Since I was a kid it was always my dream to play in an arena filled with tens of thousands of people. NBA arenas can hold anywhere from 17,000 to 22,000 screaming fans and to me nothing can compare to that. I have been inside an arena and the excitement and pressure you can feel is unreal. Millions of others share and have shared this dream with me. I feel that professional basketball has pushed kids to be better in school and be better people because to be able to play you have to be eligible. High school sports and the NCAA have done a great job on ensuring that athletes are well educated before they leave to go pro. If you don’t go to college it is very tough to go pro unless you are a for sure first round pick. These select few could end up playing overseas for a year and make some money instead of having to go to college …show more content…
A lot of recruits come from backgrounds with little money and basketball is the only way out. A report in 2013 concluded that around 86% of NCAA student athletes live below the poverty line. The poverty line varies depending on how many people live in a household The most known story is the one of LeBron James. He was raised in poverty by a single mother and moved around from house to house as a kid. Eventually his talents were showcased and he was drafted straight out of a high school. He is now one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. I can speak about this topic from experience because I came from very little money. Fafsa gave me a low amount of money and nowhere near enough to pay for all of my college expenses. Basketball gave me a way to chase my dreams and not fall into debt while doing it. I received a full scholarship with everything from books, tuition and room and board paid for. In return I need to perform on the basketball team and stay
In the collegiate world of sports, basketball has become an increasingly recognized sport among African Americans, predominantly males. The hope of any young basketball player is that one day a scout will come and recruit them into stardom The question that presents itself as a problem to the lucky few who are chosen to go professional, is whether or not an education is more important than a million dollar shoe deal, “The NCAA's (1998) annual six-year study reported that only 33% of Black male basketball players graduated, (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1999). Individually, basketball reported the lowest graduation rate in all divisions,” (Robinson, 2004:1). Basketball players have become so idolized in the eyes of young Black male basketball athletes, that the value of education appear to be less important in the development of these young men, “According to Sailes (1997), there is an over-representation of Black males in particular sports and an under-representation in other segments of American society. He provides the example of percentages of Black males competing in the NBA (77%), NFL (65%), MLB (15%), and MLS (16%) in comparison to the fact that fewer than 2% of doctors, lawyers, architects, college professors, or business executives are Black males.”, (Robinson, 2004:1). The idea of the attainment of a professional basketball player’s salary in the NBA, without even having to go to school for the time it takes to earn a degree is very appealing to some players. Those with a wealthy, or even upper-middle class upbringing may not view material assets as a priority. In the Black community, we have theorized that money and success play a more important role than education in most households. Although these two seem to go together, one resulting from the other, this does not apply in the sports world. Our research will examine the role that the family value system plays in influencing Black vs. White male athletes to turn professional, as opposed to obtaining a college degree before turning professional.
...make time to study, be involved in college campus activities, work part-time and participate in athletics in order to succeed. Not having to deal with the pressures and status of being a paid professional will allow the student-athlete to focus more on the sport than on all the legalities of the sport. Leaning to set goals and achieve them as a student-athlete will help them become a well rounded individual.
Despite the perks becoming a pro basketball player college is a great opportunity to learn and grow as individuals. Alternatively, for a select few, the competition and money available in pro sports is simply to much to give up. Whatever a player determines, he needs to get the decision right. One of the most famous NCAA basketball coaches of all time, Dean Smith once said " There is nothing better than getting an education and developing one's athletic abilities in college". There is nothing wrong with offering the perks and benefits of college, but every scenario is different. The window of opportunity for pro sports is very narrow, and if a player is unsure about his mental or emotional readiness, stay in school. If the draft marketplace shows a player is ready, then they should go for it!
Some people say that college athletes get paid by having a scholarship, but if you look at it a different way, scholarships might change your mind. Coaches try to get players who they think have the talent to make them win and to persuade them to come to their school by offering them scholarships. The whole idea behind a scholarship is to lure the athlete into coming to your school. Scholarships are nothing more than a recruitment tactic. They will give you a scholarship as long as you produce for them. It’s all about what you can do for them. Indeed these scholarships pay for tuition, room and board, and books, but these athletes don’t have money for other necessities. The NCAA doesn’t want friends or boosters to offer athletes jobs because they ...
Being in College can build that strength like I said its an amazing opportunity. NBA scouts love to see you in College working hard. For the simple reason that college basketball doesn't depend on the existence of the pros, but the pros could not exist without the colleges. Not only does the NBA pay not a dime in player development, it has always benefitted enormously from the fact that its best players were already household names by the time they were drafted. It costs the NBA nothing to wait another year or two to get the players and works much to their advantage if they're even more famous when they put on an NBA uniform. A handful of athletes will have an opportunity to turn pro before they have completed their college eligibility. Career-wise parts are, there is nothing better than getting paid to do what they love. And there is nothing wrong with players doing everything in their power to get to the pros as soon as possible. But it’s also a decision fraught with
Abstract: Basketball players who enter the NBA early are not ready for the NBA. Early entry into the NBA by high school and college basketball players has had a negative affect on the college basketball program, the NBA, and the players themselves. Each year the number of early entries in the NBA rises more and more. In 1997, 47 basketball players entered the NBA draft early, and the number has risen since then. The college basketball program is drained of talent due to players leaving early. The high school players that go directly into the NBA are hurting the college program because they never contribute to the college program at all. The NBA now has to deal with a higher level of immaturity and disrespect by young players. College basketball players obtain a certain amount of respect and maturity in college. The players suffer by not grasping the concept of learning due to lack of education. Many analysts say that entering the NBA before finishing a four-year program is entering too early. The NBA commissioner, David Stern, has begun to work on ways to encourage players to go to and stay in college.
If you or anyone else knows a college athlete, especially one who is on scholarship, you would think that they have it easy. Free tuition and room and board; meanwhile you have to work at a part time job and actually pay for your schooling. But in all reality these people earned what they got, because many of these students did not come from wealthy families. According to USA Today, 85% of college athletes who are on scholarships live below the poverty line. So by receiving a scholarship for athletics it is giving them a chance to improve their own quality of life, and as humans we deserve to at least have some sense of self-worth. Athletes get many accommodations while attending school, aside from them going for free; they c...
According to livestrong.com, only 3 out of 10,000 high school players actually make it to the NBA. If you do not get drafted, then you cannot play college basketball and that just ruined your dream of ever playing professional basketball. Though, most players do not think about what they will do after the NBA. The money would be great, who would not want millions of dollars for playing basketball? Though, like I said early most NBA players go broke within five years after leaving the league. On average most college degrees take five or six years to get and how will they pay for it if they do not have the money. They are supposed to be adults and some parents will not help their kids. Some want to teach them a lesson or some just can not afford it. Also, it is their retirement, why would they wanted to spend their first five years back in school when they could've already done their school work when they were there on scholarship and had free
The schools and the league are not the only ones hurt, by leaving school early hoping to make the big bucks the players hurt themselves. In the world that we live in today, if you do not have a college degree, opportunities are limited. Look at the statistics, 60 players are drafted each year, and there are only 360 roster spots in the entire NBA. The chances that each player drafted will make the team is almost an impossibility. Some people go back to school and try to finish their degrees, but most do not because once you give up your eligibility, you cannot get it back, which means most of them cannot afford to go back to school.
Michael Jordan once said “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win”. This have help people of all ages get through their burdens and do something they love instead of doing some negative. For many people basketball has become more than a game, it’s the way of life. The American game of basketball has traveled now, it’s played by more than 250 million people worldwide.
...ame all crossed paths as college kids. Building on collegiate stars gave pro basketball an identity. It allows players to develop better due to the superior coaching staff in colleges. Staying in college will also let players develop a valuable following, which benefits the NBA.
“The odds of a high school basketball player making it to the “next level” to play college basketball (DI, II, or III) is slim. In fact, only 3.4% of high school players go on to play college basketball. Taking it even further, only 1.2% of college basketball players go on to get drafted in the NBA” (Winters, 2016). There are two types of players in the game. There are the kids who play basketball because they are athletic, and all they are seeking to gain is the recognition and awards. They want to be known. Those players are self-centered, they do not play for the team, and generally don’t play because they love the game. These are the types of players who don’t usually go on to play at the next level. On the other hand, there are the players that absolutely dedicate their life to the game of basketball just because they love the game. That is what coaches are looking for in a player, and that is the kind of player I am striving to be.
17 year-old Rashim Lancit was the standard senior at LaSalle High School. His best friends were Andrew and Colin. They played together for their high school basketball team. However, Rashim loved the game of basketball more than his friends and dreamed to go to the NBA. He thought there was no way that he would make it there. However, that all changed one Friday night at the LaSalle basketball game.
College athletes are not forced into playing the sport that they have devoted their time to during their years in secondary education. They continue to play into the college level for their love of the game. And for this, many college athletes are offered full scholarships. Today’s tuition for many schools are so expensive that without the scholarships that some of the students receive, they would not be able to attend college at all. For these students, college sports offer a great avenue to obtain an education that otherwise would not have been available for them. This allows them opportunity to study something that they can use to build a better life for themselves and their families.
On the surface, basketball has a number of impacts on young people. For instance, the boys and girls who participate in basketball learn certain positive character traits. There is evidence to suggest that because of participation, they have a better attendance in school, better grades associated with good behavior in school, and less trouble and rarer discipline issues. In addition, students also have better citizenship in school as well as the community, and an upward mobility orientation like joining college later on in life.