College Sports: Understanding the Dedication and Coordination of Athletes - Essay Sample

Introduction

College sports have played a significant role when it comes to the idea of marketing and developing colleges. The level of competition at the college level has profoundly entertained thousands of spectators both within and across the world. However, very little consideration is taken when it comes to the essence of understanding how these competitive games are coordinated and how the athletes dedicate their time to them. My essay will critically analyze and elucidate the essence of paying college athletes.

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According to Bee, Robert., (et al., P.2), college athletes have become major driving factors and force of the school. This includes the tours and campaigns made each season to uplift and sells the name of the school. In other words, college athletes and games have been widely used as a tool of marketing for the expansion of colleges. Through this, athletes in colleges are pushed to their limits, which aims at perfecting better. Never the less, most of the individual pushed this far, receives no compensations, especially to those who are only under special scholarships. The National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) tournaments are a nationally televised program, which generates revenue. However, it is ironical to relate the level of competition, and underpayment, despite the meticulous effort.

On the other hand, there is a higher demand when it comes to training and practicing of these college athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requires basketball players participating in the tournament to miss six days of their classes. Subsequently, these classes are not covered for, as a way of compensating what they have lost in the curriculum sector. As a result, this gives the notion of colleges focusing more on financial gain rather than academic-oriented. As Cook, (p.3), concludes, college athletes lose nearly a quarter of their semester, outside the classes, which is used for training and playing different tournaments. As a result, colleges should use this opportunity to ensure that college athletes are motivated through payments. Garvin, (p.1) observed that the NCAA currently has been generating over $11 Billion annually from college sports revenue. This revenue is higher than the estimated National Hockey League, and National Basketball. Moreover, for the NCAA to achieve this tremendous amount of revenue, it requires professional and skills, which are attained through the sacrifice of time. In this case, the NCAA is generating more income than the benefits shared back to the facilitators who are college athletes.

Cook, (p5) argued that college athletes are the classic example of slave labor in modern society. Work without payment was the common characterizing that described the cruelty of slave labor. Today, that concept is far from over, especially when you consider the hard work employed by college athletes across the world. They have made it possible for the NCAA to generate billions of dollars each season, yet not even a single penny is allowed to swim into the pockets. The athletes operate under a tight and busy schedule more than any other student in college. This is enough reason to understand the pain and sacrifice they have to make. Their life revolves under a series of the closed and minimal monitored path. This includes diet, and to some extent, their personal life is heavily monitored, such as limiting their speech on social media platforms, to avoid leaking their strategies. Yet all this monitoring and supervision, go unpaid, despite the generation of billions of dollars each season.

Athletes are prone to injuries, which profoundly affects their performance in a game. Most of the casualties in the professional level are treated with the highest degree of care, due to the complication of the level of sports. However, there is no exception when it comes to college athletes when it comes to injuries of these athletes. A college athlete receives minimal benefits in terms of medical treatment. In the worst-case ever possible, an athlete may suffer from a fatal injury that may force him or her not to participate in any other game in his or her career. With this having happened to the athlete, there is a higher possibility of losing the scholarship as well. On the contrary, the athlete will be forced to pay the school fees like any other student in school. Subsequently, his or her future in the sports career is brought into an abrupt shutdown, with no financial aid to cover him or her up.

Garvin, (p.4) argued that there is a limited margin when it comes to transitioning from college athletics to professional. These chances are fewer in every department, which limits the possibilities of the college athletes making a difference in their careers. Even though this is the dream of every athlete at the college level, the bitter truth is that there are limited chances, despite the effort paid at the college level. Through this, it becomes clear that college athletes should be enrolled for payment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, college athletes are used as the brand ambassadors of their colleges. This has increased the number of freshmen recruits, yet the athletes are not benefiting from their efforts. On the other hand, athletes are prone to injuries which have threatened their career. As a result, they should be paid to compensate for their loss of time. More so, they should be paid enough amount to help them pay their medical bills when they are out of the college.

Works Cited

Bee, Robert G., et al. "The Pay-to-Play Debate: Legal and Legislative Challenges to the College Sports Model November 5, 2019." (2019).

Cook, Justen. "The Issue of Compensation: Should NCAA Athletes be Compensated Above Their Scholarships." (2018).

Garvin, Darius. "Pay for Play." (2019).