AVONDALE - For many schools, academics can either make or break a team. Have too many players failed classes? You’re going to struggle and there is no way around it, but at Westview High School the administration thinks it has found a better way to handle grades and sports.

“I believe that our current process is doing very well. I actually headed the eligibility committee last year to change it from our last system,” Westview Athletic Director Tonya Lee said. “The students have a chance to regain eligibility to get back to their sport.”

The old system required one grade check per quarter and would determine if a student-athleyte could play or not for the majority of the season. Lee said she found the process to be harmful to both athletics and the student-athletes.

“Kids would become so frustrated they would just quit the team once they knew they couldn’t play.” Lee said.

The new system in place now requires at least three grade checks per quarter, totaling in six by the end of the semester.

Here’s the process: At the start of the three weeks every student-athlete gets checked, and if they are failing, they have to sit out for one week. The next week Lee will only check those who failed the week before and if they are passing they can regain eligibility. If they are still failing they must sit out another week. She then repeats the same method for the third week of that review period. This process then restarts every three weeks.

“I do check the students by hand every week and then I send the coaches a list of those students who are ineligible.” Lee said.

Coaches around the school welcomed the change.

“I think the way we have it now is very effective. As coaches we monitor our kids grades on a weekly basis. If they get in the C-F range the expectation is that they go to tutoring until it comes up.” football coach Nick Gehrts said.

The expectation at Westview is to have A’s and B’s before they can succeed on the field. With the new system, Westview has seen success.

“I have seen an overall improvement in our student-athletes' focus in the classroom and their drive to complete their assignments. It really has been a great change to our campus and has kept everyone accountable.” Lee said.

Brandon Gonzalez, a kicker on the football team, has also seen the differences the system has made. “I feel like it’s doing its job and keeping little to no players off the field.”

Westview looks to continue the new found success of the current program with the upcoming winter sports starting in mid-November.