Pros And Cons Of Paying College Athletes Essay Examples

In the recent years, there has been a growing debate on whether college athletes should be paid .Both proponents and, critics of the debate have presented their varying arguments supporting their sides. This paper intends to explore the different arguments by given by both sides. However, the paper will stand with the proponents’ side and, show why college athletes deserve a pay.
Athletes who represent their institutions for sporting activities have to dedicate their valuable time for the sports (Bandow, 2012). They have to dedicate at least 8 hours per day for training and, engaging in the competitive sports activities. During this period, the athletes lose valuable time they could engage in other worthy ventures such as academics (Keolanui,2014). Therefore, compensating the players with a competitive salary will go a long way in motivating the players and providing them with an income.
Many educational institutions generate a lot of money through sporting competition especially in popular games such as basketball and, soccer (Edelman, 2014). The games have become a profit making machines for the schools. However, the players involved in these games do not gain a lot from the games (Bandow, 2012). Although most schools provide scholarship grants for the players, they do not provide enough benefits to compensate for the money they make for the schools. Moreover, some players especially those from low-income families struggle to pay for their tuition fees and, other college expenses. Therefore, if the colleges start paying the athletes students, they can use the money to pay their bills and, live a comfortable life at the school.
Recent research shows that, educational institutions have started using sports success as a tool to market their schools (Edelman, 2014). For instance, if a college wins a competitive game during a certain season, they use the success to attract potential students. While this tactic is not bad for the school, they should compensate the players who make their schools shine. Compensation should extend from grants to salaries that would make them work hard in the games.
Currently, the average salary for a college coach is approximately $100,000 per year, with some coaches earning more than 5 million per year excluding bonuses and, other benefits (Edelman, 2014). While coaches and, their assistants, receive the huge sums of money, their players get nothing. From an ethical view, this act is unfair because both players and, coaches contribute to the success of the team. The compensation should thus be uniform and, reach the players.
Despite the above reasons, critics believe college athletes should not be paid. Their main argument is that school games exist with the sole aim of promoting sportsmanship (Gilleran, 2013). Sports help the students learn various aspects of life such as teamwork and, tolerance. Critics also argue that, paying student athletes will put pressures on institutions that have financial problems. Compensation will force institutions to allocate finances that could be used in other academic ventures to cater for student salaries and bonuses (Gilleran, 2013). Based on these arguments, critics believe students should not be compensated and, they should be satisfied with the scholarship grants they receive.
Comparing the above arguments, it is clear the proponents’ side makes valid arguments. Schools cannot make money from the athlete’s efforts and, yet not compensate them. As discussed in the paper, players waste time in the fields while, some struggle to pay their college fees. Colleges should thus adopt a policy that compensates the players for their hard work (Keolanui, 2014). However, compensation does not mean paying the players huge salaries but, they should provide a decent salary that matches their effort.

References

Bandow, D. (2012). End College Sports Indentured Servitude: Pay "Student Athletes" | Cato Institute. Retrieved from http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/end-college-sports-indentured-servitude-pay-student-athletes
Edelman, M. (2014). 21 Reasons Why Student-Athletes Are Employees And Should Be Allowed To Unionize - Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/01/30/21-reasons-why-student-athletes-are-employees-and-should-be-allowed-to-unionize/2/
Gilleran, M. (2013, July 15). Should College Athletes Be Paid? | Santa Clara Law. Retrieved from http://law.scu.edu/sports-law/should-college-athletes-be-paid/
Keolanui, C. (2014, October 26). 7. Paying Players Will Help Reduce Corruption - TheSportster. Retrieved from http://www.thesportster.com/football/top-10-reasons-college-football-players-should-get-paid/4/