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I knew a guy in school once that was the star of the football team, all-around likeable, and valedictorian of our class. He told me once that getting good grades was the simplest thing ever: You figure out what your teacher wants, and you do it.
There are kids that see authority as Opression, and your kid seems to be one of them.
I think it would help until you wait when he is calm and have a nice chat with him. Say you think he is an excellent athlete, and you know he loves it, but all his life he will have to do some things he's not so fond of to get to the things he likes, and this is one of them. Let him know that even if school is a means to an end for him, there are still rules that apply and he is no better than anyone else, and that when he throws fits and gets upset over things, it doesn't change anything, it just hurts him and makes him look like a spoiled brat. Let him know you are telling him this out of love, and it's on him to fix his behavior, but that you will punish him if he doesn't, and it's no one's fault but his own.
I'm sorry, Thumb. Must be hard with the hubby away. Can he call or something and back you up?
Listen to this woman. I seriously hope that your first response was a joke. A childs failures at that age are the failures of the parent. No, you can't control them and you can't dictate or micromanage every moment of their lives but what you can do is influence them in a positive way to help them make the right decisions.
I would strongly suggest you get a second opinion on your son's diagnosis and also have him checked for other learning disabilities. Honestly though, it seems as your kid is having a bigger problem with motivation than inspiration. Let me ask you, how many conversations have you had with his teachers concerning how much potential he has and how well he would do if he just applied himself? Think about how many times he's heard it all before, from damn near every authority figure in his life. There's a reason that message isn't getting across and it isn't because he's a fecking moran. It's frustrating as hell for all parties involved so don't forget that this is a stressful topic to him as well.
Is this his first year in sports? Same coach? Find out his relationship with the coach if it's the same coach he's had for a few years and see if he can have a solid heart to heart with him, sometimes a parental unit isn't in a position to deliver the message to a kid in a way which the child can relate. Another option to consider is trying to find him a mentor. Find out who his favorite teacher is and perhaps set something up where your son can talk to him about school issues. Counselors are generally **** at schools, don't waste your time. Have you noticed any correlation in his grades for those classes where he gets on better with the teachers?
Some kids just don't do well in the learning format used in public schools. Think about alternative methods for him to progress and try different techiniques until you find something that works. I can tell you right now that the more you push the issue and force him to continue down a path that obviously isn't working the worse the problem will get, especially as he moves into highschool and becomes more independant and rebellious.
