Some Coaches Still Supporting the No-Fail Rule

When the Los Angeles Unified School District decided to drop its no-fail requirement for extracurricular activities last week, most City coaches were pleased with the decision.

Many opposed the rule when it was introduced in 1982, claiming that it was unfair to make a student who maintained a 2.0 grade-point average, but failed one course, ineligible for athletics.

Since then, this view has gained support as many teams lost key players as a result of the City’s 10-week grade reports. In November, Fairfax’s football team had to forfeit its opening-round playoff game against El Camino Real of Woodland Hills because of too many ineligible players, and there was even talk of coaches boycotting the playoffs because of the rule.

However, Randolph Simpson, boys’ basketball coach at Manual Arts, said the recent decision is more of a setback than a move forward.

“What this decision does is say to the kids that it is OK for them to fail a class and to slack off,” said Simpson, whose Toilers are the top-ranked team in the City this season. “Everyone should be pushing harder with an attitude that they have to get it done because it is not going to be that way for them when they move into the real world.

“This move may help a lot of athletic teams but it is condoning failure. I truly believe that athletes need to deserve to play. They need to strive to be the best on the court and in the classroom because if they don’t make it in sports, they will need to turn to academics.”

At Manual Arts, there are special study halls and tutoring programs for athletes to assist in their academic careers. The school also has its own grade checks every two weeks. This practice has been effective with the Toiler boys’ basketball program, which has not lost a player to academic ineligibility in the past four years.

“Even though the board has made its decision to get rid of the rule, we will continue among ourselves to have tough academic policies,” Simpson said. “The kids need to put in the extra work in order to be successful; they have to do this just to have a chance in college. By changing this rule we are teaching them the wrong thing . . . that academics is not foremost.”

Carson football Coach Gene Vollnogle, disagrees.

“For the first time in a long time, the City finally took a step in the right direction by eliminating that rule,” said Vollnogle, who has been against the no-fail rule since its origin.

“Students can now take a difficult class that they were not sure they’d pass. So, a player can take that higher math course without being worried about flunking out. It also gives us coaches a chance to work and counsel students we would normally not have a chance with because they are now eligible.”

Opponents of the no-fail rule said student-athletes are not graded fairly in the midsemester grade reports, claiming it is a common practice for teachers to give a student a lower grade in an effort to prevent the student from slacking off later in the semester.

“This rule change will also help teachers because sometimes they are pressured not to fail a kid to keep him eligible,” Vollnogle said. “And it also will help those teachers who always give kids lower grades at report time to motivate them. Consequently, I just did not see anything good out of that rule.”

Added Simpson:

“We are not teaching the kids reality. Allowing a kid to fail is not what it’s going to be like when they move out into society. What is lost is the fact that it takes a real lack of effort to fail a class, and if a kid is still failing while putting in the effort, he needs to get extra work and attention.”

After searching for a qualified coach for two months without success, Reseda Cleveland canceled its track and field season, forcing athletes interested in competing to seek eligibility at another school.

The program was canceled when a replacement for Steve Landress, who last season was the third track coach in as many years, could not be found.

According to Bob Kindseth, Cleveland’s administrator in charge of athletics, for a Cleveland student to compete at another school:

--Permission is needed from both principals and the coach at the second school.

--The athlete would have to enroll in a sixth-period physical-education course at the new school.

--The athlete would have to provide the necessary transportation between schools.

Amy Jalewalia scored 60 points in La Quinta High’s 85-32 victory over Kennedy Monday to establish an Orange County girls’ single-game scoring record.

Jalewalia broke the record of 59 set Cincy Vyskocil during the 1986-87 season.

TIMES’ BASKETBALL POLLS

Through Games of Jan. 28

BOYS

CITY No., School, League: Record 1. Manual Arts, Western-4A: 18-3 2. Fremont, Central-3A: 21-2 3. Cleveland, North Valley-4A: 16-5 4. Fairfax, Western-4A: 17-3 5. Granada Hills, North Valley-4A: 15-7 6. Crenshaw, Southern-4A: 17-3 7. Carson, Pacific-4A: 16-7 8. Dorsey, Southern-4A: 15-6 9. Locke, Central-3A: 16-7 10. Westchester, Western-4A: 15-7

SOUTHERN SECTION No., School, League: Record 1. Mater Dei, Angelus-5A: 21-1 2. Artesia, Suburban-4A: 17-2 3. L.B. Poly, Moore-5AA: 18-2 4. Lynwood, San Gabriel Valley-5AA: 22-1 5. Loyola, Del Rey-5A: 14-3 6. Morningside, Ocean-3AA: 18-3 7. San Bernardino, San Andreas-5AA: 20-2 8. Cajon, San Andreas-5A: 18-2 9. Santa Clara, Frontier-2AA: 16-0 10. St. Monica, Camino Real-5AA: 15-5 11. Dominguez, San Gabriel Valley-4AA: 18-4 12. Brea-Olinda, Orange-3AA: 18-3 13. Capistrano Valley, South Coast-5A: 15-7 14. Redlands, Citrus Belt-5AA: 16-5 15. Millikan, Moore-5A: 17-5

GIRLS

CITY No., School, League: Record 1. Washington, Southern-4A: 20-3 2. Van Nuys, Mid Valley-4A: 17-3 3. Dorsey, Southern-4A: 15-4 4. Fremont, Central-4A: 11-9 5. Marshall, Northwest Valley-3A: 16-3 6. Roosevelt, Eastern-3A: 12-2 7. North Hollywood, Mid Valley-4A: 10-6 8. Huntington Park, Eastern-3A: 12-4 9. Carson, Pacific-3A: 19-6 10. University, Metro-3A: 11-3

SOUTHERN SECTION No., School, League: Record 1. Brea-Olinda, Orange-3AA: 21-0 2. Morningside, Ocean-5AA: 18-3 3. Lynwood, San Gabriel Valley-5AA: 20-1 4. Buena, Channel-5A: 18-0 5. Palmdale, Golden-5AA: 19-3 6. Ontario, Hacienda-5A: 21-0 7. Hart, Foothill-5A: 17-4 8. Santa Barbara, Channel-5A: 18-5 9. Muir, Pacific-4AA: 20-4 10. Palos Verdes, Bay-3AA: 20-4 11. Riverside North, Ivy-4-AA: 14-1 12. Lompoc, Northern-3AA: 15-3 13. Chino, Baseline-5AA: 17-2 14. Palm Desert, Desert Valleys-4A: 19-2 15. Woodbridge, Pacific Coast-4AA: 16-4