End College Athletic Scholarships?

Good ol Ralph Nader has come up with a really interesting idea in relationship college athletic scholarships. When I was in college I thought student athletes should just get paid, just like any other student working a part time job. I still rather like the idea but it has some problems. It doesn’t adequately deal with college size and the amount of time a sport requires of students. But we do know that scandal after scandal takes place in the present scholarship and athletic student perks. [Major school athletes can put in 50 work weeks in practice.]

Ralph Nader has a simpler idea. He says, just get rid of all athletic scholarships. Wow! He says this would “de-professionalize” college athletes. Hmmm.

Of course, we are all more aware of this by the recent news of wanting to create unions for college athletes as college employees. This has certainly perked public debate.

Nader believes this would help reduce the “win-at-all-costs” mentality in high schools and universities. He thinks it would lessen player playing hurt under pressure to perform.

Nader has support from the Drake Group, an athletic watchdog organization. Even former head of the NCAA agrees that college athletes should be paid.

College athletics is big business. It is even big business in some high school and even grade schools in the country. Have you ever looked at the football stadiums for high schools in Texas?

Allen, TX

Admittedly I am not the greatest sports fan. But I like the idea of sports and games. We play them for fun and the development of skills and some for teamwork. I learned to count playing Parcheesi. But all too often we see coaches railing at the athletes unnecessarily. Even little league has its wacko parents promoting winning over just having fun. We often coddle our good athletes making them seem more important and valuable than other mere students. We push kids too soon and too often risking the health and long term wellbeing.

I wonder where he learned that?

Something needs to be done. Perhaps Nader has a point. I doubt that today’s sports activities and school pride is any better than when we just chose sides and played and had school spirit with unpaid athletes.

Something to ponder.