Should College Athletes Get Paid PDF

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Should College Athletes Get Paid?

Some college athletes risk their lives playing dangerous sports such as football, basketball, soccer, or even cheerleading. These sports can be very deadly and concussions are very common although there are minor injuries such as ankle sprains. Although college athletes are receiving multi-thousand dollar scholarships for free, they are risking getting injured just by participating in these sports. Not only are they risking injury, sports take up much of their time including practicing, traveling, and playing games. Colleges also benefit from their status and monetarily due to how well their student-athletes perform and how famous they become. Much of the coaching staff also benefits due to the need for good coaches that are at the college level. This means that coaches are being paid very generously, but some of that money should go to the players. College student-athletes should get paid for the time they spend playing and the time they put in practice, to make the game more interesting, they risk getting injured, and most importantly for their livelihood.

Student-athletes at the college level spend much of their time practicing or playing, if not they are traveling across the country or state to play their next game. According to “Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Be Paid,” “Various statistics suggest that college athletes spend at least 40 hours per week dedicated to their sport, including games and training sessions. This is like working a full-time job on top of demanding courses, school assignments, and other responsibilities”(“Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Be Paid”). This means that studentathletes dedicate too much time practicing and competing, so having a job would be difficult

because they would not have the time to do so. Sports also take time away from important needs such as studying. Sports can have a negative effect on players’ academics due to student-athletes focusing on sports rather than completing schoolwork and paying attention in class.

Another reason why student-athletes should get paid is that paying them would make the game more interesting. When someone receives a reward for being successful, then they will put more effort into being successful. Sports are also a great amount of work and take a vast amount of time and energy. Paying student-athletes would relieve the stress both financially and maybe even mentally. According to Casey Levinson, “Paying college athletes for their participation in sports eliminates the need for them to find outside employment to support themselves. Many scholarships may offer tuition, room, and board coverage in return for participating in a sport, but not every student athlete qualifies for a scholarship. And while the NCAA states that 90% of game revenues go into services, programs, medical care, scholarships, travel support, and other benefits, student athletes still receive zero direct financial compensation for their participation” (Levinson). Allowing students to financially support themselves would definitely leave a positive impact on the players and could even allow them to perform better.

Any athlete, whether they are playing professionally or even playing recreationally runs the risk of getting injured. According to Denis Metev, “In any given season, 10% of all college players and 20% of all high school players sustain brain injuries” (Metev). Some injuries are recoverable and the student-athletes can return to play, but some can sustain injuries that will affect them for the rest of their lives and will not net them play professionally. Students should

be paid because the risk of getting injured is too high for them to not be paid. Also if an athlete gets injured then the money will come out of their pocket which will be difficult due to not being paid by the college or sport that they are participating in. Students also put a lot of time and effort into their sport and they could get hurt preparing for the sport such as working out in the gym. Student-athletes spend a good amount of time playing and preparing for sports and should get paid because the risk of them getting hurt is too high for them not to receive any money at all in so that they can support themselves or for emergency situations.

The last reason student-athletes should be paid is for their livelihood. These studentathletes that colleges take in have lives. They have family and themselves that they have to look after. Many of these famous athletes come from nothing such as Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis came from humble beginnings. Ray Lewis states in his autobiography “Far as I ever knew, he was gone the next day, the same deal all over again, and as I write this I think of the cycle of abandonment that's colored my family” (Lewis). Ray Lewis is a good representation of why student-athletes should be paid. His father was gone for most of his childhood and he helped by taking his place and supporting his family. Ray Lewis came from humble beginnings and went on to play in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens. Before he was on the Ravens, he played for the University of Miami where he was a star player. Although he was successful on the field, there were not any backup plans. For example, if he were to sustain a severe injury then where would he get the money so that he can pay for the procedures. An injury would affect him long term and could have even prevented him from playing for the Baltimore Ravens in which he would have not received any money and would not have become a star player in the NFL. He would have missed out on millions of dollars and not be where he is today. College athletes also could use

the money for later on. They could save the money up for future accidents. A good example is Dak Prescott. He played for the Dallas Cowboys and had a potentially career-ending leg injury, but his future was uncertain due to contract negotiation issues. He was drafted in 2016, so if he would have been paid in college while he was in Mississippi State then he would have had a more certain future. Some players also do not ever make it pro because they do not get drafted or whatever the reason may be. All of their hard work and dedication will be wasted and they would have never gotten paid at all.

Overall, paying student-athletes while they are in college is the best option for colleges. Many students spend much of their time and dedication becoming the best they can be for their sport, but they get do not receive any money for it. Allowing them to receive money boosts their motivation and will make it less complicated for these athletes to perform at their best which will profit the colleges because they will gain a larger audience which also means more money for both the players and the college. They also deserve it because they are at a very high risk of becoming severely injured and they need a way to pay for the financial costs if it ever comes down to it. Some people think that there is not enough money to go around but there is and they deserve it because without the athletes then they have nothing. The athletes are what people pay to watch so they should at least be receiving some of the revenue from the viewership. Athletes work very hard and dedicate themselves to be the best that they can be at what they do. Paying athletes will give them what they deserve and allow them to be successful without worrying so much about getting injured or even worrying to be able to satisfy the financial needs to support their family.

Works Cited

Levinson, Casey. “Crossfire: Should College Athletes Get Paid?” The Midwood Argus, The Midwood Argus, 25 Nov. 2019, www.midwoodargus.com/blog/2019/11/25/crossfire-shouldcollege-athletes-get-paid.

Lewis, Ray. “Say My Name.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 14 Oct. 2014, www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13840222/former-baltimore-raven-ray-lewis-discussesautobiography-how-got-name.

Metev, Denis. “45+ Sports Injury Statistics That Might Hurt.” Athletic Panda Sports Editors, Athletic Panda, 19 Mar. 2020, apsportseditors.org/others/sports-injury-statistics/.

“Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Be Paid.” College Sports Madness, College Sports Madness, 13 Feb. 2020, www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/18319....