t is a stepping stone en route to a career as a professional athlete, just like an accounting major is studying in order to be recruited by an accounting firm. The lifestyle of a student-athlete is quite different though. A student-athlete must attend practice for 10 to 20 hours per week, travel to games on most weekends during the season, and at the same time, keep up with an academic workload comparable to that of a student without commitment to athletics. But unlike ordinary students without athletics, student-athletes must also many times care for families and spouses. Actually, approximately 24% of student athletes are married, and of that 24%, about 62% have children. Of the students without their own spouses or children, many must care for parents and siblings. The rules and regulations regarding the student-athlete are set forth by the NCAA, which serves as the governing body over college athletics. Most college athletes are not wealthy and among the many rules imposed for these privileged individuals, they are not permitted to carry jobs, receive money, rewards, or any type of kickbacks from any sources other than family.The NCAA does not allow their athletes to hold jobs because the job issue has ramifications on recruiting. The NCAA believes some schools would have an unfair recruiting advantage over other schools. That one school could offer a recruit a better job opportunity than another. There is an issue that jobs in different locations would pay athletes different salaries. Walter Byers, who advocated an overhaul of college sports, deregulating the system and treating athletes like other students says, "The reasoning behind this one is that an athlete at Alabama might not earn as much working in a Tuscaloosa men's clothing store as a USC player could earn as an apprentice stagehand in a Hollywood studio."But really, athletes should not have to work in the first place. While a car cannot run without an engine,...
