Read the debate intro, Sports Geek’s argument and Loyal Homer’s argument about whether or not college athletes should leave early to play in the pros.
Why do people go to college?
For a VERY small percentage of the population, college education exists as a means to explore the boundless potential of human intellect. For that group of people, the pursuit of higher learning is motivation enough to continue education for its own sake. For EVERYONE ELSE who goes to college, they do so for one reason – to get a better job!
I went to college to get a degree. However, if I was approached during my junior year and told that the hiring representatives from a particular organization had already seen everything they wanted to see, and were willing to offer me a job which paid significant sums of money, I would have left school and taken the job in an instant. The fact is that attending college can help people accomplish their goals without actually finishing college.
Earning a degree in college matters for many reasons. If you wish to be a surgeon, a teacher, or work in some other professional discipline, a degree becomes a necessity. If you wish to play professional football or basketball, on the other hand, a degree is not a prerequisite.
Don’t get me wrong, the decision to stay in college or go pro is a very personal one. If a student has a strong desire to return for their remaining years of school, then by all means, they should. For many people, athlete or not, there is a certain status they feel can be achieved by becoming a college graduate. For others it may be a pursuit for college glory. As Loyal Homer points out, a professional career in the NFL is very short on average. As such, many college athletes will not reach the ranks of the uber-wealthy superstars of professional sports. So, staying in college and getting a degree could serve as an insurance policy for the long-term.
Taking all of those things into consideration, however, I am still awarding the debate to Sports Geek.
As Sports Geek points out, MOST college athletes with professional potential are using their time in college as a platform to launch a potential professional career. If they are able to achieve that in a shorter length of time than is required to finish their college education, they have accomplished their goal. They have earned an opportunity to compete in the professional ranks with a chance for fame and fortune – who cares if it does not work out? MANY people in the world change careers, some do so multiple times, and often changes take them into a career which they are not fully educated for. It is impossible to fully prepare for every possible curveball in life, and so the best thing that a student of any discipline can do is take advantage of the few opportunities that are presented to them.
While I do believe that some athletes are driven by values that exceed simply earning a big paycheck for playing football on Sunday afternoons, I disagree with Loyal Homer’s argument that enjoying a senior year of college brings so many benefits with it that it outweighs the benefits of being a professional athlete. NFL and NBA athletes are just as likely to “get the girl,” and who cares about having drinks bought for you when you have millions of dollars at your disposal?
Loyal Homer’s sentiment may be idealistic, but it is not practical. If a college athlete’s goal is to play in the pros, why unnecessarily delay that opportunity in order to earn a certification that holds no relevant bearing on playing professional sports? When opportunity knocks, OPEN THE DOOR!
