Stickers Helping Motivate San Rafael High School Football Players To Study
SAN RAFAEL (KPIX 5) -- At varsity football practice for the San Rafael High bulldogs, several young men have stickers for outstanding performance, but there's a catch.
"The stickers go out for academic achievement," Bulldog Fullback Jesus Parra said.
Coach Ted Casgriff expects 110-percent on the field, but if you want a helmet sticker, it takes even more.
"With a 3.0, Nick has been maintaining that one, he is a humble kind of guy," Coach Casgriff said.
Players must earn the stickers with at least a 2.0 grade point average. While Parra has a 3.4, he's not so sure about some of his team mates.
"It really pushes you to get that 2.0 or higher you know, because if you don't get it, you don't play," Parra said.
The team culture is changing - competing for the stickers is cool.
"I have a 2.8 GPA, almost a 3.0," Bulldog Left Guard Adonis Reyes said.
"Helmet bling, looking cool, that's a big part of it," Coach Casgriff said.
So far this year no one has been benched for bad grades, and the sticker program is just one reason.
"What matters is your heart for the football team! That's what matters."
For the San Rafael Bulldogs, the season is only half over, still plenty of time to score more touchdowns and earn more of those academic stickers.