ESPN In Rockford 9/6/12
By: Scott Leber
Updated: September 10, 2012
Rockford, Illinios-The world's premier sports netwrok has its eye on Rockford. ESPN spent some time in the city Thursday.
A crew was a Auburn High School shooting a segment for it's "Outside The Lines" show. That episode will feature on athletic elibibility policies of our nation's high schools.
A five-person crew was at Auburn's football practice. The crew also spent time interviewing district administrators and staff.
For years Rockford had one of the most stringent eligibility policies in Illinois. Students had to have a 2.0 grade point average, and they had to be passing five classes. In the summer of 2010 those requirements were loosened. Now there is no minimum grade point average requirement, and students don't necessarily have to be passing five classes, they simply can't be failing two classes.
"While the 2.0 was well intended, it had a lot of unintended consequences that I saw first hand," said District 205 Assistant Superintendent Matt Vosberg to WTVO.
Vosberg and the administration feel that students who participate in sports are more motivated to attend school, and they are more motivated to do well in classes.
Vosberg says if the old eligibility policy were still in place there would be 183 fewer students eligible for fall sports this year at the four Rockford high schools. Auburn's varsity football squad would have had 14 fewers players.
Crew members from ESPN told WTVO that they weren't authorized by their corporate headquarters to comment on their appearance in Rockford. But WTVO was told that this "Outside The Lines" episode would most likely 'air' in October.
A crew was a Auburn High School shooting a segment for it's "Outside The Lines" show. That episode will feature on athletic elibibility policies of our nation's high schools.
A five-person crew was at Auburn's football practice. The crew also spent time interviewing district administrators and staff.
For years Rockford had one of the most stringent eligibility policies in Illinois. Students had to have a 2.0 grade point average, and they had to be passing five classes. In the summer of 2010 those requirements were loosened. Now there is no minimum grade point average requirement, and students don't necessarily have to be passing five classes, they simply can't be failing two classes.
"While the 2.0 was well intended, it had a lot of unintended consequences that I saw first hand," said District 205 Assistant Superintendent Matt Vosberg to WTVO.
Vosberg and the administration feel that students who participate in sports are more motivated to attend school, and they are more motivated to do well in classes.
Vosberg says if the old eligibility policy were still in place there would be 183 fewer students eligible for fall sports this year at the four Rockford high schools. Auburn's varsity football squad would have had 14 fewers players.
Crew members from ESPN told WTVO that they weren't authorized by their corporate headquarters to comment on their appearance in Rockford. But WTVO was told that this "Outside The Lines" episode would most likely 'air' in October.
