Response: Student Athletes

A friend of mine recently posted a blog about student (or in her words "student" with the quotes) athletes and how she thinks they don't deserve the scholarships they're given.

I must say that I disagree with her.

I actually had a discussion about this this week with one of USU's student athletes, and these were some of the points we made.

How are they not earning their scholarships? They have GPAs to keep just like the rest of us with scholarships. And it's harder for them because they are balancing so much.

Brady Jardine and Matt Formisano (two of the Aggie basketball players) told me that they sat down and did the math- they make about $3.20 an hour for the time they spend and the things they do. Between weights in the morning, practices, and mandatory time with tutors, they are putting a lot into earning what they get.

Yeah, sure, they get all-expense paid trips to places, but for the most part they get there, play their game, and then come home. Hawaii games are the only exception, they usually get one extra day. Football is the one I'm most informed on, but unless the game ends after midnight, they are on a plane within a couple hours after the game ends. It's not really a vacation for them.

These students (with out the "") do a  lot for the university. The truth is, athletics have a big say in the recognition of a university. It is the most well-known and most visible information. Even if our teams don't win all the time, we need these people to make a good image for us and our institution, and I think ours do a great job of that.