Should College Athletes Get Paid

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Should college athletes be paid?

While undertaking college education, there are many people who take part in sports. There has been debate for a long period of time as to whether they should be paid for engaging in the sporting activities or not. Some people argue that they may be too young to start earning from the activity while others state that just like other athletes they should be given the opportunity to earn from what they love doing. According to me, I believe that college athletes should be paid even if it is not to the same extent as the professional athletes. Just like any other type of job, no one would want to perform a duty when there is another person pocketing the money. Each person does something so that they are able to get something in return. The same logic should be applied to this reasoning so that the athletes can receive compensation for the hard work they put in the sports. There are a lot of reasons why they should be paid to perform for the colleges.

The first reason why it is important to pay the athletes is that it is the best motivation that one can be given so that they pursue what they are good at. Many athletes always give up on their career dreams just because they are not shown that they can earn a living from the time they are in colleges (Hosick, 2012). The fact that they are not paid proves to them that the sporting activity is not one of the priorities of the college and that they should drop such activities and focus on education. This is something that has led to many talents being lost because they are not shown that their respective talents can pay them off. College sports can be categorized as professional activities that the college athletes always engage in, it is therefore fair that they are paid for offering such professional services. Any college that wishes to engage in such activities must motivate their players and the best way to achieve this is by ensuring that their players get money from the services they offer.

Failing to pay the college athletes when they engage in sports is making them slaves of the industry. They feel that they are not appreciated by the system and what they can do to solve the situation is to stop participating. It is something that has killed the dreams of many young talents. When they go out to take part in the sports, they represent the college. When they win, it is a big win for the college because they will get their name above other colleges and this means that they will be able to get more students being admitted. Though some of the colleges always opt to have the students study without paying any fees, it is important that they are also paid a small part of the money so that they feel more motivated. Some of them are not interested in academics and really would want to see if they can make money by engaging in the sports. By taking the colleges that pay their athletes small amounts of money when they perform well as examples, it is clear that the best motivation that any athlete can get is a direct payment for the performance (Hosick, 2012).

Another reason why they should be paid is that it shows compensation for the time and resources they put while practicing. It is not possible to produce the best results in athletics without putting in a lot of effort during training (Smith, 2011). This is just like any other business where one puts in resources daily with the intention of getting profits. The players also put in a lot of effort in training so that they can perform well when it comes to the actual display. The colleges should pay them so that they are able to afford the best resources as this will make them to improve on their performance. There is no way one can expect athletes to perform to the best of their level if they are not provided with all the resources they need. Sometimes, the resources that athletes need might vary from one athlete to the other. When they are paid, they can always buy such items without bothering their parents and sponsors who are only concerned with their education.

The payment can also be used as a way of convincing the parents and guardians that they can allow the students to engage in sports because it can still be a good source of income for them. There are many parents who still do not believe in the fact that one can make good amount of money when they take part in athletics. When college athletes are paid, the parents feel that it is one of the careers that they can encourage them to pursue. Every parent wishes to have a bright future for their children. They would not wish to have their children to engage in activities that do not bring any good amount of income for them. Apart from encouraging the parents to support them in this career, it also shows other young athletes that they can engage in such activities and will be able to make money from them. Young athletes who are not yet engaging in any professional competitions need to see that their older counterparts are making a living from the activity to make them more motivated.

Payment to the athletes is one of the ways that can also be used to improve the level of competition on college sports. People have always complained that the level is a bit low and that is why most of the players do not go professional. When the athletes are paid, they feel that they are playing for something and the level of competition will definitely go up. The better they are compensated, the more they will put in more effort and this will raise the general standards of colleges athletics in the whole country. One of the ways that can be used to improve local sports is by ensuring that people believe the players have a good life and that it is something that the youths can do.

Most of the college always opt to drop out and focus on the sports because they are not paid for the services they are offering. Education is equally important and they should be kept in college so that they complete their courses. There is no need of starting a course and ending up dropping out just because one sees it might not be important for them. By paying the athletes, the colleges can be sure to retain their students throughout the course and also encouraging them so complete their courses so that they have different careers to pursue. When they are paid, they can be patient to finish the course first before they decide what to do with their lives (Smith, 2011).

To conclude, it is clear that paying the athletes has more advantages than the disadvantages. Any college should ensure that they pay their athletes so that they can also gain in return. This is a practice that will not only motivate the athletes but will revolutionize college athletics into one admired field that many people will be willing to pursue. This will also encourage many athletes to go to college and learn.

Works cited

Smith, Ronald A. (2011). Pay for Play: A History of Big-Time College Athletic Reform. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.

 Hosick, Michelle. "Multiyear scholarship rule narrowly upheld". Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012.