While the younger generations might not know who Pink Floyd is, at this time of the year just about every student is thinking to themselves the familiar mantra from the song “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2.”

You know, the line that says “We don’t need no education.”

School has started in the parish, and for student athletes, it means it’s time to balance out activities.

The LHSAA had strict rules on academic eligibility. A look at their handbook (which is available online) shows the requirements and penalties for violating the academic requirements for student athletes.

The LHSAA handbook says that to be eligible to play sports, an athlete “for the first semester of the school year, a student shall have earned at least six (6) units from the previous year, which shall be listed on the student’s transcript and shall have earned at least a ‘C’ average as determined by the Local Education Authority when considering all ‘graded’ subjects.”

For students playing a sport in the spring, the same rule applies, but the eligibility will be determined by the fall semester, as opposed to the previous year.

Maintaining grades while participating in after-school activities can get tiresome, but rewarding.

“It’s a matter of balance,” said North Vermilion free safety Kenny Johnson.

Johnson, who spends his time with school, football and hanging out with friends, manages to get his work done for school.

Darrell Chambers, defensive linebacker for Abbeville, has similar feelings and, like Johnson, is a fan of math class.

Student athletes in the parish are not known to shy away from the academic side, with four football players making it onto the All-Academic Composite team in the LHSAA. Those players were Abbeville’s John Closito, Erath’s Jarrod Lange, Gueydan’s Joshua Hebert and Vermilion Catholic’s Benjamin Primeaux.

Getting on the class All-Academic team in 3A were North Vermilion’s Landon Dupuy, who earned a 3.68 GPA, and Erath’s Cole Borque, who earned a 3.5 GPA

1A All-Academic listers include Gueydan’s Austin Zaunbecher with a 3.9 GPA and Vermilion Catholic’s Andred Bernard and Mark Laporte, who had a 3.61 and 3.57 GPA, respectively.

This year, football coaches have all agreed that education, both on and off the field, is extremely important. Talk to the players, and they will agree.

Losing a player to academic ineligibility can hurt a team and a player’s chances to play further in life, if they wanted.