College Athletes

773 Words2 Pages

Do sports matter more than academics? This is a question various people enjoy debating. In many ways sports are important, but other times it may seem like a great pastime. “Why Sports Matter”, written by Wilfrid Sheed, recalls how sports changed entirely over the past decades. Sheed comments that it’s a good thing because it teaches discipline and how college athletes do not get paid for their hard work. What Sheed fails to do is inform readers about sport scholarships, the importance placed on those students, and the privilege to play for a college. To a certain extent sports are important; on the other hand, the privileges these athletes are given are overlooked. The great thing about sports is the physical activity involved. It keeps kids physically active and even healthier than average. It gives them the feeling of wanting to achieve goals and to do better every time. They learn discipline, and even their personality might grow as a result. A player earns glory depending how good he is. Every player wants the spotlight but only a few get it. The best players get offers from colleges, while others may not even get noticed. It is a privilege to play for a college, because only 1% of high school student athletes play college level sports. Although playing for a college is a great thing, they sometimes forget that they are also going to college to obtain a degree. Many people today think that sports get in the way of academics. I agree with this because sports require a lot of time and dedication, however so does school. You cannot simply show up to class and expect to pass without dedicating yourself. Although maybe not all student athletes dedicate themselves mainly to sports, majority maintain a “C” average in school. Som... ... middle of paper ... ...athletes get a lot of privileges, maybe too many. They need to put college classes first, because they are student athletes. I understand that winning the games is important, but are sports more important than academics? Some of them put so much of their focus into sports that classes come second to them. The popularity and glory may get to their heads, and they might dedicate their whole life to sports. I attend many classes with athletes, most of them are asleep during lectures but awake during games. The privileges they have gotten are in the way of the importance of their classes. What if these athletes never thought of a backup plan? Or even thought maybe a college degree, in today’s world, may actually be more useful than the ability to play a sport? Works Cited Sheed, Wilfrid. “Why Sports Matter”. They Say/I Say with Readings 2nd Ed. Norton(2012):489-511.

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