Athletics Vs. Academics

[ambro 0]

What are your views on this subject? I am in the process of writing an essay on this, and I was just looking to get other's opinions on this.

[kosydar 0]

Academics come first, period. I'm okay with schools offering athletic scholarships, as long as the athletes have to perform at the same academic standard that every other student has to.

[vivaotravez12 0]

Exactly what kosydar said. If I were to award scholarships to students, I'd rather pick an average, hard working, and well rounded student who get's A's and B's in some half decent classes as opposed to the next Jordan or Gretzky, or remarkable athlete who doesn't give a rats ass about school, and has straight C's in study halls...

[all-star 0]

yah i agree with theo, gotta have some backup if you dont make it to the pros.

[NashvillePreds 1]

Exactly what kosydar said. If I were to award scholarships to students, I'd rather pick an average, hard working, and well rounded student who get's A's and B's in some half decent classes as opposed to the next Jordan or Gretzky, or remarkable athlete who doesn't give a rats ass about school, and has straight C's in study halls...

From what view are you doing this...a coach or a school?

[vivaotravez12 0]

Neither, if it were purely up to be, independently, for the sake and future of our ever decreasing society...

[asdfa 0]

academics make a person, athletics make a person great. you can't be great without being in the first place, that's my point of view

[Jackal3688 0]

academics make a person, athletics make a person great. you can't be great without being in the first place, that's my point of view

So youre saying that athletics are what makes one great? That nobody can be great without athletics? How about people that do more important stuff like doctors. Or how about people that are talented with other things like music or stuff like that. Or maybe I just read that wrong.

[Edge 0]

No I think he meant that you can't become great before becoming a person first.

I also think the acedemics come first. Not everyone can become a sports star. The world couldn't be run without people doing other jobs.

[Chadd 916]

academics make a person, athletics make a person great. you can't be great without being in the first place, that's my point of view

No athlete has ever cured a disease or advanced the culture of mankind. They may entertain and make us momentarily happy but none has ever changed how we look at ourselves, our past or our future.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

I agree. Academics have to come first. Academics can put someone in a good position long term, while focusing on sports have too many outside variables and is very risky. Play sports by all means and try to be the best you can in them, but its much wiser to put school first.

Logically, academics before athletics but it always depends of what you live, of what you are going through...

But I've always think that passion should go first...You can't become great in something without passion. Maybe someone can become a doctor/lawyer without passion, but will he be happy doing his job, will he be someone that might be consider special, No. I know some lawyers and doctors that are losers...

Don't do what others say you should do, do what you think is the best for you...

[2048 0]

Exactly what kosydar said. If I were to award scholarships to students, I'd rather pick an average, hard working, and well rounded student who get's A's and B's in some half decent classes as opposed to the next Jordan or Gretzky, or remarkable athlete who doesn't give a rats ass about school, and has straight C's in study halls...

You have to look at it this way: a school will award scholarships to players that will bring it more prestige and manage to fit in with their academic standards for ATHLETES. The standards for athletes are often, if not always, much lower than they are for normal students.

Colleges do have to take into account how much time athletics took away from academics, too. That said, there are some DUMB athlete-students at D-I schools. You could say that those athletes are taking scholarship money away from other students and places from other students, but oftentimes alumni donate specifically to certain parts of a school and I'm sure that many D-I NCAA teams do generate money for their schools.

Now if that school were to take money out of its financial aid allotment and give it to a rich athlete to get him or her to come because they ran out of athletic scholarship money, that would be evil.

Edit-

As per the argument here, I'll always say Academics over athletics. That is, unless you know that you're gonna go pro. It's easy for me to say because I'm a nerd with little natural athleticism, so I've always focused on school, but school will take you places that sports can't because they're so limited or won't because you're not good enough. That said, there is no reason to ever give up on sports. Aspire to do well in school, but make sure to have fun.

Also, about that dream stuff, it's great and winning olympic gold is great, but that type of stuff only lasts so long when a country has more pressing matters at hand. It'll lift spirits for a little bit, but not as much as a peace treaty, new vaccine or new leadership (in a better direction, that is) would.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

academics make a person, athletics make a person great.  you can't be great without being in the first place, that's my point of view

No athlete has ever cured a disease or advanced the culture of mankind. They may entertain and make us momentarily happy but none has ever changed how we look at ourselves, our past or our future.

On the other end, a lot of athletes give many kids, teens and even adults the chance to dream, they give to nations over the world one of the most important thing, the chance to dream...

[bulletproof_funk 0]

Society could use more enlightened people on average, especially ones who end up being role models. I don't like the idea that a "dumb jock" can coast his way through college on an athletic scholarship without having learned the value of a higher education. To contrast, a friend's roommate's friend several years ago was a Canadian Olympic athlete (in rowing?) who was taking a Masters degree in journalism while she trained for the next Olympics. Also, Joey Juneau is pretty remarkable in that he is an engineer (built and flies his own airplane) who also had enough talent to have played in the NHL for a good number of years. These are uncommon examples, but they give some perspective as to what young athletes should be striving for.

[vivaotravez12 0]

but none has ever changed how we look at ourselves, our past or our future.

Athletes do allow us to change how we look at ourselves, and may change the decisions we may or may not make in our future, certainly, no one can change the past. For athletes, especially players themselves, we cannot always look at the sport(s) as mere entertainment or "busy work." Starting with the youngest of athletes, there's a lot to learn in sports associated with life, even the most skilled professional athlete learns something new everyday.

[vivaotravez12 0]

You have to look at it this way: a school will award scholarships to players that will bring it more prestige and manage to fit in with their academic standards for ATHLETES. The standards for athletes are often, if not always, much lower than they are for normal students.

Colleges do have to take into account how much time athletics took away from academics, too. That said, there are some DUMB athlete-students at D-I schools. You could say that those athletes are taking scholarship money away from other students and places from other students, but oftentimes alumni donate specifically to certain parts of a school and I'm sure that many D-I NCAA teams do generate money for their schools.

Now if that school were to take money out of its financial aid allotment and give it to a rich athlete to get him or her to come because they ran out of athletic scholarship money, that would

I know that, and know I can't do anything to change that, and frankly, don't really care. But, if it were purely up to me, that's just the way I would do it. I still think athletes deserve to play at the highest they can, but I believe if they are good enough to get a full ride to college, but for the most part, wouldn't take advantage of any of the opportunities right in front of them, that they should go right to the pros and finish their education after their career if they choose.

[Chadd 916]

but none has ever changed how we look at ourselves, our past or our future.

Athletes do allow us to change how we look at ourselves, and may change the decisions we may or may not make in our future, certainly, no one can change the past. For athletes, especially players themselves, we cannot always look at the sport(s) as mere entertainment or "busy work." Starting with the youngest of athletes, there's a lot to learn in sports associated with life, even the most skilled professional athlete learns something new everyday.

If you base your opinion of yourself based on the accomplishments of another person, athlete or not, you have issues. I stand by my statement that no athlete has ever changed society at large.

Just to play devils advocate, sports can provide a way for portions of the population to band together. The US hockey team in 1980 is an example of that. I just think that it reflects poorly on our nation that athletics is held in such a high regard considering it's essentially just a diversion.

[Gongshow11 1]

chadd id say gretzky has made an impact to society, not only in canada, but brought awareness to the game of hockey down south. not a big socialogical accomplishment, but one nonetheless. At large u are right, but an athlete can change society. plus the '72 summit series, canadian athletes overcame adversity to beat a superpower and become the forefront of hockey and how it is played today

[Chadd 916]

chadd id say gretzky has made an impact to society, not only in canada, but brought awareness to the game of hockey down south. not a big socialogical accomplishment, but one nonetheless.

I still don't see spreading awareness of the sport as a signififcant change.

At large u are right, but an athlete can change society. plus the '72 summit series, canadian athletes overcame adversity to beat a superpower and become the forefront of hockey and how it is played today

I'd give you the fact it brought the country together but it still has no long term impact on the nation or world. To say the impact was on the sport is irrelevant to my point.

[Chadd 916]

While I put academics first as I said earlier, I can see why sports are held in such high regard in the US. Many people work hard through the week and are very stressed out. Sports are something that make our lives more enjoyable. They are a great outlet for many who need to relax for a few hours a week and simply enjoy some down time with their freinds.

I see way too many people that take sports more seriously than their jobs.

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Academics without a question. All you need is one stupid injury in a sport and you are done if you have no brains in your head. You need a college education atleast in todays world to get a job that pays over 30 grand, with the exception of starting a sucessful business but how often does that happen without the person going to college/university. Athletics are ment for enjoyment and passion but not as a way of life.

[kosydar 0]

I think this sums it up perfectly. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/s...p020605s1.shtml

It just makes it more funny for me personally that it happened at a Marist Brother's school.

[Hockeyman9621 0]

I think this sums it up perfectly. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/s...p020605s1.shtml

It just makes it more funny for me personally that it happened at a Marist Brother's school.

This doesn't work for me.

[kosydar 0]

Its not working for me anymore, either. It was a story about a basketball player at Marist College who sold all of his textbooks (that were given to him as part of his scholarship) to make money.

[Chadd 916]

Its not working for me anymore, either. It was a story about a basketball player at Marist College who sold all of his textbooks (that were given to him as part of his scholarship) to make money.

If you're a scholarship athlete there are a number of rules that prohibit you from earning much of an income. Unless you're a great player and go to a school that gives players money (Ohio State), it's actually pretty hard for the students to come up with spending money. I read the article and I don't recall them mentioning other legal problems with him, maybe it was just a mistake.