problem with college sports
The Problem with College Sports
We as a society love sports, sometimes even to a fervent degree. From the super-fans who paint themselves and then endure the arctic tundra at Lambeau Field, to the casual fan who watches only playoff games, the majority of the U.S. population has at least some form of allegiance to one sports team or another. We often fantasize about what it would be like to throw the game winning touchdown in the Rose Bowl, or hit the buzzer beater shot to get into the final four, however the actual lives of these collegiate athletes is much less glamorous than the bright lights make it seem. The majority of these athletes struggle financially due to their busy schedule filled up by a sport’s practice, games, or even recovering from the previous two. The reality is that often times the star player is “above the law”; many student-athletes become used to receiving special treatment, and then struggle later in life when these favors are taken away. Lastly, the students who do want to apply themselves and excel to the best of their ability academically are often encouraged to instead focus only on their athletics. With all these problems incurring during what’s supposed to be the best years of one’s life, many students end up being miserable because they can’t even sleep at night due to lack of food and some other very basic needs that they don’t currently have. While it may not seem like a problem at first (at least not for the student-athlete), receiving special treatment is still a serious problem. At the time, while enjoying the extra privileges it may seem like it’s actually a benefit, yet once those special privileges are pulled many student-athletes don’t know how to react to and overcome the obstacles they face. They are so accustomed to having things done for them or to receiving special favors that without them most student athletes struggle to function with some of the most basic activities. For example, they may receive extra days to
We as a society love sports, sometimes even to a fervent degree. From the super-fans who paint themselves and then endure the arctic tundra at Lambeau Field, to the casual fan who watches only playoff games, the majority of the U.S. population has at least some form of allegiance to one sports team or another. We often fantasize about what it would be like to throw the game winning touchdown in the Rose Bowl, or hit the buzzer beater shot to get into the final four, however the actual lives of these collegiate athletes is much less glamorous than the bright lights make it seem. The majority of these athletes struggle financially due to their busy schedule filled up by a sport’s practice, games, or even recovering from the previous two. The reality is that often times the star player is “above the law”; many student-athletes become used to receiving special treatment, and then struggle later in life when these favors are taken away. Lastly, the students who do want to apply themselves and excel to the best of their ability academically are often encouraged to instead focus only on their athletics. With all these problems incurring during what’s supposed to be the best years of one’s life, many students end up being miserable because they can’t even sleep at night due to lack of food and some other very basic needs that they don’t currently have. While it may not seem like a problem at first (at least not for the student-athlete), receiving special treatment is still a serious problem. At the time, while enjoying the extra privileges it may seem like it’s actually a benefit, yet once those special privileges are pulled many student-athletes don’t know how to react to and overcome the obstacles they face. They are so accustomed to having things done for them or to receiving special favors that without them most student athletes struggle to function with some of the most basic activities. For example, they may receive extra days to