Professional Athletes Should Finish College Before Going Professional

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“No one blows through money faster than millionaires with nothing to do.” -Unknown. This is true regarding the experiences of millionaires, but is it true with professional sports players? With athletes not finishing college, they don’t get the opportunities they would if they received full education. Arguably, the most educated player in the MLB is Craig Breslow on the Boston Red Sox. He was accepted into medical school before becoming a professional athlete. He had a major in biophysics and biochemistry, which he earned at Yale University. He was asked the question, “Where would you be if you weren’t a professional athlete?” Breslow replied saying he would be graduating medical school or hopefully have already graduated. Professional athletes should finish college before going pro because it secures their future. It teaches the younger generation maturity and the value of knowledge.
Having athletes finish college before going pro secures their future, in case they are fired, permanently injured, or go into retirement. Robert Pagliarini states that 78% of former NFL players go bankrupt in results of financial stress after two years of retirement. Another statement he said was that 60% of former NBA players go broke after five years of retirement. With getting the education you need, you will be able to have the financial education as well as your major or minor degrees. The White House exclaims that out of the 30 fastest growing occupations, more than half require a post secondary education. Having a college degree gives many the financial safety and security, Maslow believes it is necessary to achieve personal happiness and success.
“Faith, family, friends.” Parents, since we were very little did little things to prioritiz...

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... If he had finished college before going pro, it could’ve helped him make a better career decision than dog fighting. People don’t get educated so they can later get set up to fail. People get educated because it’ll help them in the future. It’ll help you keep your commitments and it provides you with the basic skills of life. They get educated because they feel their best at graduation. They love the fact of owning a degree. Imagine, owning a degree, then going pro on your sport, would just be icing on the cake.

Works Cited:
"SN Names the 20 Smartest Athletes in Sports." Sporting News. Web. 19 May 2014.
"Continuing Education - Player Engagement." 2013. 20 May. 2014
"SN names the 20 smartest athletes in sports - Sporting News." 2010. 20 May. 2014
"What Do Americans Value? - ASCD." 2009. 20 May. 2014
"Higher Education | The White House." 2010. 20 May. 2014

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