Standing in the batter’s box, I twirled the bat once and placed it on my shoulder. As my heart thumped and sweat rolled down my cheek, I raised the bat and exhaled. The score was 6–6 in the bottom of the seventh inning; our team had two outs and the bases were loaded. With the weight of the game on my shoulders, I waited anxiously for the pitch. The softball whipped furiously through the air until it came to a sudden halt; the ball had crashed into my thigh. I walked to first as the winning run proceeded home. During this game, I was seventeen years old, and still the pressure seemed too much to bear. Is it reasonable to expect children to perform under this stressful situation? Sean Gregory examines this question and much more in his article …show more content…
At first glance, the vast amount numbers within the article can be overwhelming; Sean did this intentionally. By placing graphs, figures, and prices frequently throughout the article, the author forces the reader into a sea of numbers, letting them drown in confusion. Gregory wants readers to feel overwhelmed by the numbers because he wants readers to understand “the cost for parents is steep.” The burden of paying for a child’s sport can drive a parent insane because kid sports have transformed into “crazy costs [and] crazy stress.” Furthermore, an illustration is depicted with a softball player and a baseball player as well as prices of team fees, equipment, travel, and training. Gregory lists very high prices for each component, especially equipment. At the bottom of the image, Gregory notes in tiny print “prices may vary.” Audiences may overlook this detail and assumer every glove costs $250 even though this price represents a small number of high-end gloves, but the higher prices further Gregory’s argument that the youth sports industry is growing exponentially and parents are giving in to the …show more content…
Gregory effectively relates to the parents and writes about common fears they have. “The dream of free college” drives parents to invest more and more into their children’s sports. As kids grow older, they soon feel the pressure to impress college scouts. Of course, Gregory relays the truth about the probability of receiving a scholarship for the top-level college sports. As a former NCAA Division I basketball player, Gregory has personal experience in the recruiting process, and his rare opportunity gives life to the “2% of high school athletes” that play at high levels like this. Sean Gregory accurately and truthfully informs parents about the very small probability of receiving a significant return from expensive youth sports. Gregory’s odds are confirmed by the NCAA itself reporting that on average roughly 6.3% of high school athletes advance to NCAA Division I, II, or III. Indeed, Gregory is correct and creates a successful argument about the outcomes of this
Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. But are they really fortunate? College athletics are oftentimes not as glamorous as one would think. The transition to college is not a walk in the park, but add a rigorous summer conditioning program, two-a-days everyday, and the pressures of coaches you have yet to impress, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Children that are born closer to the age cut off are older than the other kids on their sports teams. This age cut off allows these older kids to be bigger than the younger kids, getting them more attention from their coaches, and eventually allowing them to have a more successful sports career. Therefore, through examples such as this, Gladwell argues that arbitrary factors have a monumental impact on one’s success.
According to the NCAA, only 3.3 percent of high school athletes will play at the Division 1 level and after college, only .05 percent of athletes make it to the professional level. Parents feel that they have invested so much in their child that they expect a rewarding return. The pressure to encourage their child to be successful can be the reason why parents can be aggressive toward their
College football, as an “amateur” sport, produces nearly $3.5 billion dollars a year, but the young men who play the game, primarily African American, don’t see a penny of revenue. Yes, student athletes get tuition, room and board, and lots of Nike, Adidas or Under Armour gear, but they’re really free labor. The world refers to them as “student athletes,”. There are three different levels of competition under the NCAA. Division I, Division II and Division III are the three levels associated with the NCAA.
Ryan Vanderfords’ article published in the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal explores this issue of whether or not college athletes should be paid beyond what they receive in scholarships. Vanderford is currently a law associate at a law firm in Los Angeles, California. He played sports throughout high school and college, so the author can relate to this topic. The payment of college athletes has become a more prominent issue in today’s society then it has been in the past. He argues that at major universities, student athletes help the school generate their revenue and therefore should be paid.
Do College Athlete’s Deserve Monetary Compensation? The importance of college athletics has vastly increased over the last century to the extraordinary level that exists today. More than 420,000 college students participate in twenty-three different collegiate sports annually, a number that is continually increasing (NCAA.org). The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is “a membership-driven organization dedicated to the safeguarding of the well-being of student-athletes and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout life” that institutes the rules regarding collegiate athletics in the United States (NCAA.org).
High school is a mental and social environment of learning for students, enabling for them to expand as the years go by. In high school, sports are a social aspect that allows for students to not only gain experiences but look into possibilities that are future careers. But when do sports start overshadowing academics? The article, “The Case Against High School Sports” written by Amanda Ripley, elaborates on the flawed high school system in the United States which prioritizes sports teams more than they do academics. Competitive sports should not be a part of schools because they distract from academics and cut back school expenses.
We all come from somewhere. Our story defines who we are, what we stand for, what we are built upon. In the debate whether collegiate athletes should be paid it is easy to get lost in the numbers and dollar signs. In “The Shame of College Sports”, Taylor Branch took a step back to evaluate the values and conditions that the NCAA was built upon. Telling the story through historical moments and recounting important lawsuits, Taylor gives a biased rendition and account of the NCAA’s upbringing.
College sports is one of the best-known entertainments around the world. But for the athletes, they are students first then athletes second. For college student-athletes, there are a variety of scholarships and grants to help pay for college or college debt. However, some critics say that student-athletes should be paid a salary like pro athletes would, with help from scholarships or grants. The authors of, College Athletes are being Educated, not Exploited, Val Ackerman and Larry Scott, argue that student-athletes are already paid by free education and other necessities.
Sports What sports do you play? If you don’t play sports what do you do on your free time? Here I am going to talk about the sports I play.
American Sociologist, Jonathan R. Cole, in his article, “Why Sports and Elite Academics Do Not Mix,” (2017), argues that highly selective colleges should withdraw from the NCAA to form their own league because these universities are not attempting to create national championship programs. He supports his claim by first describing the revenue that the NCAA receives from monopolizing college sports teams, then explains that these NCAA athletes are involved in scandalous interests due to their lack of quality education and leadership, then reveals the extent a college will go to ensure their athletes can participate in the NCAA, and finally imparts the deprivation that these universities have with diversity of their student’s talents. Cole’s purpose
Did you know that depending on the sport, students who play sports in college most likely have less than a 2% chance of becoming professional athletes? At middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country, everyone is arguing over whether or not students with failing grades should be allowed to play sports. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our country’s youth, especially the athletes. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues.
Works Cited Eitzen, D. S. "Slaves of Big-Time College Sports." USA Today (Farmingdale), Sep, 2000, pp. 26-30. SIRS Issues Researcher, Accessed 4 May 2018. D. Stanley Eitzen’s “Slaves Of Big-Time College Sports” attacks the fact the college athletes are not paid by using strong language and harsh, but accurate metaphors.
Forcing a child into doing a sport can damage a child’s well-being, physical-being and can cause them to not have any interest in the sport. Research has shown that children that are forced into sports can be affected negatively in a physically, mentally, and emotionally way due to parent performance expectations. Sports is an important aspect of American culture. Some parents value sports more than they do
Children experience more harmful negative impacts, rather than beneficial positive ones, such as being at a constant risk of severe injury, wanting to opt out of sports early, and being under high levels of stress and anxiety. These impacts could lead to children being injured for an extended amount of time, children being inactive and unfit later in life, children dropping out of school, and many other catastrophic circumstances that children should not have to put up with. The opposing side suggests that children who participate in competitive sports experience positive impacts, such as staying healthy and in shape, and having positive psychological benefits. In some instances, these impacts may be true, however families with a child athlete opted for fast food, ready-made meals more than those of families who did not have a child athlete. Also, while competitive sports provide some psychological benefits, it has also been proven that they can cause stress, anxiety, and ultimately, attrition for the young athlete.