In the nineteenth century, Andrew Warwick introduced competitive sports into educational institutions. The primary goals for the games were; improvement of discipline, maintenance of body fitness and engaging the students to prevent them from participating in unlawful practices during their free time. Currently, colleges and private entities such as National Collegiate Athletic Association generate billions from the sports competition played by the students. The games attract viewership from all over the country producing vast amounts of money. The transformation of the sporting activities from an academic inclination to income generating events eliminated the original intention for the activities. Currently, the standard perception is educational institutions misuse the college students by creating money for them without any financial reward for the students in the form of payment. Payment of college athletes would make the sporting activities more competitive while allowing the students to earn from their dedication and end the financial hardships experienced by most of them.
In 1905, President Roosevelt founded the National Collegiate Athletic Association whose sole purpose was to create a platform for the college students to engage in athleticism for leisure. More than a century down the line, the transformation of the institution is evident towards monetary gains. Annually, the association generates an average of $11 billion from the events (Bennett et al. 152). The beneficiaries of the money are the coaches and administrators of the institutions and teams taking part in the games. Therefore, the organization transformed into a profit-making organization with the students accessing the money through scholarships and free education. However, a more significant part of the income disappears in the form of higher salaries and allowances for the coaches despite the fact that some of the students languish in poverty. The National Collegiate Athletic Association needs to change the tradition and pay the students to allow them to reap the benefits of their hard work.
Payment of college athletes might work to the contrary and spoil the sport. A more significant percentage of the audience attends the games for the love of the game. The zeal and passion exhibited by the players motivate the fans to watch the sports in huge numbers. In case of payment, the college athletes will begin competing to earn and not in pursuance of their talents and professional goals. In case of an upcoming game, the students might skip a tournament that appears to have lower remunerations as compared to the other events. As such, the level of discouragement for the fans will be high leading to poor attendance in future. In cases where the institution pays according to the number of goals scored, for example, the players will work hard for individual gains breaking the morale and unity of the entire team. Payment of the athletes should lead more competitiveness for the team and not create divides leading to failure.
Secondly, not all teams will receive the same amount of payment from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The remuneration will depend on the number of games played and the level achieved in any specific tournament. The teams earning lower amounts will feel discouraged and lose their motivations in taking part in the competitions. On the other hand, making the payment standard would cripple the operations of the association since the expenditure will be higher than the income generated. It is worth noting that the organization spends a considerable amount of money on organizing for the events, facilitating the payment of coaches and sponsoring the education of the athletes. Therefore, additional expenses might lead to bankruptcy for the association and an end to the games (White 118). The introduction of payment for the athletes has the potential to reduce viewership of the games due to sabotage by top players in anticipation for the more prominent events as well as the bankruptcy of the association in catering for the exorbitant salaries for the high number of students.
College athletes undergo difficult times to acquire the necessary athleticism required for the games. The events are competitive, and any laxity in practice would lead to massive failure. Therefore, the students spend more than forty hours in a week for training. Usually, employees in the country work for eight hours in a day and an average of forty hours in a week. What is the difference between the college athlete and a typical employee in the country? Besides, the athletes miss classes frequently in preparation for the events. Therefore, it becomes exceptionally impossible for the young students to look for a job for the weekends due to the developments. From this analysis, it is evident that the scholarship is not a reward that matches the efforts invested by the students. The logical and ethical approach for the organization is to change the policies and pay the college athletes in appreciation of the efforts and sacrifices made towards making the event successful.
The significant benefit for the athletes is the full scholarship paid by the association. The award covers tuition, accommodation and meal plans. However, it is important to note that most of the athletes come from poor backgrounds that cannot afford the fees making the scholarship valued. However, the needs of a college student are diverse. For example, the strenuous exercises necessitate frequent feeding to replace the energy lost during the practice (Rippe 169). More so, the students require right clothes that match their status at the games. The additional needs of the students make it necessary for them to acquire another source of income. It is unrealistic for the young student to be part of a project generating billions of dollars annually but fail to raise cash for basic needs such as food and clothes. Payment of college athletes will eliminate their financial deprivation and assist them in earning enough money to cater for their basic needs making the sport beneficial to them.
In sports, such as the premier league games enjoyed worldwide, the payment of the players make them more competitive. The leading teams in each competition look out for the best players and offer them higher remuneration to shift to their side. Similarly, payment of the college athletes would make the games more interesting. The students would work hard to attain and maintain higher standings within the tournament for higher pay. The attention of all students participating in the events would shift towards improving their performance. Currently, most of the athletes have to look for part-time job opportunities to cater for their additional needs. At times, the performance of the students in the games reduces due to the fatigue accumulated from academic activities and the part-time employment. Therefore, payment of the athletes would assist them in focusing on the events and dedicating their energy towards improving their performance. The competitiveness of the games would be higher leading to a broader viewership and higher income for the association.
Apart from direct income from the games, college athletes market their institutions increasing the number of students aiming at joining the school (Harper and Jamel 46). When a college performs well in any sport, the media focuses on the institution eliciting the curiosity of the public concerning the institution. Winning the final tournament makes many of the aspiring students to apply for admission into the school. The increased demand might lead to higher fees for the new students due to the competitive nature of the school. Therefore, the sole beneficiary of the sport is the institution represented by the athletes. Payment of the athletes would motivate them into working hard and winning the final trophy, which will be a robust marketing tool for the institution. The contrary is also true. Lack of motivation will prevent the athletes from going an extra mile to win the competitions. Therefore, the students will only take part in the games as a form of formality. A motivated team, using payment for the games, will work hard and take part in many competitions marketing the college.
Some of the highest earners in the world are sportspersons (Marjoribanks and Karen 170). However, most of them do not have the financial knowledge to manage their money and end up leading impoverished lives after their sporting life retires. The mismanagement of funds originates from the fact that some of the athletes went through college without managing any amount of money. Therefore, the lack of skills leads to misuse of funds and poor management. Payment of college athletes would make them responsible adults. Control of finances from a tender age would equip them with skills on proper management of funds through wise investments. Access to cash is possible through payment of athletes during their college lives. However, the decision to pay for their scholarships without their active involvement in financial decision-making opportunities might affect them in future leading to miserable lives. These young people should earn from their expertise and build on their business management skills for better planning in future.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association earns a colossal amount of money from college athletes. However, the athletes, who are the backbone of the events, do not get any salary from their involvement in the sport. The association offers full scholarships to some of the athletes as a way of growing their talent and knowledge through access to education. However, the students need more money for their additional expenses, which are not part of the scholarship. More so, payment of the athletes will equip the youngsters with professionalism in handling cash and gaining financial skills. Apart from the economic gains made by the student, the games market the institutions to potential candidates. The exemplary performance attracts many people into the institution who want to feel like part of the success. The monetary reward will act as the motivation of the athletes to better performance leading to higher revenue for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and higher demand for the institutions. There are concerns that the payment will dilute the performance by making the students focus on the monetary benefit as opposed to the love for the game. However, the salary will increase the competitive nature of the games attracting a bigger audience.
Works Cited
Bennett, Robert A., et al. Black males and intercollegiate athletics : an exploration of problems and solutions. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015. Print.
Harper, Shaun R., and Jamel K. Donnor. Scandals in College Sports. Florence: Taylor and Francis, 2017. Print.
Marjoribanks, Tim, and Karen Farquharson. Sport and Society in the Global Age. City: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print.
Rippe, James M. Lifestyle medicine. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2013. Print.
White, Ryan. Sport and the neoliberal university : profit, politics, and pedagogy. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2018. Print.
