Student-athletes aspiring to graduate or obtain a diploma are generally obliged to juggle more demands than a typical college student. The number one challenge to obtaining a degree seems to lie within balancing athletics and academics for college competitions. Overall, it can be contended that any chosen path of study will entail its own fair share of challenges.
For an athlete, the pros and cons of going to college are varied, and perhaps need to be considered when embarking on such a journey. Let us now look at the pros and cons of combining education with professional training.
Cons
Let us look at some of the disadvantages of playing sports in college first. Health-wise, along with the pro of staying in shape, comes increased risk of injury. Beyond the physical, another one of the disadvantages of being a student-athlete is that there isn’t a whole lot of study time.
As a matter of fact, in between classes, practice, conditioning, traveling for games, and getting enough rest, the task of studying can feel overwhelming at times. Making the most of any free time is imperative. With that said, and most of a week’s time spent on sport, balancing athletics and academics is a big challenge for college competitors, especially if they also want a social life.
Students-athletes have little to now free time due to constant training. Needless to say, they rarely think about getting an internship in some company or writing their dissertation while studying. Luckily, there are a lot of helpful options in the current age for athletes wanting to succeed in their assignments. With essayontime.com.au, a student-athlete can get help with college assignments, capstones and dissertations to make the most of being part of the NCAA team.
It may also be noted that although athletes do get some academic perks, such as a significant amount of academic support from advisors and mentors, however, it’s still a lot to deal with. At such a young age, many sportsmen have only one goal – to become a pro – and they may lose motivation if the pressure is too hard to handle.
Another disadvantage of the college-going aspiring pro athlete can be the fact that for most players, going pro will never be more than a fantasy. It is known that fewer than 2% of college student-athletes ever play professional sports. The low percentage of college athletes that actually go pro is then another factor that shows the risk in undertaking such a challenge. But, then again, let’s remember about the bright side.
Pros
There are numerous advantages to playing sports in college. For starters, college athletes usually have great health and are quite good-looking thanks to training and practicing! With that said, the more serious advantages may include the possibility to play in college teams, or to get sports scholarships, or to have a secured career option in case of failure on the field.
As for scholarships, not every athlete is eligible for one, but those who are often welcome the opportunity to reduce their future financial debts and get a college education at a discounted rate or even completely for free. Moreover, the NCAA offers scholarships for international students as well, and with all the matches happening all over the world, one will definitely have an opportunity to travel and even live in a foreign country for a while.
Besides, college is a great time to make friends and find love whether you are into sports or not. Frankly speaking, sportsmen have a big advantage of choosing friends here as they can verify in the game who will guard their back.
Apart from that, sports cultivate a lot of positive qualities that will definitely come in handy whether you will connect your life with sports after college or not. Every sportsman is determined and ambitious. They work hard and never lack perseverance to reach their goals. Sportsmen are marvelous team players but they also have charisma and character to lead people on their own.
Prioritization as a general skill is one that many professionals still haven’t mastered. College athletes, on the other hand, are obliged to get their priorities in order. These skills can prove invaluable in the long run, no matter the outcome of the sports career in particular.
Conclusion
Realistically speaking, making a professional career in sport is extremely rare. However, it is important to know that even if you don’t make it to the professional level, you can still enjoy sports for a lifetime, and there are many benefits too, as mentioned.
There are many careers in sports that are not as restrictive, and education is always important, even for professional athletes. Either way, at the end of the day, whatever path you choose in life will have its fair share of obstacles. It’s a matter of what you want the most – and going for it with all your might!
