BrookSpeak

Do student athletes receive special privileges? Here at Pebblebrook, I personally don’t believe that athlete apathy applies for grading, as far as I can tell teachers do not extend special privileges to student athletes, but as far as treatment I do believe some athletes receive a certain amount of gratitude.

A constant rumor of athletes getting special privileges has become the prevailing conversation of sports. For example you see an athlete in the lunchroom, and he or she is being served an extra portion of food for the simple fact that many recognize him or her as being a student athlete. Athletes indeed earn the praise in glory for the game, but the thing that puzzles me is that some academic students don’t receive that same glory.

The bickering of students in the hallways producing gossip about athletes receiving a boost on their grades because of the fact that they are athletes has become a debatable factor in the definition of sports.

Alumni are a huge factor for colleges to receive financial assistance, and over all support to the university. In college, alumni crave for the winning team in sports for bragging rights. They want the knowledge of knowing that they graduated from a school, which does well in sports.

The admissions offices feel the exhausting pressures from the athletic department to lower their standards so these athletes can be admitted into the school. This brings the morality of the school down.

There have been allegations of professors and teachers even in high school being pressured into raising student’s grades, so they can continue to play sports.

However, the school’s responsibilities are to do more than just cheer for the team, but to produce a greater perception of their student athletes. Schools have to take the higher road to get rid of the stereotype of the idiot jock that does no class work, but receives all of the glory, because he plays the game well.

The student athlete has the same responsibilities as any of his fellow classmates to do the work to receive the grade. As well as the teachers have the responsibility to not treat one student better than the other, because one student is an athlete.

As far as monetary values that college athletes receive without doing anything to earn it can become a major issue as well; some may say that these athletes deserve the cars, and money that are distributed as a persuasion to get athletes to go to their schools.

It is shocking to know that school officials do these things to get high school athletes to attend their school! An athlete’s diversion of getting more because of their gift of athleticism is becoming more and more apparent.

A student athlete receiving free clothing, shoes, and being offered advertising deals with agents before even graduating high school in some states is obvious. Do athletes earn their right to earn special privileges, or is it just another triumph for a person that is unworthy?