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.
It may lead to athletic departments becoming more of a business instead of helping athletes receive an education. Student athletes have more passion for their sport because they are fighting to play. Spectators love college athletes because the athletes are playing for the school and not money. Paying college athletes to play could benefit the players but it would only create more problems for other athletes, students and universities. The innocence of college sports would be taken away if college athletes are paid.
They are being given excessive and undeserved grade changes to maintain athletic eligibility. They are getting extra tutors that write the papers instead of teaching. These actions are demeaning academic establishments where athletics are suppose to be extra curricular to the educational priority. To begin with, division one athletic programs are allowed by the NCAA to provide athletic scholarships to high school athletes. These scholarships permit students to attend universities who very often have not reached the scholastic accolades to attend the specific institution; it is purely their athletic abilities that allow these people to not only study at these schools but attend at a discounted tuition or free of charge.
Academics and the Student-Athlete For starters, most student-athletes entering college are told what it means to be a student-athlete, but they never truly realize life as a student-athlete. They are confident and even cocky that they are ready to take on this challenge. In order to become a successful student-athlete it takes a lot of prioritizing, responsibility, motivation, and great time management skills. How are some student-athletes successful and some not? Big time sports are entrenched in higher education and have become the public face of the university.
Many look towards the government for answers while the NCAA would like to regulate itself. There needs to be resolution somewhere because the integrity of sports is in jeopardy. College athletes are expected to combine their athletic dreams with academic endeavors. Many athletes use college as a stepping-stone into professional leagues. College is simply a means to their athletic career.
Are colleges doing enough to prepare student-athletes to be successful in life? Are students benefitting or are universities exploiting? Colleges are monetarily thriving from the talents of athletes. A numerous amount of these athletes are only recruited for their physical talents and many of them are not academically up to par. Although academic institutions claim to procure means to aid athletes in the classroom, there are still vast conundrums plaguing society concerning the miseducation of these individuals.
As a result, some people have lost sight of the value of education. After all, student athletes are students first and athletes second. In spite of their extraordinary athletic abilities, these skills cannot overshadow the focus of college that is providing an education for the students. Placing emphasis on the athlete’s academic achievement shall prepare them for tomorrow’s future. In addition, education expands knowledge, promotes critical thinking, increases potential and teaches discipline.
Colleges demand a well-rounded resume that students are trying to fulfill so they can get accepted to the college or university they desire most. “We know schools and families are embedded in society and are responding to its changing requirements and demands, with respect to the competitiveness to the college admissions process, the kinds of skills needed to succeed in the workforce, and even uncertainties in the global economy” (NYU Study Examines), in a study, students from a big university admit to finding that students are becoming more stressed out because of college pressures while still in high school. Colleges are trying to find the students that can succeed in both academics and extracurricular activities. Once students get into college, student athletes can buy a book written by Carl I. Fertman appropriately titled Student Athlete Success – Meeting the Challenges of College Life, to help organize their priorities with their busy schedule. This is a work book that allows the college athletes relate to other college athletes that feel the same way they do.
Attending college is not only a chance for students to further their education, but it also allows them to experience the lessons life has to offer. One of the hardest lessons to learn is how unfair life can be. Students who work diligently to achieve academic success in the classroom may quickly realize their academic efforts do not “pay off” as much as the student-athlete who possesses the ability to kick a football fifty yards. There is an evident failure in the educational system when the student-athlete’s performance and how they contribute to a winning season, is more valuable to the university, than the academic student who strives to graduate with honors. Students who focus their efforts on an academic based education are not rewarded with the same benefits, resources, and perks as their student-athlete counterparts.