Headen 1

Niman Headen

Connie Douglas

ENG 112_08

1 May 2017

A Game in Their Shoes

Just like any other kid, I started playing sports at the early age of three

years old. I bounced from basketball, softball, soccer and track. It all started

in the backyard of my home, playing catch with my dad and picking up skills

watching my older sister. It didnt take my parents long to realize that I was

really good at playing basketball and once they realized that, thats all my

childhood sports were about. Recreational basketball, AAU basketball, CBC

basketball and playing for school teams. My dream wasnt to get a

scholarship to a division one university and play basketball during my four

years in college so I opted out of playing basketball after my sophomore

year.

When I was a kid my dad would always tell me, If you get a

scholarship to UNC I will buy you a Carolina blue car. For a 10 year old kid

hearing your parent say that is pretty exciting. I grew up on watching the

Carolina tar heels and had a strong dislike towards Duke like any other die

hard Carolina fan. I was fortunate enough to watch games live as well in the

comfort of my living room cheering them on with my dad.

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When youre just sitting back watching the games and seeing the

players on television you dont pay attention to what they have to do behind

the scenes in order to win the games or understand what they endured to

get to where they are. On television everything seems perfect. You see

everyone smiling after winning a game and you see sour faces when the

team is losing. Is this because the players and the coaches are truly excited

that they just won or is it because the players get bragging right and free

clothes and the coaches have a major raise on the other end of that big win.

And when the players and coaches lose is it because they are really

heartbroken over the loss or is it because the players are going to have to

work extra hard and have a possibility of losing their scholarships if they

didnt perform above satisfaction and the coaches are at risk of a pay

decrease.

Throughout this semester I did a great deal of research on the

controversial topic of college athletes being compensated. At the beginning

of my research I went in with the mindset that only division one athletes

deserve pay, but as I talked to people I know that play sports at schools

outside of the division one and at preparatory schools I realized that they do

just as much to get them prepared for their games as division one

universities do.

As I continued my research I received information from current student

athletes as well as previous student athletes on what they went through and

are going through while playing a sport that brings in a lump sum of revenue
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for the university and the national collegiate athletic association. The Nation

Collegiate Athletic Association signed contracts with numerous television

companies in order to stream games and national tournaments. The NCAA

brings in millions with the streaming of basketball and football games during

the regular season and even more during tournaments and championship

games.

When I saw how much money the NCAA was making off of the

commercialization of the players and the work they put into the game. Even

though I feel all athletes who play a sport while pursuing a higher education

division one athletes deserve a higher form of pay.

At the end of their senior year in high school, when they sign the paper

committing to their chosen university they cant opt out unless they get

kicked out or get hurt. They bring a heightened amount of revenue to the

university but receive little form of compensation. Of course they receive

scholarships and receive free athletic wear, but where is the money they can

invest? Where is the money they can send their parents, set aside in a

retirement plan, or simply live off?

If it was you in their shoes or your kid in their shoes, would you seek

more from them? Would you speak out in their defense? Or would you sit

back and continue to let the system cheat them? Its time we all imagine

playing a game in their shoes.

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Works Cited

Cooper, Kenneth J. "Should College Athletes be Paid to Play?" Diverse

Issues in Higher Education, vol. 28, no. 10, 2011., pp. 12-13 ProQuest

Central, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?

url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/874652804?accountid=10008.

Karaim, Reed. "Paying College Athletes." CQ Researcher 11 July 2014:

577-600. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Thompson, Garland L. "Pay for Play? Lucrative TV Deals Push a

Simmering Issue into Center Court." Black Issues in Higher Education, vol.

12, no. 3, 1995, pp. 30, ProQuest Central, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?

url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/194207649?accountid=10008