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Why College Athletes Should Get Paid Essay

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Athlete’s Workload Demands Payment:
I played collegiate basketball for an NAIA D2 school. My experience may not have been comparable to an athlete at a large NCAA division I school like Duke University, but I was able to carve out a good career that included Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors as well as an All-American Honorable Mention. During a typical day, I would wake up around 6:00 a.m., go to the gym, get an individual workout in, grab breakfast, go to classes, study film, hit the gym again for practice, workout in the weight room, followed by stretching and an ice bath, then home for dinner and studying for a 16-credit course load. On top of this schedule I worked 20 hours a week to help minimize the amount of loans that I had to take out for rent, food, and other expenses. I did receive a full ride scholarship that covered tuition and room and board. However, on campus life at a small school is not for everyone so I elected to live off campus my last two years which is not covered by scholarship so I needed to take out a student loan.
Non-athletes are often unable to sympathize with athletes because much of the athlete’s work is done out of the public spotlight. The world outside of the gym doesn't …show more content…
The report concludes (among other things) that 86 percent of college athletes live below the poverty line, the average out of pocket expenses for each full scholarship athlete (there are partial scholarships awarded in many NCAA sports) was approximately $3,222 per year during the 2010-11 school year, and the fair market value of the average Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I) football or basketball player was $121,048 and $265,027 respectively. These shocking numbers make it no surprise that some of the top college athletes are caught accepting illegal handouts from agents or school boosters just to make it

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