Students are engaged in numerous activities while in college. The major aim of the students going to college is to acquire academic proficiency by undertaking studies in various fields of education. However, the students are engaged in numerous extra-curricular activities while in college. The most common extracurricular activities for the students include the athletic programs. There are various athletic engagements for the students in the colleges, and the most common include soccer and basketball (Edelman, 2014). These students spend a lot of time in training activities and participating in tournaments. The students who participate in the athletic programs should be compensated.
The students spend a lot of time participating in training and undertaking various challenges in the tournaments across the country. While undertaking these engagements, other students spend their time in other academic activities. Therefore, these activities require a lot of sacrifice from the players in these teams. Consequently, the students should be paid for their participation because they forfeit their regular activities to be involved in the events associated with the programs. The sacrifices need an individual to be motivated (Edelman, 2014). The most practical way of motivating the players is through paying them allowances and salaries for every event they participate.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"College Athletes Should be Paid".
The athletic programs play a very big role to towards advancing the other programs of the colleges. The college athletes participate in various high-profile within the country and outside the country. While participating, the individuals are not recognized as an individual, but they are appreciated as a school (Edelman, 2014). Therefore, when the athletes win various titles, the schools are appreciated in various ways. The college is also recognized to have excelled, and it is given various awards some of which include cash payments and other presents. Consequently, the colleges should also play their role through recognizing and appreciating the efforts of the individual athletes through paying them for their success.
The college athletes bring a lot of attention to the colleges. While participating in various events, many people get to know a lot about the college and its activities. When the athletes excel in the games, they get a lot of publicity from various parts of the country and world. There are so many people who know about the colleges through their excellence in the games. Therefore, the activities performed by the athletes act as very special marketing strategies for the colleges and their programs. This attracts very many people to study in the colleges because of this excellence (Edelman, 2014). Consequently, paying the athletes will assist them increase their efforts in marketing the colleges through excelling in their events.
The participation of an athlete in various events puts in various health risks. Some of the most common risks include the acquisition of injuries that can make them miss other college activities (Goessling, 2014). Consequently, these students need a lot of moral courage and advance their participation in these activities. Some of the risks can make the students have permanent scars on their bodies and thus affecting their social lives. Therefore, compensation is very essential because the games expose the students to several health risks (Goessling, 2014).
Most of the students who are involved in the college athletic programs as part of their professional engagement. Consequently, they undertake a lot of investments for their resources in order to undertake the activities associated with the athletic programs. Most of the other officials who are involved to ensure that the athletic programs are successful like the coaches and the technical team members are highly compensated (Edelman, 2014). The other official who are also involved in facilitating the games are also paid for their duties. Consequently, it is morally right to pay the college athletes for their activities so as to enhance equality.
On the other hand, those who oppose my opinion argue that paying the college athletes is likely to compromise the integrity of the education systems. Most of the students may start concentrating in the athletic programs at the presence of their major aim of coming to college (Block, 2013). Consequently, these payments are likely to shift the attention of the students from the academic activities to the involvement in the extracurricular activities. There are numerous ways through which the students can be compensated without necessarily giving them salaries and allowances (Block, 2013). The students can be given scholarships and other equivalent benefits as part of the strategies to motivate them.
However, this argument does not address the fact there needs to be fairness among stakeholders who ensure that the athletic programs are successful. The other officials and participants are heavily compensated, but those who carry out the major task are not paid (Block, 2013). This is unjust and it is likely to demotivate the students from participating in these activities. Besides giving the athlete scholarships, salaries and allowances can assist in engaging the students psychologically (Edelman, 2014). Having motivated athletes is very essential towards heightening the strength of the athletes and can assist in generating more money.
Therefore, the colleges have the responsibility of facilitating a balanced development of the students. The major aim of the colleges is to provide the necessary resources for the academic excellence of the students. However, making the students to advance in the extra-curricular activities is very crucial for the college administrators. The students who are involved in the athletic programs sacrifice a lot of time and energy in engaging themselves in these activities. The activities end up being beneficial to both the students and the colleges. Therefore, compensating the students for their participation in the athletic programs can be very instrumental towards heightening their abilities.
- Block, Molly. College Athletes Should not Receive payment for Play. The University Star Publication. 2013. Web.
- Edelman, Mac. Athletes are Employees and should be paid. Forbes Magazine Publication. January, 2014. Web.
- Goessling, Ben. Athletes should be paid for Play. ESPN NFL Publication. April, 2014. Web.Koba, Mark. Play for Pay. NBC News Publication. October 2014. Web.
