Looking back at my athletic career, I cannot count the times my parents paid for tournaments, uniforms, equipment, doctor visits, clinics, camps, hotel rooms, flights, and food; all to ensure I had the best opportunity to be recruited to play Division 1 lacrosse in college. Every athlete has been through the tedious process and experienced the rollercoaster of emotions that dreaming of playing a collegiate sport entails. One of the most important factors which guided my decision-making during my recruiting process was a school's academics, not just their lacrosse team because my competitive spirit does not only live on the field. I wanted to make sure I chose a school that would provide excellent opportunities for me to pursue a career in journalism post-graduation. I am now playing Division 1 lacrosse at High Point University, where I will complete my Master’s in Strategic Communications and a double major in Journalism and Political Science in just five years. I stand by the importance for athletes to value their time in college as a student-athlete, and to put as much effort as they do into their sport as they do in the classroom. While playing a collegiate sport provides an experience like no other, athletes' primary focus should always come back to earning a degree and pursuing a career after their time in college. Allowing collegiate athletes to be paid through sponsorships and merchandising will take away from their college experience, and place their focus on making money in the short term.
One of the greatest feelings of being an athlete is the high energy flowing through the team before a big game, which carries through the entire day, the locker room, warmups, and heightens just as the first whistle blows. With one common goal shared among every play from the bench to the starting goalie. The fiery desire for one thing: victory. Every second the team pushed through conditioning and cheered each other on during intense practices come down to the moment the ball goes up in the air. But what happens when this flow of energy pulsing through the team is disrupted? What happens when the star playing isn’t on the same page as the rest of the team, distracted from the excitement of representing his or her school at the highest level of collegiate competition because they were too focused on something else? Money. Greed changes people’s motivations and goals and could have a detrimental effect on the entire team’s morale. When an athlete loses focus on “team” and shifts their energy toward “me” it will change their entire outlook on game day.
There is already tremendous pressure to perform each time an athlete steps onto the field, but when athletes go into a game thinking of it as a pay-day instead of a game day, that pressure increases more. On top of school and sports, the last thing that should enter a student’s mind is the thought of playing badly and not getting paid as much or possibly losing a sponsorship. Suddenly, a selfless team player could turn into a selfish ball hog because their priorities shift from team to me when money is the incentive for outstanding performance, not representing your school. So many athletes see their sport as an escape from worry, judgment, family issues, financial burdens, and time spent with your teammates is irreplaceable, shaping the character of every player. Athletes are successful on and off the field because the tenacity it takes to be a college athlete becomes an instinct, and carries over into all aspects of life. The work ethic athletes have will serve them well as they continue to learn and focus on their future. The future they will earn from a degree, no matter what sport got them there.
For more information on this topic, visit this link for an interesting read, or the NCAA website!
-> https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/board-governors-moves-toward-allowing-student-athlete-compensation-endorsements-and-promotions
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