Your son or daughter is having a great season on the field, but when the midterm report card arrives from school, you quickly realize it’s been a struggle off the field.

You’ve threatened from the beginning that poor grades would mean no sports. But is taking your child out of an activity in response to bad grades really the correct, and more importantly, the most effective decision to make? Especially if they’re only involved in one sport and it’s the only extracurricular activity in their schedule?

The most common solution to poor grades is to study more. It’s natural for parents to say, “No more sports. Instead, you’re going to spend that time studying.”

But will they? And, if you really think about it, the one to two hours your child spends practicing and playing youth sports — usually just two to three times a week — isn’t what is taking the time away from studying. Instead, it’s horsing around after school, not cracking open a book on the weekend and turning on the television or playing FortNite after practice.

A good compromise with your child might instead of taking away a youth sports activity, you will offer to help them re-focus their energy after school and on the weekends. And of course, they have to be willing to do so in order to keep playing on the team.

Instead of just completing the assigned homework after school, insist they study the homework for at least 15 to 30 minutes, depending on their age and the subject matter. This will reinforce that doing well in school doesn’t just mean turning in homework but actually knowing the material. The key to this strategy is making sure this happens BEFORE practice.

Don’t forget the weekend. If there is an afternoon game, there’s no reason they can’t study for 30 minutes before it’s time to leave for the field. Or if the game is first thing in the morning, the studying can be done after the game but before heading outdoors to play with friends.

Yes, your kids will gripe, moan and groan if you implement these rules, but if you present them with the alternative of not playing at all, they might be more than willing –  note that I did not say happy – to agree to your terms.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.