good thing.”