By Alvin Richardson

Parents of Morgan County High School student athletes should sit up and take notice about a unique offering for their kids. If your son or daughter is not taking advantage you can enhance their academic experience by getting them involved. The READ (Rigorously Educating Athletes Daily) program began in March of 2006 as a way of helping student athletes at Morgan County High to improve their GPA, increase their chances for getting a HOPE scholarship, and retain their athletic eligibility. With between 400 and 500 (40-50 percent of the student body) students participating in at least one sport, this program can have a tremendous impact.
Athletic Director Kenny Moore’s original concept came as a result of increased rigor for course work at the high school. His aim was to insure that with the advent of a new level of academic expectancy there would not be a decrease in the classroom success of athletes who had to juggle their time between school work, practice sessions and games.
The success of this program is well documented and since its inception has been copied by other schools around Georgia. Ultimately the READ initiative has resulted in students staying on track for graduation, keeping the HOPE scholarship in reach, being better prepared academically as they prepare to leave high school and retaining their athletic eligibility in an environment that is steadily increasing its academic demands.
This is an irreplaceable opportunity for parents to help insure that their son or daughter stays on the road to quality academic achievement. It also helps to make sure that those students can continue their athletic career without interruption. Eligibility standards for the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) require that a student pass five of eight classes and also be on track for graduation. The on track requirement means that they must have a minimum of four credits after their first year in high school, 10 units after their second year and 16 after their third year in order to participate in a sport.
This is simply a shout out to moms and dads who would like to take advantage of another of the many opportunities provided by Morgan County High School to their students. Our athletic program has gone the extra mile to help kids along the way through an important phase in their life. Don’t let your aspiring student miss out on this one of a kind chance.
The READ program is presently funded by the Madison Athletic Association, a group of citizens headed by Johnny Youngblood to find ways to make the student experience at MCHS a better one. If you have questions about READ you can call Johnny at 706-342-2242 or contact Coach Kenny Moore at the high school.