Imagine that you are walking into your first class of college only to see that a famous NBA player is reading a book right where you should sit. Depending on the college that you are planning to attend, this may happen more often than you think. A lot of NBA stars are going back to college so that they can become athletes with degrees. Why, you ask? Well, there are a couple of reasons at TopWritingReviews where you can also find top writing services reviews.
The College vs. NBA Choice
In the year 2009, it was estimated that there was only a small percentage of NBA players with college degrees. Seeing that only 10% of them actually bothered to get a degree, the higher-ups considered it necessary to raise the stakes. But how did it reach this point in the first place?
Well, the deal is that an NBA player needs to be at least 19 years old and at least one year out of high school. This means that for most of the NBA players, this is an “attend college for a year and then become a dropout” scenario so that they can play in the NBA. And if you think about it, the deal is not that bad, considering that the average of the league was worth $4.97 million in 2011. Even so, considering that about 60% of NBA players end up broke within five years of retirement, it’s no wonder that many want a backup plan in the form of a degree.
Can an NBA Player Try For a Degree?
This is what’s stopping most players from getting an NBA degree – or any other sort of degree, for that matter. However, there are many players nowadays which play basketball during the season – and go to college during the off-season. Such is the case of Russell Westbrook, having the role of Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard. He went back to Wake Forest to resume his studies – a place which he had previously dropped out from in order to pursue his dream with the NBA.
And it is actually recommended to get a backup degree, even if you are a successful NBA player. Unlike the average jobs, most people in sports will have to retire early – generally in their 30s. But due to financial situations, those people can’t stay retired for long. Thus, they will continue to work in the industry as a coach or a broadcaster – or they will have to try a career change. It would be nothing drastic because such changes are never easy. Plus, it’s not even worth it if it’s not to the player’s liking. But even though they may be pursuing a similar path, most NBA players with college degrees claim that they have been previously turned down good jobs simply because they had no degrees. That is mostly the reason why they had to turn back to college.
NFL Athletes – The Same Fight for Degrees
“I’m going to play football when I grow up!” is what most parents hear from their children as they grow up. Indeed, it may sound nice and cute when they are little but worrisome as they grow up. Just like with the NBA, the NFL has the same age-related problem – which is why you can rarely find any NFL players with degrees. It is only after their years of glory that they’ll realize the fun is short lived, and they’ll have to face the brutal retirement from football. Now what? Even as a coach, you may need a degree to prove your worth. Indeed, the practice you had is good, but no one will let you lead or teach if you did not properly graduate from a sports related college, or at least a management one. The same thing applies to being a broadcaster; if you even want to dream about talking in public with the great masses, you will be asked for a degree in journalism. While small companies will let you off the hook, this won’t happen if your aim is to go high up the ladder. NFL players with college degrees have more chances of becoming successful than those who don’t.
If you go to class, and you see a famous athlete there, it’s OK – you’re not seeing things. They need the degree, so that’s why they’re coming back.
