Category: Should College Athletes Be Paid

Introduction

It is the year 2018, and you cannot turn on the television without seeing women dominating in sports. One of the great debates of this generation is whether girls should be allowed on boys’ sports teams. When Title IX, the landmark legislation that bans sex discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funding, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 40 years ago this weekend, gender equality in sports was not the point.

Supporters of the law had no idea this single sentence—slipped without much fanfare into an education bill—would be a game-changer for women’s athletics: “No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

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Gender Equality vs. Athletic Excellence

Sports are a pastime for many Americans, especially because they emphasize perseverance, responsibility, hard work, and other attributes of excellent character. Sports also build teamwork and produce great self-overcoming and some self-knowledge when participants run up against their limits.

Sports bring great joy as people overcome obstacles and strive for the level of excellence appropriate to them, just as they produce healthy agonies as people face defeat. It is salutary in many respects that women enter the sporting world in greater numbers than they did in the past so that these lessons pervade American society.

When it comes to the most competitive levels of athletics, there seems to be some tension. Nowadays, most Americans insist on equality between the sexes in all things, yet this insistence becomes murky when it comes to sports; We also thirst for athletic excellence, which is more commonly found in men. Can equality between men and women exist when it comes to sports? This could be a safety hazard for females in a high-contact sport like football if society were to allow girls to play on all boy’s teams. Dr. Wallace agrees with this statement, “And in most sports, strength and size make the difference, and these attributes are extremely important to team success. That’s why I firmly believe that sexes should be separated in athletics.”

“There is no reason girls should not be able to play football, just not with men. The thought of professional coed sports is ridiculous. There is a reason the biggest woman bodybuilder does not even compare in size with the men; it is because their bodies are simply not made to do so. Look at  the Olympics, maybe not events like gymnastics, but as far as any sport that records times and physical output, men will always dominate.

The fastest woman is not faster than the fastest man; the same goes for strength. Sports for girls, in general, have many benefits, including better grades, better body image, less depression, and a higher chance of graduating from high school, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation. Allowing girls to compete alongside and against boys enhances their view of themselves and makes them more resilient, according to Jeffrey Rhoads, author of ‘The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child.’

Allowing boys and girls to play sports together builds better friendships that might not otherwise exist. Learning to view the opposite sex as a friend and not something intimidating is something kids can carry with them for life, wrote Steve Sampsell in ‘Kid Sports Magazine.’ Outside of high school and collegiate levels, some would argue that No, women should not be allowed on men’s sporting teams because they fear that women would get hurt. Especially in contact sports such as football for instance.

Safety Considerations in Contact Sports

Football (American) is a 100% contact sport and there are between an estimated 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States every year, leading The Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) concluded that sports concussions in the The United States has reached an epidemic level, with High school athletes sustaining an estimated 300,000 concussions per year. A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head. This is the primary reason that people feel women shouldn’t participate in this sport.

Imagine a 6’2, 300-pound lineman tackling a 5’5, 140-pound woman at full speed. Women playing what is thought to be ‘men’s sports’ are a common thing now. In 2000, the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters and ceased in 2008. The main rule was no hitting below the waist, which is allowed in men’s football and referred to as s tackle or sack.

Creating Equal Opportunities and Friendships

Not only are women playing on some football teams, it is not the only sport that women are participating in with men. They are also playing basketball with them. This is a lesser-contact sport than football, but still  very physically demanding. Height would be a factor for most women wanting to play basketball with men. It would be a disadvantage because the woman can’t properly guard a 6 ft male when she is only standing at 5 ft tall herself.

On April 24, 1996, women’s basketball announced “We Got Next” as the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to begin play in June 1997. Since then, the WNBA has been the home for the best women’s basketball talent in the world. With the league having completed its 21st season.

Instead of allowing the women to play with the men on their team, although they played the same sport and roles and followed similar rules, the NBA, National Basketball League allowed the women’s version of the game to be formed. Could this perhaps have been a sneaky way of still allowing the women to participate in a male-dominated sport, all the while still not allowing them to play with the men.

Balancing Equity and Practicality

Then you have women who are on wrestling teams. Some may see this as a disadvantage also because men are supposed to be stronger than women. This is a full-contact sport also and can be physically demanding. Although you have women who can lift just as much as men when it comes to weight lifting, people still feel that men are stronger and unequally matched when it comes to competing against a woman. There are two types of teams in wrestling. Intergender wrestling and mixed wrestling are a type of professional wrestling matches between a man and a woman and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team.

Intergender tag team matches are not to be confused with mixed tag team matches: there is a rule governing mixed tag team matches that restricts male and female competitors from attacking each other. If a tag is made, the other team must automatically switch wrestlers, who should be of the same gender as the opposing team’s legal wrestler. This type of tag team match continues to be popular in the present. On the other hand, male and female competitors in an intergender tag team match are free to wrestle and pin each other. The sport of wrestling does not stop after high school or collegiate level either.

Professional wrestling is and has been a major American sport since it launched in 1971 initially by Georgia Championship Wrestling, the program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992. Although initially, the anchor show of the Ted Turner-backed wrestling company, the September 1995 premiere of WCW Monday Nitro airing on sister station Turner Network Television usurped the show’s once-preeminent position in the company as the primary source of storyline development and pay-per-view buildup.

Perhaps the most successful female the wrestler who competed in intergender matches was Chyna. Regularly booked to wrestle her male counterparts during the WWF Attitude Era; she was a three-time Intercontinental Champion, a championship traditionally only contested by men and was briefly #1  contender for the company’s world championship.

Outside of the safety concerns and issues, we must also look at the financial responsibilities that would escalate if men and women played the same sports team. The women would need separate showers and dressing rooms for sure. Would the women require a different set of team doctors, would these doctors have to be women for the female players to be comfortable?!

Professional Leagues: A Mixed Approach

If we allowed men and women to play on the same team in a contact sport such as football or wrestling, there would be that very fine line on what would be considered groping/touching or any kind of inappropriate sexual contact. How would appropriate touch during a tackle or being pinned under a male during a wrestling match be determined if/or the claim of sexual misconduct or harassment came about? Then there are the issues of women getting paid in professional sports. Do the women get paid the same as the men would/do? They are playing the same positions, so they should be paid like the men, right? Wrong.!

These are These are just a few slight things that are thought of when trying to determine if men and women should play on the same sports teams. It is not about not wanting the women to play, nor suggesting that they cannot compete with men. Incredibly, the majority of Americans agree that it’s okay for women to play sports, but just not with men. Even after the formation of both the NWFA & WNBA, women’s sports did not seem to hold the attention of the people the way men’s sports have. Then the question is not ‘Should women play with men’ but instead, do people really want to see women play, period?

In women’s basketball and football games, we see smaller crowds than we would normally see at male sporting events, and why is that?! Same thing with merchandising; why is it that NFL and NBA jerseys will completely sell out, but the women’s jerseys barely do numbers? If the women’s crowds are smaller than the men, that means the ticket sales are not going to be the same as the men’s games, causing less revenue for the women. Women are arguably just as great as men are at these sports and others, if not better than some (men), so in my opinion, choosing not to want women on male teams is not because the women are not good enough to compete with. There are a lot of factors to consider when entertaining the thought of co-ed teams.

Women have proven to be great athletes. Their speed, energy, perseverance, and strength, although when compared to most of their counterparts, not the same, allow them to be great athletes. Young Girls have these women to look up to and aspire to be like. Instead of Lebron James, they can look up to Skylar Diggins. They have Serena Williams to look up to if they want to dominate in tennis, etc. Now, you cannot see a sport on tv that women are not participating in and excelling in, from football to baseball, track and field, skiing, sledding, wrestling, swimming, golf, soccer, volleyball, you name it, and women are participating in.

Conclusion

Title IX is best known for transforming women’s athletics. In 1972, just 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports; today, about two in five do, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation. The number of women playing at the college level has skyrocketed by more than 600 percent. Yet progress toward gender equity in sports has been uneven and incomplete. Here are five charts showing what’s changed—and what has not—since Title IX’s passage in 1972.

Between 1972 and 2011, the number of girls competing in high school sports jumped from under 295,000 to nearly 3.2 million, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. But girls’ opportunities still have not reached the level that boys were at back when Title IX was passed, and high schools today provide 1.3 million fewer chances for girls to play sports.

There are more women playing collegiate sports—about 200,000—than ever before. The number of female athletes at NCAA schools has increased from less than 30,000 to over 193,000 since 1972, but women still have over 60,000 fewer participation opportunities than their male counterparts. A lot of women will argue that they are equally physically and mentally capable of playing on male sports teams. I feel that it should be their choice, and if they can fulfill the obligations and duties of the position, they should be allowed to play.

References

1. “Playing with the Boys: Why Separate is Not Equal in Sports” by Eileen McDonagh and Laura Pappano
2. “The Boys on the Bus” by Timothy Crouse
3. “Changing the Game: The Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes, and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids” by John O’Sullivan
4. “Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children” by Tom Farrey

Introduction

The topic “Should college athletes get paid” has become a very popular topic to discuss on the internet among social media users. One of the many responses made by people opposed to the idea of college athletes getting paid is that ‘They are already getting a scholarship! That is more than anybody else! Don’t be Greedy!’ In all honesty, it seems to be true, but a scholarship is not actually worth as much as people thought it was. According to the researcher, an average full Division 1 scholarship is worth $25,000 per year. That adds up to $100,000 over four years considering the student-athlete stayed all four years and actually earned a degree. Yes, it seems to be a lot, but most college athletes do not last at their school for the whole four years.

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Athlete Dedication and Rigorous Schedules

It is because once you get a sport involved, there are political issues, injuries, and a call to the office to tell the student-athletes, ‘Thanks, but we do not need you on this team anymore.’ (Edelman, web) This is one of the many reasons why college athletes should be paid. They deserve to be paid for their hard work and dedication and for helping their respective colleges and NCAA to make a huge amount of money.

College athletes should be paid for their hard work and for their unquestionable dedication to their sports. According to Edelman, Division 1 college football players practice 43.3 hours per week. In comparison, even the typical American work week is slightly more than that number of hours with 47 hours, which only points out the fact that being a student-athlete is like working a full-time job. Furthermore, the 43.3 hours per week is just the team’s training session; top players who are striving for the best spend some more time practicing on their own after the team’s training session.

Alessi perfectly summed up the schedule of a student-athlete when she wrote, “The schedule of a student-athlete during a season is enough to make any adult want to pull their hair out. Typically, an athlete will wake up before dawn, work out, eat, and then go to an 8 or 9 am class. After that, they will get lunch, a little bit more class time, and then it is time for practice. Whether it is in a classroom studying film or out on the field, by late afternoon, they have already put in over a 10-hour workday.” (Alessi, web) Given the above quote from Alessi, it is logical and reasonable to assume that college athletes are one of the hardest-working people out there.

Balancing Academics and Athletic Responsibilities

College athletes are selfless people and sacrifice their privacy and private time for their respective sports. In some colleges, coaches limit student-athlete speech on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, even when their sport is not in session. The limitation includes not being able to express themselves fully on social media and talk about anything that would do harm to the school or the team. As a citizen of this great country, everyone is permitted to express themselves freely in the form of free speech, but these people sacrifice their rights in exchange for their respective sports.

Moreover, the NCAA’s own tournament schedules cause student-athletes to miss some of their important classes on a regular basis. Researcher Marc Edelman perfectly described the schedule conflicts faced by student-athletes when he wrote, “The NCAA current Division 1 football championship games are played on Monday night. In 2014, the national football championship game required Florida State football players to miss the first day of spring classes.

Students, who are attending either a division one school or a division two school, are aware of the privileges these athletes receive and how much class time they miss. A tournament here, a travel day here, the time out of the classroom adds up quickly.” (Edelman, web) In addition, the NCAA Men’s basketball tournaments are several weeks long and cause student-athletes to miss a minimum of six days of class. If they were any other regular college student, after two or three days of missing senior-level classes, they would end up in an absolute dismissal. (Alessi, web)

College athletes should be paid for helping the NCAA makes money. According to researcher Edelman, “The NCAA currently produces nearly $11 Billion in annual revenue from college sports, which is even more than the estimated total league revenues of both the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.” (Edelman, web) Moreover, the NCAA recently signed with CBS for a $10.8 billion television agreement over 14 years. (Tyson, web) These facts obviously point out that the NCAA is making a lot of money through college sports. College athletes should be paid for being the main source of their college to make money and for helping to increase the application rate.

For instance, ‘The year that Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s outstanding college football player, Boston College’s undergraduate admissions increased by 25 points, and its average SAT score of admitted freshmen skyrocketed by 110 points. Meanwhile, Patrick Ewing’s basketball performance during the 1982-83 NCAA season helped generate a forty-seven percent increase in undergraduate applications and a forty-point rise in freshman SAT scores during the following admissions cycle at Georgetown University.’ (Edelman, web)

Furthermore, according to Forbes News, the University of Alabama made $143.3 million in the 2013-2014 NCAA season, which is even more than all thirty NHL teams and twenty-five NBA teams. Adrian Peterson, the famous NFL player, said, ‘Players are the ones making these universities money’ and pointed out that both he and Johnny Manziel make a ton of money for their respective schools. ‘Johnny Manziel made Texas A&M so much money,’ he said. ‘When I was in Oklahoma, they made so much money.” (Goessling, web)

The Financial Impact of Athletes on Colleges

Athletes are the ones that are making money, but the money does not go to them; instead, it goes to coaches, administrators, and athletic directors and is spent on remodeling stadiums and gyms. According to researcher Tyson, “Many coaches earn at least $100,000 per year to coach one of the major sports like baseball, basketball, or football at colleges. These coaches will receive bonuses for getting to the playoffs, winning championships, or breaking school records.” However, the players, who really make the money, do not get this kind of bonus or money, not even a penny.

For example, “Last year, the average salary for a BCS eligible football coach was $2.05 million, and the average salary for a premier NCAA Division I men’s basketball coach also exceeded $1 million.” (Edelman, web) According to the Forbes news, Alabama’s football coach Nick Saban will receive $7 million per year from his new contract with the school. Similarly, TCU spent $104 million to reconstruct Amon G. Carter Stadium’s west side and the north end zone in August 2010. (Huma, web) These are just a few proofs that clearly show how the money is heavily spent on coaches, administrators, athletic directors, and stadiums instead of student-athletes.

Equity and Fairness

The reason many people are still not in favor of paying college athletes because they still buy into the myth of amateur athletics and still think college athletics is not as big as professional athletics. In fact, college athletes are just as much of big business as professional sports. The only difference between the two is that in college sports, the money goes into the pocket of coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and sports media executives, while at a professional level, the players actually reap the fruits of their hard work and earn a generous salary.

One might argue that college athletes are already provided with free education and free tuition, which is more than enough money and generous enough, but they don’t know the fact that education is not guaranteed; it relies on the player’s health and performance on the field. In fact, one bad season on the field might end up costing a student-athlete his or her scholarship.

In reality, education always comes second to athletes in many divisions, one school that is competing for the National title. The focus on winning and performing at the highest level is so apparent and real that student-athletes do not even have the time to focus on classes and get a proper education. Moreover, being a student-athlete might also come at a great price. Student-Athletes Researcher Brian Frederick wrote, “Fans do not know the lifetime of health care bills that await some student-athletes in contact sports.

How can a free education compensate them for debilitating injuries caused during their time on campus? And how can we as fans truly enjoy a game knowing that one player’s career-ending injury will leave him saddled with nothing more than a lifetime of pain and doctor’s bills?” (Frederick, Web) Furthermore, student-athletes are more likely to report stress from not getting enough sleep compared to non-athlete students. They are likely to sleep less and work many hours longer than non-athletes. They also reported significantly greater levels of relationship stress due to the increased number of responsibilities related to involvement in athletics. They carry more responsibilities than regular students in many ways. (Wilson, web)

Conclusion

College athletes are some of the most hardworking people and carry many responsibilities on their shoulders. They are fully dedicated to their sports, spending most of their time at practice, in gyms, and on the fields, striving to be the best they can be for the team while also striving in their classes. Student-athletes are the reason why the NCAA and their respective schools are making millions of money. Not only do they help their respective colleges to make money, but they also help increase the application rate. They are the main reason why the NCAA and Colleges are making a ton of money, but they are not being paid a penny for their work other than a scholarship that is not even guaranteed for the whole four years. Student-athletes should be paid for their hard work and dedication and for helping their respective colleges and NCAA to make money.

Works Cited

1. Alessi Dominic. 5 Reasons Why NCAA Athletes Should Be Paid. The Richest. 28 March. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.therichest.com/sports/5-reasons-why-ncaa-athletes-should-be-paid/
2. Edelman Marc. 21 Reasons Why Student-Athletes Are Employees and Should Be Allowed to Unionize. Forbes. 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/01/30/21-reasons-why-student-athletes-are-employees-and-should-be-allowed-to-unionize/
3. Frederick Brian. Fans Must Understand That College Sports is Big Business. Debate Club. 1 April. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid/fans-must-understand-that-college-sports-is-big-business
4. Goessling Ben. Adrian Peterson is back to pay for play. ESPN. 11 April. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/82500/adrian-peterson-backs-pay-for-play
5. Huma Ramogi. A Fair Day’s Pay for a Fair Day’s Work. Debate Club. 1 April. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid/a-fair-days-pay-for-a-fair-days-work
6. Tyson Hartnett. Why College Athletes Should be Paid. Huffington Post. 21 October. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.html
7. Wilson Gregory. Comparing Sources of Stress in College Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes. Athletic Insight. No Date. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol7Iss1/StressAthletesNonathletes.htm

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.

Unethical Compensation Practices: Coaches and Illicit Incentives

The athletic recruiting process can be an emotional roller coaster. It can be merciless on both sides. Coaches can change their minds about recruits, and likewise, recruits can change their minds about the coaches. Coaches will unethically lie to athletes and don’t care how it will affect them as an individual. As Former Mount St. Mary’s University basketball player, Shawn Atupem points out, “I’ve seen coaches lie about the amount of scholarships they have so they can coerce players to commit earlier than they were ready to.”

By committing to a school early in the recruiting process, athletes may risk the chance of missing out on a bigger opportunity or miss out on the chance to go to a school that was ranked higher on their list. Illegal Incentives Once a recruit has signed their National Letter of Intent, they have signed their official commitment to that particular university. They have committed to go to school and simultaneously perform, representing that university in their sport.

This equates to 30+ hours of practice, games, weight-lifting, traveling, and more each week, in addition to full-time classes. In return, the university will provide free tuition, room & board, and even food stipends. While a full scholarship provides free tuition, athletes are not allowed to obtain part-time jobs to pay for anything else that they have going on in life, such as helping to provide for their family, a car and car insurance to travel home with gas to put in their car, extra money for food when the café on campus is closed.

Coaches and others involved know this struggle, and they use it to their advantage. While the NCAA prohibits payment to athletes, many coaches will disregard this rule and offer their athletes cars, money, and other gifts in order to keep the athlete at their school, performing, and helping them win games. To the NCAA, this type of behavior is unethical and illegal, but it happens all of the time. “I don’t think it’s a secret that the business of college athletics is full of corruption. I have seen coaches give people jobs so they can get kids to come to the school, pay their parents, and arrange a whole new life for a player so they would choose their school” (S. Atupem, Personal Communication, May 23, 2018).

Illegal payments to college athletes have historically been an ethical issue across all college athletics. For example, Chris Weber, one of the top men’s basketball players at Michigan, began receiving cash incentives from school boosters from junior high throughout his collegiate career. One of the most famous cases was that of Reggie Bush, who gave back his Heisman Trophy after an investigation found that he had taken incentives while playing football at USC. “Bush forfeited his 2005 Heisman Trophy as a result of the scandal, which included allegations of improper benefits received by him and his family while he played at USC” (Schrotenboer, 2015). Another example is when Ohio State football players decided to personally sell their own autographs, jerseys, and rings for cash, which the NCAA prohibits.

“The NCAA hit Ohio State with a one-year bowl ban and additional penalties Tuesday for violations that started with eight players taking a total of $14,000 in cash and tattoos in exchange for jerseys, rings, and other Buckeyes memorabilia” (ESPN, 2011). It is no secret that college athletes generate revenue in many ways, including ticket sales and memorabilia. While the universities, coaches, TV networks, and athletic apparel companies are profiting greatly, the players are left out of any profit-sharing. Some argue that college athletes should be paid for their performance and promotion of the school, which would then “clean up” the unethical behavior that exists within the NCAA today and adequately compensate college athletes.

Former North Carolina Central basketball player Michael Glasker stated, “With the amount of money that athletes generate for the universities, I don’t feel like we should have to live for four years broke. Not only do the athletes generate money from the actual games they play but think about a big university. Those schools sell jerseys, t-shirts, and all types of apparel because of the athletes. I don’t think you can even quantify the amount of revenue generated by the athletes” (M. Glasker, Personal Communication, May 22, 2018). It is a common practice for colleges and universities to sell replica jersey tops at the campus bookstore for fans to purchase. The number on the jersey usually represents the number of the best player for that team.

Academic Ethical Challenges & Coach Misconduct

The better the player, the more revenue the replica jersey brings in. As Shawn Atupem also stated, “Having a job was completely out of the question. The only time we were able to have a job was in summer school, but that was for the school because we had to be there. Basketball was a full-time job. Workouts 6 am, classes 8-1 pm, practice 3-6 pm; there was no time for a job. There is barely time to do school work” (S. Atupem, Personal Communication, May 23, 2018).

While paying athletes a salary may cause many other issues to arise, the NCAA could potentially make it legal for athletes to accept some small help when they need it rather than taking away their accomplishments and eligibility if they accept financial assistance from those who are being paid off their talent. Academic Misconduct The NCAA struggles with ethical misconduct surrounding the academic work of student-athletes. In order to be eligible to participate in NCAA Division I games, student-athletes must maintain a minimum GPA, typically 2.0. While this is set as a standard to ensure student-athletes are not failing out classes, it can lead to academic fraud in attempts to keep athletes eligible.

“The University of North Carolina and Syracuse are just two of the most recent universities to be under the spotlight for academic scandals involving student-athletes. UNC offered a “no show” class for student-athletes (where students received grades for phantom classes that they didn’t attend), and Syracuse allowed academically ineligible athletes to compete” (Square, 2015). In my personal experience, all athletes at William & Mary were assigned an academic advisor who would tell the athletes which classes to take to get an “easy A” or classes in which the professor gave preferential treatment to athletes. If an athlete was struggling in a particular course, the athletic academic advisor would reach out to the professor and speak to them in order to work out a solution.

In one particular class, the teacher told the football players that she never gave athletes anything less than a “B” in her class. This type of preferential treatment is unfair and unethical when student-athletes are not held accountable for the same work as students who are not athletes. Not only is it unethical, but it is teaching the student-athlete that they only need to play their sport, and everything else will come easily. In reality, that is not the way the world works. In order to take better control of academic fraud and ensure that collegiate athletes do not receive preferential treatment, the NCAA should take away the team academic advisors and force the athletes to use the same academic advisors that regular students in college use. Abuse of Athletes Lastly, in my experience and those close to me who also participated in collegiate athletics, coaches very often abuse players, even if it is not physical abuse. Many athletes report experiences of their college coaches verbally abusing them on a regular basis.

For example, in 2016, “George Washington University fired Mike Lonergan as its men’s basketball coach in the wake of an independent investigation into claims he verbally abused players” (Kilgore, 2016). I personally knew a player on that team, Darian Bryant, who confirmed in an interview, “Coach Lonergan constantly screamed, cursed, and demeaned us as his players. He would also play mind games and tell you one day you will be his starting guard, and the next game you may not even get in the game” (D. Bryant Personal Communication, May 20, 2018).

While coaches are hired to be leaders and mentors, many, just like Coach Lonergan, take advantage of their role and treat their players unethically. Coaches get paid a lot of money and renew their contracts more often when they have winning seasons. Coaches only win games based on having talented athletes in order to compete at a high level. If their talent is suddenly injured, coaches may intimidate athletes to play through their injuries. My wife played Division I college basketball, and when she had a hand injury, her coach told her if she did not play through the injury, she would lose her starting spot for the entire season, and the team would suffer because of it. In another instance, she complained that her ankle was causing a lot of pain, and she requested an MRI to discover why there was pain. The athletic training dept. And coaches refused to give her an MRI, so she went to an outside doctor to find out the issue.

Coach Intimidation & Athlete Well-being

When she received her results, the orthopedic specialist recommended surgery on her ankle. By the time she finally had surgery, she had played the entire season with torn ligaments and broken bone fragments in her ankle due to intimidation by her coach. College athletes who are on scholarship know that the scholarship is not guaranteed for all four years. In fact, it is renewed by the coach and the university each year. If the student-athlete does not play through injuries or has an injury that they cannot recover from, there are times the coaches will not renew the scholarship.

In 2009, a freshman for Oklahoma Men’s Basketball experienced this hardship. “After committing to the University of Oklahoma as a ninth-grader, Hardrick finally took the court in 2009. But over the next two years, the 6-foot, 8-inch forward would play just six minutes. An injury to his knee has put his future — and his scholarship — on hold” (Cassilo, 2011). Many athletes who lose scholarships due to injury cannot afford to remain enrolled in the university in which they are attending. The intimidation by coaches, Athletic Directors, the training department, and more can be defined as mental abuse that most athletes do not know is happening at the time. This intimidation results in athletes playing through injuries that will later cause chronic issues to their health.

To the coaches and the programs, it is simply about their bottom line and not the long-term health of the athlete at hand. Conclusion Based on research, interviews, and my own personal experience, it is conclusive that the NCAA has key ethical issues that are consistently happening. The NCAA is taking some steps to decrease the number of ethical misbehaviors across all sports. For example, the men’s basketball program has developed a coalition of coaches that are dedicated to mentoring and teaching other coaches how to identify and make good choices in reference to ethical behavior. They have named this group “Division I Men’s Basketball Ethics Coalition.” This is one step in the right direction to cultivate leaders and coaches who will consciously do the right thing and show integrity within their leadership.

Every sport in the NCAA should force coaches to be part of their own coalition and educate each other to combat unethical behavior. In addition to this, the NCAA should consider placing higher scrutiny upon coaches during the recruiting process. At this time, the NCAA knows they have a large issue with coaches being deceitful and contacting recruits before they should, but they do not regulate and penalize around these issues as much as they do when tangible incentives are offered. The NCAA also does not investigate enough regarding abuse of student-athletes, as most cases are often kept secret within the school’s athletic department, and the player will suffer for speaking out. Most schools will try to work with the coach rather than have bad press. As exemplified above, these unethical issues have enormous effects on student-athletes and should not be overlooked in order to protect student-athletes and the well-being of their future.

References:

1. Atupem, S. (2018, May 23). Personal Communication.
2. Schrotenboer, B. (2015). Reggie Bush gives back his Heisman Trophy. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/04/10/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-usc-taken-away-vacated/25547207/
3. ESPN. (2011). NCAA hits Ohio State with 1-year bowl ban. ESPN. http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/7319796/ncaa-hits-ohio-state-buckeyes-1-year-bowl-ban-other-penalties
4. Glasker, M. (2018, May 22). Personal Communication.
5. Square, A. (2015). Academic Misconduct in College Sports. Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/academic-misconduct-in-co_b_6284116
6. Kilgore, A. (2016). George Washington fires basketball coach Mike Lonergan after investigation into verbal abuse. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/09/16/george-washington-fires-basketball-coach-mike-lonergan-after-investigation-into-verbal-abuse/
7. Cassilo, D. (2011). Injuries Leave Athletes on the Sideline. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/sports/ncaabasketball/injuries-leave-athletes-on-the-sideline.html

Introduction

This project will focus on the global context of identities and relationships, specifically relating to personal, physical, and mental health, as well as what it means to be human. I chose this topic because I wanted to learn about nutrition for athletes and be able to explain it. I intend to specifically focus on the physical health of someone. I wanted to do this topic because I want to be able to educate people on the proper nutrition they should have when they are in training.

Body

Unveiling the Global Context

The personal topic I picked is nutrition for athletes. This topic interested me because many of my friends are athletes, and they don’t eat the proper nutrition before meets. This topic is also interesting because nutrition is something that is stressed by many parents, coaches, and competitors. I would like to be able to educate them on what they should eat properly. I had multiple prior experiences before I started this topic because I have been learning about nutrition ever since I started running from some of my past coaches. This fits the project because it relates to learning how to improve personal, physical, and mental health and learn about how the body functions. For my project, I intend to create a magazine that tells people about proper nutrition. My inquiry question was, What are some effective ways that I can help educate athletes on proper nutrition? The process I used was my former knowledge of nutrition to help educate more people about it. My question requires more than a simple answer because first, I have to explain the topic to different people in various ways to see which way helped them understand the best.

You can recognize the global context in my question by seeing that I’m going to tell people about what nutrients are best for their bodies. They can see the topic in the question because it talks about proper nutrition for athletes. The topic of nutrition is recognized in the question because it asks about how I can effectively educate athletes on proper nutrition. In order to start this project, it was necessary to learn background information on topics such as the nutritional needs of athletes, the functions of different nutrients, and the foods that contain necessary nutrients. Information on how nutrition fuels athletes and the different diets some athletes use to reach optimal levels of performance was also helpful.

Delving into Nutritional Knowledge: Building the Foundation

In order to find this information, databases such as JSTOR and Encyclopedia Britannica were used, with access gained through the King County Library System’s online databases. Google Scholar was also used for finding documents and academic journal articles. Many different articles were printed, read, and annotated. The first source that was used was an online encyclopedia, which provided basic information on food and nutrition. It was helpful because it was a basic overview and included definitions of vocabulary used in the other sources used, such as scholarly journals. Articles from journals of health, journals of dieticians, journals of athletics, and journals of sports science were each used to gain information relating to their respective topics. The scholarly journals gave information, including experiments on how nutrition plans and nutrition knowledge influence athletes, recommendations for different food intake, the timing of intake, and hydration. The resources I used for my project were websites, reports, and videos.

I used them because they told me the necessary basic nutrition that everyone needs. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, nutrition is the ‘process by which the body nourishes itself by transforming food into energy and body tissues.’ (para 1). This article also explained how ‘the body needs these nutrients to help it make energy; to grow, repair, and maintain its tissues; and to keep its different systems working smoothly.’ Some of the websites were better than others, like the Encyclopedia Britannica or the article by Nancy Cortugna, Connie E. Vickery, and Sheldon McBee, called “Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes,” “Athletes have unique needs that include sufficient calorie intake for sport, adequate hydration, and timing of meals for peak performance; however they are often misinformed or have misconceptions about these topics.” (para 1). According to LK Purcell, “Macronutrients, micronutrients, and fluids in the proper amounts are essential to provide energy for growth and activity.” (para 1). Sources were determined if they were reliable depending on how in-depth they went about a topic. I did have some difficulties finding sources that weren’t websites. I did not use any electronic resources. I did not use any human resources.

Reflecting on the Journey: A Holistic Growth Experience

I decided what information to use by taking notes on the resources and comparing them to see which ones had better information. Some of the sources gave the same information, so I compared them to see which one gave the information better. Also, sources were used if they gave useful information like experiments on how nutrition plans and nutrition knowledge influence athletes, recommendations for different food intake, the timing of intake, and hydration. Planning- The goal of this project is to find out and educate about nutrition habits that benefit performance in athletic competitions. The specifications I put into place to help me successfully complete my project are finding reliable resources that can be used to find specific information on the topic, organizing and explaining the information, and creating a report and magazine that shows the information. I will be able to explain it to at least twelve people, and at least six people will be able to explain it back. Success in this project will be at least me explaining it to twelve people, and at least six of them can explain it back to me. I would like to achieve this goal by the end of this project.

My goal is challenging enough for me because I have a hard time explaining things to people, and if I am able to explain it to twelve people, then I will make it more challenging by adding more people. My first goal was to finish the research by the 21st of October then I will have the reports parts 1 and 2 done by November 5th. I will start the format of the magazine by November 8th, and the product will be complete by November 27th. In the month of December, reports 3 and 4 will be done by the 3rd, and the whole project will be finished by the 17. A short-term goal is to have my goals completed a couple of days early, and a long-term goal is to have my whole project done a couple of days early.

Planning and Achieving: A Journey of Self-Management

On November 5th, we worked on Criterion A and B, and I finished it. Since I had time, I also started to work on my magazine so that I could make sure it was done and that I had time to explain it to people and have them make corrections. My project will be complete when I have explained nutrition to twelve people, and at least six have explained it back to me, and I have also researched nutrition habits that are beneficial in athletic competition. This connects back to my long-term goal because I wanted to have the research and magazine done a couple of days early.

But I already have it done, and I have had three people look over it. Taking Action- Knowledge gained from researching the topic influenced the steps in completing this project. The project was originally based on an idea and research question based on my prior knowledge of the topic. As information was gained, various parts of nutrition that each affect an athlete’s performance were revealed. This information found was used to determine what was most important to explain to people and focus the research on what should be eaten, when it should be eaten, and how athletes should be hydrated, allowing more in-depth research to be done on each part of the general topic. Another fact that was revealed was that different people had very different nutritional needs. Athletes need different diets to improve their performance based on age and gender, what sport they play, their position, their training, and other factors. This led to the decision to focus mainly on high school and college athletes who often do not have as much nutrition guidance.

The goal of this personal project is to find out about nutrition habits that help performance in athletic competition, including good caloric and nutrient intake, hydration, and timing of meals, to help athletes become better aware of the impact of nutrition on athletic performance by providing information through a presentation. I was also to explain it to twelve people, and at least six could explain it back to me. This project was successful and completed because the research question was answered through online research, and a final product of good quality was created to aid the presentation of the information found. I solved my problem of not being able to find a lot of sources that weren’t websites by digging deeper, and I also read a lot of Google Scholar articles. A specific technique I gained as a result of my investigation is being able to write notes better. Normally, when I have to write notes, I typically write most of what it tells me, but throughout the project, I got better at just writing important words or phrases.

The Road to Success: Overcoming Challenges and Achievements

While doing this project, I did alter my goal. My goal changed from explaining nutrition for athletes to twelve people and at least six being able to explain it back to me to do that and find out about nutrition habits that benefit performance in the athletic competition, which also includes good caloric and nutrient intake, hydration, and timing of meals. I made the change because I felt like just explaining it would be easier for me because I have learned a lot about nutrition, but I thought that I should deepen my knowledge and also educate people about it. I believe that I successfully achieved my goal because I have explained it to twelve people, and eight people explained it back to me. This shows that my ability to explain things to people has improved over the project. I also did research on my project, and I learned some interesting things. An interesting thing that I learned was that protein bars are not really healthy.

I did not have to alter my specifications during the project. The personal project is assessed based on four objectives: investigating, planning, taking action, and reflecting. Criterion A is investigating, which assesses the following: defining a goal and global context, identifying prior knowledge, and demonstrating research skills, such as selection, evaluation, and application of sources. This project should receive a 7 out of 8 for criterion A because there is a clear and highly challenging goal that is based on personal interests, and excellent research skills are demonstrated. Criterion B is planning, which assesses the following: developing criteria for the product, recording the process of the project, and demonstrating self-management skills. For this criterion, the project should receive an 8 out of 8 because the project was well planned and managed, and the process of the project was well recorded in the process journal. Criterion C is taking action and assessing the product created in response to the goal and the demonstration of communication and social skills used. This project should receive a 7 out of 8 for this criterion because it resulted in a product that met the goals of the project, in an explanatory magazine and a good presentation of information to other students. Criterion D is reflecting, which assesses the evaluation of the quality of the product and the reflection on development as IB learners.

Paving the Path to Informed Performance

This project should receive a 7 out of 8 for this criteria because the project was carefully thought through and reflected on, as shown in this report. Reflecting- The completion of this process has resulted in extended knowledge and understanding of the topic of nutrition for athletes and the area of interaction of personal, physical, and mental health. Research for this project answered many questions about nutrition and brought a much deeper understanding and appreciation for food and nutrition. My goal of explaining things to people also had a big part in helping my explanation skills develop more. This project helped bring development in learning. The project taught methods of formal research, annotation, and evaluation of sources. It also taught decision-making based on acquired knowledge and using the information to create a final product to convey information to other students. It was also important to learn to set goals, self-manage, and organize to stay on task and complete the full process on time. The project required a paper of over 1500 words using MLA format. This required attention to detail and requirements to meet a specific format and is important to learn for future IB or job papers. Finally, the presentation had several requirements, including a time requirement, a dress requirement, an explanation of a product, and receiving and answering questions.

In order to meet these requirements, practices were helpful in making the presentation flow smoothly, as well as learning to be calm and professional for an audience. I believe I did really well on my project (7 out of 8) because I feel like I managed my time wisely and I used a lot of sources. I also finished my project early, and I was able to have other people correct it. For a future project, I would improve on planning out my project, and I would also make sure that I did my project on time and not procrastinate. An existing skill I improved throughout this project is being able to explain things to people better. Originally my goal was to explain nutrition to athletes to twelve people and have at least six explain it back to me, but I actually had eight people explain it back to me, which was really good because it showed that I was able to explain it better. During this project, I learned that I am better at taking action and investigating than planning. Planning was something I should work on more.

Conclusion

Throughout this process, I found myself exhibiting a lot of IB learner profiles, but the ones that I found myself mostly using were an inquirer, communicator, thinker, knowledgeable, balanced, and risk-taker. I found myself using these traits a lot when I was researching and when I had to balance other activities while doing this project. I also improved my communication skills because I was able to explain nutrition to people, and a lot of them understood it. The completion of this project influenced ideas about nutrition and other factors important for athletic performance. It has influenced the way that different foods are thought of and the diet consumed, particularly before and after exercise. The personal project was an overall valuable experience, with many skills gained throughout the process. Researching a specific topic of interest was very informative and important to do. There were countless valuable skills tested and learned that will be helpful in the future. Throughout this project, I overcame many challenges that were presented to me, which made it a success, and the process helped my development as an IB student and individual.

References

1. “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook” by Nancy Clark
2. “The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition” by Matt Fitzgerald
3. “Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports” by Marc Bubbs
4. “Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance” by Matt Fitzgerald
5. “Nutrition for Sport, Exercise, and Health” by Marie Dunford and J. Andrew Doyle

Introduction

One of the hottest debates going around the country concerning young adults is whether or not student-athletes should get paid. On the one hand, many people argue that it is part of the letter of intent that they signed, and they should not get paid. Contrary, others say that the amount of time that they put in outside the classroom should warrant at least some compensation. Many student-athletes have gone on record saying that while the fame is glorious, they barely have any money to support themselves. This essay will argue that colleges should act as moral agents in protecting the rights and dignity of their student-athletes by providing them with a paycheck at the end of each academic year for their extraordinary work outside of the classroom.

Body

In Defense of Compensation for Athletes

One influential figure that would support the claim that student-athletes should get paid is Aristotle. One of the most influential lessons that Aristotle teaches is his Normative Ethics. Simply put, Normative Ethics is ‘the branch of ethics that tells us how to determine what is right from wrong’ (Covey 2018a). Normative Ethics is an important component of decision-making. If Aristotle were to look at this situation, I believe he would agree that student-athletes should get paid because of their virtuous dedication to the school. Along with working hard in the classroom, they are required to put in tedious hours in the gym and practice on the field. Another lesson that Aristotle teaches is the importance of a moral agent and a moral patient.

A moral agent is ‘the one with the capacity to make moral decisions. Traditionally, they must have the ability to reason and can be morally held accountable for their actions (Covey 2018b). A moral patient is ‘one toward whom a moral agent has a moral responsibility and lacks the rational capacity to be a moral agent’ (Covey 2018c). In this case, the college is the moral agent as they have a responsibility towards the students. They should act in the student’s best interests and award them with money. In paying the students, the colleges will be practicing virtue ethics. Aristotle says in achieving virtue ethics, we are striving for moral excellence. I believe that the colleges paying the student-athletes will be acting in a morally excellent manner. Also, Aristotle teaches that in every act, we should strive to act with strong virtue.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

How are the colleges acting virtuous when their students cannot even afford a nice meal after a big game? For example, Philip Goldberg, from the Tufts Daily, reported that after leading the UConn Men’s basketball to the National Championship, Shabazz Napier revealed that he could not afford to eat. Imagine being the star of national television but not being able to eat at times. These athletes need to eat more after vigorous workouts, and these school meal plans are not cutting it. Back to my question, how is this virtuous on the college’s behalf? This guy is bringing your school so much revenue and national attention, but the poor guy cannot even celebrate accordingly.

Finally, in paying the students, colleges are practicing the virtues of fairness and equality. They are showing that they care about the well-being of their students. They are demonstrating a commitment to their student-athletes and that they appreciate all the work they put in out of the classrooms. I believe Aristotle would be a huge fan of student-athletes getting paid because of the virtuous acts that are demonstrated by the colleges.

Another work that we read that would support student-athletes getting paid is the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. In this doctrine, it tackles the importance of the equal dignity of all people. The Compendium states, ‘Only the recognition of human dignity can make possible the common and personal growth of everyone’ (Compendium 145). What better way to do this than by compensating student-athletes? To ensure this growth, it is necessary to have equal opportunities for everyone. However, one major problem with student-athletes is injuries. According to the NCAA, ‘Fewer than 2 percent of NCAA student-athletes go on to be professional athletes (NCAA).

In reality, most student-athletes depend on academics to prepare them for life after college. Education is important. There are nearly half a million NCAA student-athletes, and most of them will go pro in something other than sports.’ How is this fair? While this is out of the control of the athletes, this is their lifestyle. What happens next after college is over? Some of them might have a meaningless degree, and it will be almost impossible for them to get a good job. How can they live this way? At least by paying the student-athletes, they will have something to live off of until they can find a job.

Balancing Academics and Athletics

Being a student-athlete is like working two jobs. You have to work two shifts a day, and how is it fair to only get compensated for one? In reality, the school is making much more money off of them, and they do not return the favor by compensating them. Recently, I had a chat with my friend who plays college football at Fordham University. At that time, we had not talked in almost a year, and of course, the conversation was awkward at first. Therefore, I asked him how football freshman year was and how he was training for his sophomore year. He told me that he really enjoyed his freshman year and felt a lot better going into his second year. Then, he asked me how my summer was going. I responded by telling him I had a great summer and that I really enjoyed my internship.

He flipped the conversation by saying how he wished he was able to have an internship. He seemed pretty upset that he was losing out on the opportunity to have an internship or even a summer job. He explained to me that even during the summer, he is still ‘working’ by training every day. I could definitely see that even though he loves football, it is taking a toll on his personal endeavors. He was distraught because he was missing out on these opportunities that could possibly lead to a future job while playing football for free tuition and fun. You could easily see that my friend would love to have a paycheck. His story is one of the reasons why I wanted to pursue this essay topic. In order to achieve the human dignity of all people, it is necessary to pay student-athletes.

Another source that backs up the ethical argument that student-athletes should get paid is the story of Kyle Hardrick. In a nutshell, Hardrick was once considered one of the top basketball prospects in the nation, but now his job consists of working long days in the oil fields. Life was great for Hardrick as a senior in high school. He was on top of the world. Now, his mom worries that she will wake up in the middle of the night to see her son hanging from his fan. I wanted to take a look into how the NCAA was responsible for this former young star’s downfall. Kyle’s path all started with a dream.

He remembers always wanting to make it to the pros, and it was that dream that pushed him toward greatness. Kyle was so good that he committed to the University of Oklahoma by the end of his freshman year of high school. One of the first things the head coach of Oklahoma said to Kyle’s mom was that they promised to take great care of Kyle. Fast forward three years later, and Kyle finally arrives in Oklahoma. One day Kyle was practicing, and he remembers taking a hard hit and feeling some kind of pop in his knee. Kyle never had this feeling before, but he knew the sound of it was not good. They did an X-Ray on his knee and said nothing was wrong with him, so Kyle kept practicing. However, the pain did not go away for a year. Finally, Kyle went to his own doctor, and he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus.

The Ethical Imperative

How is this ethical? Hiding an injury from a kid so he could keep playing. Kyle finally underwent surgery, and his doctor said, ‘Yeah, you know if this would’ve been taken care of a year ago, he wouldn’t have been in the situation he’s in’ (Kessler). Kyle’s family was fed up with Oklahoma and demanded they pay for the surgery. Oklahoma refused because Kyle went to his own physician at his own risk. Finally, to make matters worse, one day after rehab, Kyle was called into the coach’s office. Kyle was told to transfer, and his playing days were over at Oklahoma. Kyle had lost his passion, scholarship, and drive to attend school.

Everything that he had worked so hard for was gone. This brings me back to my question before, how is any part of this situation ethical? Oklahoma hid an injury from Kyle for a year, refused to pay for his surgery, and then kicked him off the basketball team. This is why I believe if student-athletes were guaranteed some kind of compensation for four years, it would help alleviate the burden of the medical bills and would have possibly helped Kyle stay in school even if he transferred. Since Kyle lost his scholarship, he could not afford school and therefore had to start working in the oil fields.

Kyle’s mom put it perfectly; she said, ‘It’s a system of college sports; you put trust in these universities. You trust them with your kid on and off the court, and once you’re damaged good, they just kick you to the curb’ (Kessler). I believe a possible solution could have been Oklahoma paying for the surgery, and they would leave it to Kyle’s rehabilitation to see if he would make the team. However, they stripped Kyle of his spot on the team and scholarship and refused to pay for the surgery. The colleges do not take care of these student-athletes, and I believe it is time to make a change by guaranteeing some safety for these athletes. Enough is enough.

Counterarguments and Rebuttal

One critique of student-athletes getting paid comes from Kieran McCauley of the local daily news. McCauley states, ‘Athletic scholarships are their compensation and a fair one at that. Essentially, they receive a free education, and in return, they represent the school in a certain sport. Student-athletes don’t have to worry about student loans, paying for textbooks, the cost of on-campus living, and meal plans.’ (McCauley).

Also, he states the average debt for a college student in Pennsylvania is ‘$32,528’ (McCauley). He goes on to argue that student-athletes do not have to worry about this significant number because it is wiped out in their scholarship. He goes on to list other issues, such as would all athletes get paid the same and that the best athletes will end up getting paid when they make it to the pros. I have a powerful refute to Mr. McCauley on why it is ethical for student-athletes to get paid.

As many people know, college athletics is a huge component of many students’ college decisions. When I think of college sports, a few main campuses come to mind. Alabama and Clemson are the meccas for college football. While Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and even Villanova come to mind for college basketball. What makes these schools so great at these sports? Coaches? Yes, coaching has a great effect on the play of the students. Student section? Yes, the crowd inspires the students to play to their absolute best.

However, it is the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes that brings these consistent results. One event comes to mind when I think about the increase in revenue for a school. March Madness is probably the most exciting month for any school’s basketball team. Looking back at 2016, I remember visiting the Villanova campus while they were in the final four. The energy and exciting atmosphere during that time is what brought me here.

Addressing Unethical Practices

Also, when I think about last year, some of my most memorable moments came from watching our magnificent run in the tournament. As a result of any school’s success in this tournament, there is usually a huge increase in the number of applications, and it becomes a lot harder to get into the school. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that colleges are cashing in on these talented athletes. One example that refutes Mr. McCauley’s claims is Michigan’s ‘Fab Five.’ Five of the most dominant high school prospects decided to take their talents to Michigan and were given that exclusive nickname.

In 1991, the NCAA saw an opportunity and took advantage of it by signing a mega deal that allowed CBS to stream every game of the NCAA tournament (Martin). The NCAA’s investment worked off as they gained $143 million dollars a year (Martin). A few years later, the NCAA went on to sign a $6 billion-dollar deal as the popularity of this tournament continued to explode (Martin). This, again, is another example of how the corrupt NCAA takes advantage of its players. The huge uptick in viewership can be attributed to the dazzling play of the ‘Fab Five,’ and they did not receive a penny from the NCAA’s ridiculous revenue.

These five budding superstars decided to put matters into their own hands and violated NCAA rules. They accepted money and endorsements from fans. One of the ‘Fab Five members, Jimmy King, went on record to say, ‘When you’re hungry and broke and watching everyone else make money off you but you, I don’t think it’s wrong for a kid to get help. I think that’s only fair (Martin). This is another perfect example of how McCauley was wrong in saying receiving free tuition is enough, as these kids were taking money on the side. This is just another example of how corrupt the NCAA is and how these student-athletes deserve a paycheck. It is hard to see how others have not taken issue with this, as the NCAA is making billions off of these athletes while the athletes are the ones doing the hard work.

Another critique of student-athletes getting paid comes from James L. Shulman and William G. Bowen. Both men present a solid argument with concern for the athlete’s concern for their academic success. They state, ‘It is not good enough. Just to get by. Respect for core academic values and the educational values mission of these schools requires more than that’ (Shulman and Bowen). They proclaim that there is way too much evidence that demonstrates that student-athletes tend to do less well academically than their peers.

Their main point is that student-athletes should not get paid because a college education is valuable and that paying these athletes could possibly destroy their drive to perform in the classroom. Many athletes might think, ‘, Well, if I am getting a paycheck at the end of the year, do I really have to focus on my academic success?’ Although I think this is a solid point, I think it is one that could be disproven. It is a harsh reality, but what many schools fail to realize is that many students are there because of the opportunity they were given to play a college sport.

For many of these athletes, sports might be the only way of making money in the future. What many people do not realize is that student-athletes spend countless hours on the practice field each day. It is similar to working the 9-5 shift. They put in a few hours in the classroom and then spend the rest of their time perfecting their craft. I quoted before that only 2% of athletes turn pro. What happens to that hefty percentage of kids who do not go pro? Their degree might not really help them find the right job. However, do you know what will help them? The four paychecks that they receive at the end of each academic year.

Let them work for that paycheck. If they are not inspired in the classroom, I am sure the paycheck will provide a spark for them. These four paychecks will help these kids stay away from poverty until they find a sustainable job. Many other critics might argue that these athletes will use their money for the wrong thing, but I think that it is unfair to assume that all athletes will do this with their money. It is unethical just to throw these kids to the curb after their sports career is finished. At least provide them with some compensation. I believe that this is a fair solution to this hot topic.

Conclusion

While many people still believe that paying student athletes produces a negative outcome, I hope that my argument persuades you to join my side. I believe that giving these student-athletes a paycheck is a fine way of thanking them for their commitment and all the money they bring in. Think about all the Villanova basketball gear that is bought and worn around campus. These student-athletes deserve credit for their hard work because I guarantee if we were not national championship material, there would not be as much gear worn around campus. Many people take these student-athletes for granted, and it is time to put an end to this injustice. They take many risks as injuries, loss of internships, and no personal time but they do it for the love of the game. It is time to pay them back.

References

1. “Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It” by Gerald Gurney, Donna A. Lopiano, and Andrew Zimbalist
2. “Student Athlete Compensation in Context: Earning While Learning” edited by Robert K. Barney and Steven L. Danver
3. “Court Justice: The Inside Story of My Battle Against the NCAA” by Ed O’Bannon and Michael McCann Ed O’Bannon’s
4. “The Business of Amateurs: How Fundamentalism Undermines College Sports” by Kristi Schoepfer
5. “Swoosh: Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There” by J. B. Strasser and Laurie Becklund
6. “Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports” by Andrew Zimbalist

Sacrifices for Athletics: Time and Privacy

The topic “Should college athletes get paid” has become a very popular topic to discuss on the internet among social media users. One of the many responses made by people opposed to the idea of college athletes getting paid is that ‘They are already getting a scholarship! That is more than anybody else! Don’t be Greedy!’ In all honesty, it seems to be true, but a scholarship is not actually worth as much as people thought it was. According to the researcher, an average full Division 1 scholarship is worth $25,000 per year.

That adds up to $100,000 over four years considering the student-athlete stayed all four years and actually earned a degree. Yes, it seems to be a lot, but most college athletes do not last at their school for the whole four years. It is because once you get a sport involved, there are political issues, injuries, and a call to the office to tell the student-athletes, ‘Thanks, but we do not need you on this team anymore.’ (Edelman, web) This is one of the many reasons why college athletes should be paid. They deserve to be paid for their hard work and dedication and for helping their respective colleges and NCAA to make a huge amount of money.

College athletes should be paid for their hard work and for their unquestionable dedication to their sports. According to Edelman, Division 1 college football players practice 43.3 hours per week. In comparison, even the typical American work week is slightly more than that number of hours with 47 hours, which only points out the fact that being a student-athlete is like working a full-time job. Furthermore, the 43.3 hours per week is just the team’s training session; top players who are striving for the best spend some more time practicing on their own after the team’s training session.

Alessi perfectly summed up the schedule of a student-athlete when she wrote, “The schedule of a student-athlete during a season is enough to make any adult want to pull their hair out. Typically, an athlete will wake up before dawn, work out, eat, and then go to an 8 or 9 am class. After that, they will get lunch, a little bit more class time, and then it is time for practice. Whether it is in a classroom studying film or out on the field, by late afternoon, they have already put in over a 10-hour workday.” (Alessi, web) Given the above quote from Alessi, it is logical and reasonable to assume that college athletes are one of the hardest-working people out there.

College athletes are selfless people and sacrifice their privacy and private time for their respective sports. In some colleges, coaches limit student-athlete speech on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, even when their sport is not in session. The limitation includes not being able to express themselves fully on social media and talk about anything that would do harm to the school or the team. As a citizen of this great country, everyone is permitted to express themselves freely in the form of free speech, but these people sacrifice their rights in exchange for their respective sports.

Moreover, the NCAA’s own tournament schedules cause student-athletes to miss some of their important classes on a regular basis. Researcher Marc Edelman perfectly described the schedule conflicts faced by student-athletes when he wrote, “The NCAA current Division 1 football championship games are played on Monday night. In 2014, the national football championship game required Florida State football players to miss the first day of spring classes. Students, who are attending either a division one school or a division two school, are aware of the privileges these athletes receive and how much class time they miss.

A tournament here, a travel day here, the time out of the classroom adds up quickly.” (Edelman, web) In addition, the NCAA Men’s basketball tournaments are several weeks long and cause student-athletes to miss a minimum of six days of class. If they were any other regular college student, after two or three days of missing senior-level classes, they would end up in an absolute dismissal. (Alessi, web)

Financial Disparity and Missed Compensation

College athletes should be paid for helping the NCAA makes money. According to researcher Edelman, “The NCAA currently produces nearly $11 Billion in annual revenue from college sports, which is even more than the estimated total league revenues of both the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.” (Edelman, web) Moreover, the NCAA recently signed with CBS for a $10.8 billion television agreement over 14 years. (Tyson, web)

These facts obviously point out that the NCAA is making a lot of money through college sports. College athletes should be paid for being the main source of their college to make money and for helping to increase the application rate. For instance, ‘The year that Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s outstanding college football player, Boston College’s undergraduate admissions increased by 25 points, and its average SAT score of admitted freshmen skyrocketed by 110 points.

Meanwhile, Patrick Ewing’s basketball performance during the 1982-83 NCAA season helped generate a forty-seven percent increase in undergraduate applications and a forty-point rise in freshman SAT scores during the following admissions cycle at Georgetown University.’ (Edelman, web) Furthermore, according to Forbes News, the University of Alabama made $143.3 million in the 2013-2014 NCAA season, which is even more than all thirty NHL teams and twenty-five NBA teams. Adrian Peterson, the famous NFL player, said, ‘Players are the ones making these universities money’ and pointed out that both he and Johnny Manziel make a ton of money for their respective schools. ‘Johnny Manziel made Texas A&M so much money,’ he said. ‘When I was in Oklahoma, they made so much money.” (Goessling, web)

Athletes are the ones that are making money, but the money does not go to them; instead, it goes to coaches, administrators, and athletic directors and is spent on remodeling stadiums and gyms. According to researcher Tyson, “Many coaches earn at least $100,000 per year to coach one of the major sports like baseball, basketball, or football at colleges. These coaches will receive bonuses for getting to the playoffs, winning championships, or breaking school records.”

However, the players, who really make the money, do not get this kind of bonus or money, not even a penny. For example, “Last year, the average salary for a BCS eligible football coach was $2.05 million, and the average salary for a premier NCAA Division I men’s basketball coach also exceeded $1 million.” (Edelman, web) According to the Forbes news, Alabama’s football coach Nick Saban will receive $7 million per year from his new contract with the school. Similarly, TCU spent $104 million to reconstruct Amon G. Carter Stadium’s west side and the north end zone in August 2010. (Huma, web) These are just a few proofs that clearly show how the money is heavily spent on coaches, administrators, athletic directors, and stadiums instead of student-athletes.

Challenges Faced by Student-Athletes: Sacrifices and Priorities

The reason many people are still not in favor of paying college athletes because they still buy into the myth of amateur athletics and still think college athletics is not as big as professional athletics. In fact, college athletes are just as much of big business as professional sports. The only difference between the two is that in college sports, the money goes into the pocket of coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and sports media executives, while at a professional level, the players actually reap the fruits of their hard work and earn a generous salary. One might argue that college athletes are already provided with free education and free tuition, which is more than enough money and generous enough, but they don’t know the fact that education is not guaranteed, it relies on the player’s health and performance on the field. In fact, one bad season on the field might end up costing a student-athlete his or her scholarship.

In reality, education always comes second to athletes in many divisions, one school that is competing for the National title. The focus on winning and performing at the highest level is so apparent and real that student-athletes do not even have the time to focus on classes and get a proper education. Moreover, being a student-athlete might also come at a great price. Student athletes Researcher Brian Frederick wrote, “Fans do not know the lifetime of health care bills that await some student-athletes in contact sports.

How can a free education compensate them for debilitating injuries caused during their time on campus? And how can we as fans truly enjoy a game knowing that one player’s career-ending injury will leave him saddled with nothing more than a lifetime of pain and doctor’s bills?” (Frederick, Web) Furthermore, student-athletes are more likely to report stress from not getting enough sleep compared to non-athlete students. They are likely to sleep less and work many hours longer than non-athletes. They also reported significantly greater levels of relationship stress due to the increased number of responsibilities related to involvement in athletics. They carry more responsibilities than regular students in many ways. (Wilson, web)

College athletes are some of the most hardworking people and carry many responsibilities on their shoulders. They are fully dedicated to their sports, spending most of their time at practice, in gyms, and on the fields, striving to be the best they can be for the team while also striving in their classes. Student-athletes are the reason why the NCAA and their respective schools are making millions of money. Not only do they help their respective colleges to make money, but they also help increase the application rate. They are the main reason why the NCAA and Colleges are making a ton of money, but they are not being paid a penny for their work other than a scholarship that is not even guaranteed for the whole four years. Student-athletes should be paid for their hard work and dedication and for helping their respective colleges and NCAA to make money.

References:

1. Alessi Dominic. 5 Reasons Why NCAA Athletes Should Be Paid. The Richest. 28 March. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.therichest.com/sports/5-reasons-why-ncaa-athletes-should-be-paid/
2. Edelman Marc. 21 Reasons Why Student-Athletes are Employees and Should Be Allowed to Unionize. Forbes. 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/01/30/21-reasons-why-student-athletes-are-employees-and-should-be-allowed-to-unionize/
3. Frederick Brian. Fans Must Understand That College Sports is Big Business. Debate Club. 1 April. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid/fans-must-understand-that-college-sports-is-big-business
4. Goessling Ben. Adrian Peterson backs to pay for play. ESPN. 11 April. 2014. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/82500/adrian-peterson-backs-pay-for-play
5. Huma Ramogi. A Fair Day’s Pay for a Fair Day’s Work. Debate Club. 1 April. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid/a-fair-days-pay-for-a-fair-days-work
6. Tyson Hartnett. Why College Athletes Should be Paid. Huffington Post. 21 October. 2013. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.html
7. Wilson Gregory. Comparing Sources of Stress in College Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes.
8. Athletic Insight. No Date. Web. 19 February. 2019. http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol7Iss1/StressAthletesNonathletes.html

NCAA’s Power, Corruption, and Exploitation

Taylor Branch’s article “ The Shame of College Sports “ shines a light on the corruption and scandals that exists in collegiate sport. It reveals how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rose to power and how it affected collegiate football. The branch begins by addressing the power that media has over collegiate football. With millions of viewers, advertising began to thrive, driving money into the hands of the NCAA. College sport has always been deeply engraved in our culture and has brought people together.

The NCAA used this knowledge to exploit college sports to their will. The massive amounts of money generated turned college sports into a “Very Big Business.” He went on to warn how the combination of large amounts of money at the hands of the rich would have “football boosters rabid in their zeal to have their alma mater win, “ with corruption steadily behind. College athletes were being treated less than humanely and controlled by the university. Their hard work and sweat generated all that wealth, and they were not entitled to it.

The amount of revenue generated introduced an immense amount of power and corruption to college football. Power was now n the hands of the NCAA at their disposal. The NCAA began engaging in various illegal activities and scandals within the sport. They began favoring specific athletes by rewarding them with gifts and money, as in the case of Reggie Bush. There was also a great deal of bribing utilized by head coaches to secure players.

Millions of dollars in endorsements to coaches were being paid out while no financial assistance was provided to the athletes. The power of the NCAA grew with the help of Walter Byers, who paved the way for the regulation of television broadcasts through manipulation and lies. The NCAA had the power to choose what sports were available and had major control over basketball and football. Athletes had no authority or say as their own right to healthcare was grasped from them. The terms “student-athlete” and “amateur “ were used to instill fear and for the benefit of the NCAA and its members. They justified those terms to avoid financial responsibility or provide benefits.

Denial of Rights and Financial Exploitation

The “student-athlete” and “amateur” terms were created and used to justify the denial of benefits. They would justify that student-athletes were students first and athletes second, so therefore not employees who could claim benefits. These terms have harmed student-athletes and denied them their basic rights. The NCAA also enacted the “Restitution” law, which denied students the right to an advisor. It was later found that the sole purpose of the enactment of this law was to avoid due process. These athletes were recruited to physically work for the university. They were not provided with quality education but were robbed of one. They were taken advantage of and would up with nothing. The only value they had to the university was for their physical skills.

College football players are still being taken advantage of. In college football, laws have been made by the NCAA to prevent athletes from profiting off their name or brand. Ironically, the NCAA has a full range and can profit any way they choose. Recently, more than 35 million dollars in revenue was generated through a new football video game. Athletes are not entitled to any of the revenue and have no power to claim it. Athletes have been stripped from their dignity in many ways. Branch believes that college athletes should be paid to play. College athletes have been deceived and cheated of the education they were promised. Many stay through the trials in hopes of achieving a professional career. Unfortunately, most do not have the opportunity and are left without educational skills. And with few options.

References:

1. Branch, T. (2011). The Shame of College Sports. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/