Although the new ruling from the NCAA does not pertain to me, nor to athletes at the University of La Verne or other Division III schools, I can still relate and am happy with the new decision.
The Division I Board of Directors voted April 21 that student-athletes with scholarships can now have part-time jobs while attending school.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Division I student-athlete rules, students who received scholarships for athletics were unable to obtain employment of any kind.
That was absurd. Why should a college or university be allowed to determine whether an athlete could get a job of any kind? It is not like the school owns the athlete, is it?
However, the Board of Directors realized that restricting students from employment was dumb and made a change for the better.
Having friends from high school who are now athletes at Division I schools, I have heard about many of the problems which not being able to have a job could cause.
A good friend of mine, Leah Braatz, is an All-American catcher for the University of Arizona softball team. Although she receives money from her scholarship privileges, what the NCAA gives her does not pay for her entire rent or bills and leaves her with very little to live on for food and miscellaneous stuff. Braatz could not even baby-sit during the off season.
Did the NCAA just expect these athletes to live on what they gave them? Or did they expect mom and dad to send money from home every month? I can see not being able to work during the season your sport was in, but on the off season, why not?
Kenneth A. Shaw, the chair of the Board and chancellor at Syracuse University said, “We are delighted to give student-athletes the opportunity to work in this way. We are pleased with the patience of the student-athletes as they allowed us time to work out the implementation details.”
Student-athletes had no choice but to be patient with the Board of Directors to make a decision and sort out all the details. They have been patient because they had no other choice.
For years, student-athletes at Division I schools have been forced not to have a job. What does that teach the student-athlete who is trying to get his or her degree to work in the real world? If they have not worked for the past four or five years of their lives what kind of work ethic will they have?
Although the Board of Directors has made this great decision there is some sort of catch. They are permitting employment for extra earnings but the athlete has to work within the institution’s recreational unit to be exempt from the team and individual financial aid limits up to $2,000.
Taking the restriction of employment off the athletes is a good first step but there is still much more improvement that is needed.
I understand why the NCAA would restrict the athletes from working during the same season of their sport, however, they are getting paid to attend that school and play that sport, but the athlete should have the choice during the off season whether or not to work.
I know that athletes at Division I schools are by no means starving to death, homeless or in financial need, they should be able to choose if they want a job. It should not be a question of whether or not they should work.
Athletes all over the world who are not getting scholarships have a job, go to school and attend practice everyday and still perform well in games. There is no reason Division I athletes should be treated any different.
As a basketball player I take practice and games seriously. I am there because I want to be there, not because someone is paying me. And if I am able to have a job so should Division I athletes.
I know some athletes just do not want to work and that is OK. I just think that they should have the choice whether or not they choose to do so.
Laura Czingula, a senior journalism major, is editor in chief of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at czingula@ulv.edu.
