Exploring the Debate: Should College Athletes Be Paid for Their Contributions?

Unpaid Sacrifice: Athlete Struggles & Payment

The NCAA is a perfect example of modern-day slavery. College athletes make all the money for the schools off their hard work, and not only do they not get paid, but they also are not allowed to have a job while on scholarship from a college or university. “When you pay student-athletes a share of what they contribute to the college sports programs, they’ll want to work harder and do better” (“3 Reasons Why College Athletes Should be Paid College Raptors”). I feel that college athletes should be getting paid because they are putting their bodies on the line every day; this could give them a chance to earn money without having to work and allow them to concentrate on their studies and athletics without being distracted.

Being a college athlete can be hard because you must focus on when your next test will come. You also must figure out how you are going to pay for stuff that you may need for all your classes. Some college athletes work so they can have some money on the side. I feel that it can be incredibly challenging because you must manage your time with school, work, and the sport you are playing. Even with having a job, that can be stressful with having to work only when you are free. This tends for people to not give any free time to themselves, and this could lead to you being tired often because you are overworking yourself and your body every day.

That is why I say it would be easier for college athletes to be paid so they can avoid all this stress themselves. College could go by so much easier for athletes. They could just focus on the sport they love without having to worry about other things. When college athletes are getting paid for the sport they love, they tend to want to work harder and get better. I also think about injuries because injuries can happen. Say you are playing the sport you love and get injured. You would not be getting any money for playing that sport but for an injury. But getting paid could be a little better because this could help you pay for that injury to get back on the court and for a full recovery.

I am not saying that getting injured is fun, but at least you would be able to pay for the recovery and surgery if needed. This is so college athletes would not have to produce their own money even if they do not have a job. This could be incredibly challenging because many athletes are going to be stressed trying to figure out how to produce money. While other college athletes from different schools would not be getting that much money than others, college athletes should be getting paid because they are putting their bodies on the line every day, which gives them a chance to earn money without having to work, and allows them to concentrate on their studies and athletics without being distracted.

Unpaid Sacrifice: Athlete Struggles & NCAA Regulations

College athletes should be getting paid because they are putting their bodies on the line every day; it gives them a chance to earn money without having to work and allows them to concentrate on their studies and athletics without being distracted. The only thing I do not understand is why the NCAA made it illegal. College students are putting all their money into these sports, but not to get paid. “The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made it illegal for colleges to pay for college athletes to participate in sports, but the question is always up for debate” (College Raptor Staff 1).

The NCAA should not be the only one that decides whether athletes should be paid or not. Everyone should come together to agree on what is right for everyone. I feel like this would be fairer if everyone else had an opinion on college athletes being paid. Suppose college athletes were to be paid now while in college, they would learn how to spend their money. This could give them enough time to know how to manage their money. When making it to the next level, before going professional, you would need to know how to manage your money. So, if they do make it to the next level with their sport, they will know how to manage their money and spend it on the right things. They could also get help managing their money in college. They would be able to ask questions about what they should spend money on and what they should not. By doing this, it could help these athletes for later in the future.

College athletes are putting their bodies on the line every single day. When athletes are overworking and putting their bodies on the line, their bodies tend to be weak and get tired. College athletes only receive scholarships but do not to even get paid. These athletes are giving their all-in practices and games. This shows they genuinely care for the sport if they are putting in extra time and effort to get better. The sports college athletes play are not always easy. They put all their time and hard work into the sport they genuinely love. They just do not get anything out of it unless they win the championship at the end of the season. I feel like this is not right at all because anything could happen at any given time. They could be injured at any given time for putting their all into a sport. There are many athletes every year that are hurt or even paralyzed playing a sport, but they do not get money. This could minimize their chances of never playing that sport again or playing it at a higher level.

Unfair Sacrifices: Athlete Injuries & Financial Struggles

College athletes put all in the work for their coaches and get paid while they get nothing. Getting injured could also end a player’s scholarship. Especially football, which is a high-contact sport. The most common injuries in football are the MCL sprain, the meniscus tear, and the ACL tear. These are a few common injuries in football that are ankle sprains, quad sprains, hamstring sprains, groin strains, shoulder dislocations, wrist and hand injuries, and concussions. These athletes are working hard every day, no matter what could happen. The sad part is that they would not be paying for you to go to school anymore because they are injured.

Many colleges feel like once you’re injured, there is nothing you can do for the team. So, they just take away your scholarship with no questions asked. That can really suck because your sports career is over, and you have to live with these injuries for the rest of your life. Athletes do all this just so that their coaches can be successful. I feel like that is not right at all. Athletes put their all into a sport no matter the consequences and keep it pushing no matter the outcome. They do all of this for a sport just to not get anything in return. I feel like the NCAA should pay college athletes as an award.

All college athletes should get a chance to earn money without having to work. This is because athletes would not have any time to earn money. They spend all their time on the sport they are playing. So, it would be completely impossible if student-athletes were to have jobs while playing a sport. College athletes may be on a scholarship, but that scholarship may not pay for everything. Some athletes might want to be able to pay for extra things but cannot even do that because they do not have the money to be able to buy the extra things. The scholarships could be paying for your tuition for being at that school. This does not include housing, food, or school supplies. Some schools might provide you with somewhere to decide, but that just depends on where you go. But by paying athletes, this would give them an opportunity to be successful. They can buy things that are necessary for them to be successful while playing sports and being in school.

Balancing Priorities: Education, Athletics, and Financial Relief

But we also must think about some athletes that do not get any tuition; they would have to pay for all of that plus housing, food, and school supplies. This could be difficult for these athletes. If it were me, I would not want to put all that stress on my athletes. I would want to make sure that they are successful in their college years, not them being stressed and unsuccessful. Student-athletes also must think about games, practices, and training to improve their sport.

This could be very difficult to get a job because they must think about all this and fit in when they can work. I do know that some athletes may be able to manage everything, but that is too much stress. They might be able to get a job or pick up a little thing on the side. But this could lead to athletes being very tired and exhausted. Athletes could be showing up late to practices and games because of how exhausted they are by picking up a job and something on the side. This could have athletes stressed, tired, and exhausted. This could lead athletes to be depressed because they are doing a lot so that they can be successful. If athletes were paid, this could avoid these outcomes.

This allows college athletes to concentrate on their studies and athletics without being distracted. College athletes do not go to college just to play a sport but also for education. Athletes go to college also for school; they take classes based on sports as a backup plan. Athletes are taking college classes to help better their lives outside of sports. This is because if sports may or may not work for an athlete, they would have a different alternative for their future. Athletes being paid could help carry out their goals outside of sport. Cause not all athletes make it to playing professionally in their sport.

Some athletes may not ever be paid at all for all the demanding work they put into a sport. Athletes being in school and sports could be challenging. Athletes must have good grades to continue playing the sport they are playing. They also must manage what time they have their classes, study for quizzes, do homework, and practice for their sport and games. Managing these for one person could be stressful and hard. Athletes already have a busy schedule because their sport takes up the entire day. Athletes being paid can help them long-term. They would not have to work but only focus on school and sports. This could cause less stress for athletes and be more beneficial for them.

References:

1. “3 Reasons Why College Athletes Should be Paid.” College Raptors.
2. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made it illegal for colleges to pay for college athletes to participate in sports, but the question is always up for debate.” College Raptor Staff.