Hard work. The one thing all humans dread but know is necessary. No one likes waking up before sunrise, or working hours after the sun sets. So why do we do it? Why do people work? The answer is plain and simple; money. It is needed for food, clothes, and shelter. So now imagine; you put in all this hard work, but there is no money on the other end of it. How would you feel? Frustrated? Angry? Annoyed? Student-athletes around the world have to bear with this problem everyday. They work hard, while pushing their bodies to their limits, but they do not earn any paychecks. College athletes are expected to balance their school work, sports teams, and prepare for their future, so why should they contribute to their school team if they are not getting any benefit from it? Since student athletes make many sacrifices and give up several opportunities for the betterment of their team, they deserve to be compensated.

One of the leading reasons student athletes should be paid is that student athletes miss out on many academic opportunities because of the sports they play. The article, “The Main Lesson I Was Given As a College Football Star?” was written by a professional college athlete who once played for Purdue’s football team, Ryan K. Russell. In this article, he states, “...and anyone who wanted to take the ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete’ seriously was in for a struggle. We weren’t allowed to take classes past 2 pm in case they interfered with practice. Likewise, summer internships were off the table as they could conflict with training camp” (Russell 2). This shows that as a result of playing sports, athletes aren’t able to focus on schoolwork as much as they would like to. He also states that “anyone who believes we have a free education… should know that it is one that we couldn’t even fully utilize due to our athletic obligations” (Russell 2). This proves that playing sports physically stops student athletes from living up to their capabilities for their schoolwork. Playing sports in college not only holds athletes back from their academics,  it also prevents them from working any jobs or internships. Ryan explains from his experience that “...being a student athlete leaves little time for pursuing any other money making opportunities” (Russell 3). While most college students work a side hustle to earn some money, athletes don’t have the time to do that; instead they are putting all their energy into a sport which leaves them with no financial benefit. Many athletes in college wear their school merch, not because they want to represent their school but because they can’t afford to buy any other clothes (Russell 3). If all the hard work athletes put into their sports doesn’t benefit their future, why should they play?

Not only do athletes miss out on academics, but they also sacrifice their bodies in order for their team to succeed. In an interview where Ryan was talking about his time as a college athlete, he stated, “In my 4 years with Purdue’s football team, I tore ligaments, broke bones, lifted four times my weight a hundred times over… rose before the sun and stayed up long past its fall” (Russell 1). He also goes on to say, “...we worked for our education by bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to our school. And we also sacrificed our bodies - our biggest assets - in our pursuit…” (Russell 2). College athletes like Ryan endure this tough grind everyday for their abrasive training, and they end up getting extremely severe injuries from time to time. Their hard work should not be pushed aside, but instead people should acknowledge how hard these athletes work and give them the compensation they are qualified for. Russell continues to further voice his opinion, as he says, “It’s a fair compensation for what money they generate, and the risks that sports like football pose to mental and physical health” (Russell 3). Russell’s experience demonstrates how hard athletes work for their teams, risking everything, and why these athletes should be earning money.

All in all, student-athletes need to be compensated for the sports they play. They deserve to be paid because of the sacrifices they make for their sports; both academically and physically. Some may argue that college athletes don’t need to be paid, since most athletes already get into college for free on athletic scholarships, but college athletes work for their education by bringing millions of dollars to their universities every year. And even though their education may be free, they hardly have any time to make good use of it because they are so focused on sports. This is why student-athletes deserve to be paid, and maybe someday, people will acknowledge the hard work these talented individuals have to endure, and give them the compensation they deserve.