Pros And Cons Of Being A Student Athlete

In my opinion, I am able to see both sides of this issue extremely well because I am a student athlete myself. Although I am not a student-athlete in the NCAA, I am a member of the University of Windsor women’s soccer team and have to balance being enrolled as a full-time student and a full-time athlete. In Canada you never see full-ride scholarships leading to a free education and I think NCAA athletes are unaware how fortunate they are to not have to worry about future debt. A quote by John Smith states, “I think we have a responsibility as student athletes. For those who are on scholarship, it’s about you appreciating the fact that you are being rewarded”. During our time competing in youth sports we are oblivious to what the future has in store for us and we are playing to have fun, learn new skills, and be with friends.
As we enter the collegiate level we become greedy and money becomes their motivation. As a result, athletes motivations become extrinsic instead of intrinsic. Personally, I believe that being a student-athlete is a privilege and I use sport as a stress reliever to get away from the negative components in my life. Sport is about a internal need in us that comes from the heart and we need to work for it - it is not always about getting drafting but about your love for the game. Once athletics becomes more of a job than a hobby and extracurricular activity you are competing for the wrong reasons. On the contrary, the way the NCAA makes student-athletes to take paper classes in order to remain academically eligible is