Let's face it, there are many students in our classrooms for whom academics is a means to an end. They sit in class, barely in tune with what the teacher is saying, passing assessments with minimal grades and waiting for the day when they turn 18 years of age and are no longer legally bound to be in school.

These same students, primarily male, exhibit passion, a determination and an unwavering commitment to activity when on the football field or when engaged in other sports.

Educators regularly discuss the fine balance between academics and sports. Two male colleagues recently confessed that had it not been for sports, they each would have been "lost".

So the question is: "How do you fuse the two together?"

Here are a few thoughts:

? Get to know the student. This will provide valuable information that can be used to find support materials for use in the classroom, for example, reading material that is appropriate to the student's reading level and interest.

? Make participation in the school sports team a reward for "doing your best". This enables even academically challenged students to be a part of a school's athletics programme.

? Be creative and design lessons incorporating aspects of a particular activity. I once heard of a maths teacher who, while trying to teach students specific statistical concepts, created a bulletin board using local sports data. The students were able to use local knowledge to understand the relationships between the numbers.

As with everything, the more someone can connect with something, the greater the impact it will have. If students can see concrete connections to life, they are more likely to want to be a part of it.