The Long Island Stampede holds the position that our players should be “student athletes”, and display determination, drive and a commitment to excellence that extends beyond the playing field.  All players, regardless of age or school year should possess a commitment to academic development and their future. We know that the implementation of a rigid academic policy would be near impossible for our program, but we encourage our Stampede parents to help us promote a “school first” attitude in all of our players.  The Stampede implores our parents to use a common sense policy when evaluating their child’s classroom performance.  Competition in athletics should be given as a reward for hard work in the classroom, and held back if the academic effort is not given.  Resources for parents who find that their child may need additional academic help can be found in College Recruitment and News and Events pages of the Stampede website. 

It is imperative that we as parents, coaches, and mentors give our children the tools to be successful in life.  A strong academic plan will help each child regardless of if they are in the fourth grade or a senior in high school. The ultimate goal of helping our Stampede players gain admission and possible scholarship to a college or university will be made impossible without academic success at the secondary and high school levels. Please help us drive this point home to our players.