Should High School Athletes Be Paid?

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Many high schools have strict rules about student participation in extracurricular activities. Students may be required to maintain a minimum grade-point average or at least have no failing grades to participate in sports or clubs. These requirements are designed to ensure that students do not allow their athletic interests to overwhelm the need for a quality education. The allure of athletic success and exorbitant financial gain is so enticing, that some parents and students may feel that any scholastic grade requirements are completely unnecessary. I would argue that not only are minimum academic guidelines necessary for high schools students, but also that colleges and amateur or professional leagues mandate these minimum requirements …show more content…

Teenagers, particularly those who are athletically gifted, often believe that they are invincible and have the tools and talent to one day become top-tier professional athletes. Setbacks, like major long term injuries, personal hardships, or incredibly intense competition, are never a concern, and the thought that they might not be able to achieve even a small degree of athletic success is unfathomable. The reality is that only a small number of high school athletes ever advance to the professional ranks, and the reasons for their unsuccessful rise to fame and fortune are extremely varied and sometimes completely unavoidable. A fall back position for those who have more than a cursory interest in sports, is not only necessary but also an absolute necessity. Consider the example of a rising high school baseball player who one day gets hit in the head with an 85 mile an hour fast ball and loses his hearing. His fall back position of becoming a history teacher may no longer be possible. It is therefore critical, that our education system provide an academic base from which any student can handle adversity and achieve

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