College Sports: Should College Athletes Get Paid?

The perfect balance between academics and physical fitness during the growing years is optimized via personality development that is enhanced by the various sports activities. Schools and colleges now optimize the opportunities given to the students to participate in sports competitions. College sports not only raise the standards of achievement in physical fitness, but also enhance the overall 'ability range' of the students. This in turn leads to an overall improvement in the college environment. College athletes have become the regional focal points and promoters and ambassadors of the possible level of excellence in physical education and community sport. They are mediums for extending links between the various colleges and sports communities.

College sports enable the young athletes to share resources, and be a part of uniform development and good sports practice. The rostrum helps the college managements to design a structure through which the athletes can contribute to regional progress. The young athletes get to further choose sports careers and excel in physical education. Sports increase participation in physical education and take the potential of talented players to the next level! Should college athletes get paid? Well, the answer largely depends on the mindset of the management and how the platform for performance is viewed. The very deep-rooted sports character and the versatility that sets in through extensive interaction with other athletes from other colleges are incomparable to any compensation package.

These athletes are beneficiaries of the government's aspiration of producing popular regional sportsmen. Paying them may or may not prove to be the best for all the young students who strive to prove themselves outside the curriculum. On one hand, if they are paid, students who really need the funds could avail of an opportunity out of the grants and concessions that are not 100% receivable due to a number of factors. These factors include the family background, availability of guarantors and even the inability to provide the minimum paperwork necessary. On the other hand, if the thought is vetoed, then there is a possibility of a number of them opting out of the proposition.

The issue is a debatable one and best taken by the management and staff of the college. The various things that need to be considered while looking into whether or not college athletes should get paid include the level of physical education imparted, the commitment of the college towards sports and the club-link strategy, if applicable. The compensation could be extended via dedicated provisions and facilities that could be designed to benefit the students with sporting abilities. Sincere nisus ought to be invested being designed in a way that those with the greatest potential and drive achieve the highest standards of excellence in a particular sport. They should be encouraged and nurtured at the college level.

The question raised in this piece is not of monetary gain, but also about alleviating college sportsmanship. The time has arrived for college managements to work with one another and develop the facilities at hand and the human resources to function as a tripod, with the athlete at the helm. Paying athletes with a view to improving the available learning opportunities and national initiatives is a great way of spelling 'worth'. They are now part of a number of specialist programs that are amply funded and rewarded by the sponsors. Leaving the choice of medals or cash prizes to the sponsors seems the best option to considering if the college athletes should be paid or not.

The adolescent is no more the same as his predecessor decades ago. The awareness towards issues like these requires a forum and awareness towards the desire of college athletes to be compensated monetarily. A sound mind in an athletic body, with a complimenting monetary compensation is the mantra for the new generation college athlete!