Become a pro in something other than sports.

The NCCA released this commercial in 2010. It helps to explain to college athletes that just because they are an athlete does not guarantee that they will become a professional athlete. The NCAA does a good job in presenting to college athlete a new perspective that should change many of athletes’ goals. The message is that athletes have the opportunity to become professionals in any field of work. They no longer or did they ever have to focus on just becoming professional athletes which has been a statistic for many collegiate athletes. It also shows the balance between academics and athletics. Balancing in the video of athletes playing their particular sport and working hard on their studies shows how it is possible for athletes to maintain good grades while participating in sports. The focus is not just on athletics but also academics.

The Value of Student-Athlete Education

I was reading on a college sports blog about the value of student-athlete education. I found an interesting blog by Melissa Somadelis that talked about her recent visit to an NCAA convention in which they discussed if college athletes should be getting paid? Melissa claimed that the focus is being placed more on the athlete in student-athlete than on the student in student-athlete. I agree with this as more and more athletes are going to college solely to play sports and not to receive an education. Anyone can see that athletics is extremely important to athletes in college because essentially athletics is probably got them the scholarship to attend college. . According to Melissa, "the ultimate reason they are there is to get an education and in my eyes, the value of an education does not have a price tag." At this convention many people were arguing that student-athletes should be paid because they are helping college athletic departments generate substantial revenues and therefore should share in the department’s profits. However Melissa disagreed as do I. The purpose of attending school is to get an education, not to make money. Many student-athletes that are arguing that they should be getting paid are themselves receiving some sort of scholarship, which often includes tuition, fees, books, housing, meals, etc. I feel that many athletes are being given too much power and in a sense they feel that they are above the educational system. I know that playing sports and keeping up with your academics is a difficult tasks but it can be done. So for athletes to be getting paid in college only says that athletics is far more important than education.

Self Assessment

As I began this English course, I began to learn a great deal about my writing. Writing an essay has been one of the hardest thing for me, mostly because I was never really taught how to organize an essay and all of the different rules of grammar. However, going to office hours and giving a little more of an effort, I can see a change in my writing. Also blogging not just about the need for there to be student-athletes has allowed me to expand on other ideas that I have. I also have a Tumblr that I use to express some of my thoughts. At first, blogging was something that I could never see myself doing but since it was required of me for class I began to enjoy it. I am more comfortable with writing and getting my own message out. I found that many people have some of the same ideas as I do which has made me more of a social person. Being more social has opened more doors and I have come upon more opportunities. I am glad that I started blogging and I am sure that I will continue after I finish this English course.

Athletes should make the most of their Education

I read in this article by Dolph Simons that explained how college athletes are missing out on the opportunity of getting an education. Mainly because many are being influenced by how important winning college games is to their university. However According to Simons, “in the game of 'life,' this is far more important than winning a football game” which is true. I feel that many athletes need to understand that getting an education is far more valuable to their lives then winning sports games. However to change this there has to be a stronger emphasis on while athletes are receiving these athletic scholarships. Yes, it is for them to play sports but they need to reap the benefits of being able to get an free education that many other students would love to have. The coaching staff is a great way to get athletes to understand how important school is to them. Just as the university hires a number of well-paid coaches to train and help players raise their skill levels, they can also be used to raise their skill levels in the classroom. I believe all it takes is a little time and effort for this to be accomplished.