College Athletes

College athletes are manipulated every day. Student athletes are working day in and day out to meet academic standards and to keep their level of play competitive. These athletes need to be rewarded and credited for their achievements. Not only are these athletes not being rewarded but they are also living with no money. Because the athletes are living off of no money they are very vulnerable to taking money from boosters and others that are willing to help them out. The problem with this is that the athletes are not only getting themselves in trouble but their athletic departments as well. Recently college athletes have been granted permission to work, from the NCAA. Even with this permission, their jobs are still regulated. One regulation to the athletes working is that they cannot work for alumni of the school. The NCAA has this rule because they feel if athletes work for people with close ties to the school then they will be receiving special benefits while working. These special benefits include, (but are not limited to), athletes being paid while not at work and higher salaries then other workers doing the same job (Anstine 4). Another restraint to college athletes working is a time restraint. College athletes have very busy schedules they follow and when finished with their schedules they are left with very little free time. Student athletes are required to take a minimum of twelve credit hours to start the semester and required to pass at least nine credit hours by the end of the semester. With this standard having to be met, the athletes are spending hours studying and attending class. Besides from studying and attending class the athletes then have to go to practice. Going to practice and participating takes up about four to seven hours of the athlete's day. After all of this is completed, the athletes are left with only a couple of hours for them to enjoy time with their friends or even to just relax and watch a movie. But, because these athletes are college students and do not receive any money for their commitments they are supposed to squeeze time in for work in. If athletes apply for a job they are limited to only a couple of hours a day to work. Also a large number of jobs request their employees to be available on the weekends. Athletes are not available on weekends because they are traveling with the team to play. Even with all of these limitations, if an athlete is still able to find a job he or she would have to give up time that should be set aside for studying (Bascuas 2). With college athletes not having time to work, money is very scarce. Because money is scarce they are tempted to take money from agents and other boosters. The taking of this money is a problem because it is a violation of the NCAA rules. When student athletes receive money, they are susceptible to being suspended from the team. They also run the risk of getting the school suspended from NCAA play and scholarship money limited. Many college athletics are run as businesses. They are making millions of dollars a year and are not even paying their workers, the athletes. The hard work and dedication not only makes money for the school it also gets the schools name out to the public. When schools athletics are playing well and are nationally televised, more people are aware of the school this will help an increase of applications and other people's interest in the school (Stanley 1). College athletics need a reform. Student athletes need to start being rewarded monetarily for their hard work and dedication. They have limited time to work, and somehow, they need to make money. If the athletes are allowed to receive money for their commitments, then it will allow them to have spending money to enjoy themselves when they do have free time. Also, by allowing athletes to receive money, schools and athletes will not get suspended for taking money that is so tempting to them.

Personal Response With the new research and information gathered by the author for this paper will help shape his final paper. The information gathered gave him new statistical information that was not used in this paper but will be useful in the final paper. Along with the new information, the writer has learned the results of athletes taking money and the punishments that happen not only to the individuals but what also happens to the universities. Also the author picked up new information about the publicity that the schools receive from their sport programs. When the school's teams are participating in tournaments and nationally televised games, more and more people are hearing about their school. This is important to the final paper because it allows the author to touch on how the school benefits indirectly from their athletic department. This paper was very helpful to me and will help shape my final paper. With writing this paper with the cause and effect background, it will help the author discuss the results of athletes being poor and not being allowed to receive money from boosters, other associates, and the school itself.