Student Athletes Should Be Paid

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INTRODUCTION Imagine spending 40 hours a week on practicing for the next big game and having to study for finals. Then after that trying to find a way to be financially stable. But, how exactly does a student athlete become financially stable when all their time is spent on athletics or academics with no time at all work. This is why the NCAA should find a way to compensate these same student athletes for their time and increase graduation rates. Instead of punishing student athletes who are trying to find a way to support themselves by accepting money from school boosters, the schools should try to help the students.
BACKGROUND
The NCAA or National Collegiate Athletic Association is approaching a billion dollar market value and at the …show more content…

Even though modern medicine has allowed athletes to come back from bad injuries, the effect still last throughout their life. “Every athlete’s career could end in an instant without any warning” (“5 Pros and Cons….”). The average NFL career is 3 years (Koroma). This means that student athletes have the odds against them to play professionally. To use as an example, Chris Borland, a star in the NFL, retired at the age of 24 from his playing career because of the risk of brain injury. He was being paid millions and still, the reward was not worth it. So student athletes being paid nothing have no benefit of playing in college because the need to support themselves outweighs the need to continue their education. By compensating these players, it would increase graduation rates because money is no longer the problem. Even though their career might not pan out in the pros the still have an education to be there for a backup plan. People who do not believe that student athletes should be paid would argue that this is what the student athletes signed up for the sport and the risk of playing is known. This does not work because these student athletes get the scholarship only for their athletic ability. Therefore, by getting injured there is a possibility of the school revoking the scholarship. Student athletes are pressured into working through any injury, which as a result could end up having a long term effect of the student athletes’ body or could make the injury worse. So, if injury occurs, student athletes can compensated for effort that was put in and it would make it so that the risk is worth the

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