Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Dige

[Shawn Roth <ufpdev!shawnr@uunet.uu.net>]

Well, I have a few problems with this.  First, there is already a PE major in
college, and some (not all) althletes choose this route to make college life
easier.  PE isn't exactly easy, but it isn't rocket science.  Second, college
isn't in place to be basketballs (or any sports) minor leagues.  That may seem
to currently be the case, but that was never and should never be the case.
Plus, if an athlete is taking scholarship funds from someone studing academics,
then the athlete better be willing to study hard as well as play in the sport.

I really don't think that we want to give away college to those athletes who
wish to play their sport for 4 years and then would have to come back for 4
more to get a degree.  Many athletes currently get there degrees in diffcult
majors while still competing at a high level in their sport.  The Michigan
Hockey team comes to mind.  A couple of the players from the National champion
Hockey team where studing very difficult subjects (Pharmicology, Biology,
etc.), and doing quite well.  I realize hockey isn't football or basketball,
but it was just an example.

I would prefer that a person go to college with the intent to get a degree
first and play a sport second.  I realize this is far fleged, but I can dream.
A minor league system (i.e. baseball) should be put in place to give people a
chance to skip college if they don't want to apply themselves in the academic
areas.  This secondary basketball league that is starting up soon is a great
idea.  The CBA teams should associate themselves with NBA teams in order to
create a minor league system that would help fringe players and future NBA
stars with there skills until such a date where they could advance to the
parent team. 

Just my thoughts,

Shawn

> The proposed solution:
> 
> 1) Seperate the sport from the academic side of college, ie some people go
> to 
> college to study Medicine, others Law or Libral Arts etc, some people go to 
> college to study their sport.  Instead of forcing people to study basket 
> making between practice sessions and games, get them studying their game - 
> eg  Tactics, basic physical education, basic physiotheripy, history of the 
> sport etc.  In short, give them skills that will be useful to them as
> players 
> and could help them get related jobs (eg coach, PE teacher etc) if they
> never 
> make it to the big time or for after their carrer has ended.  Hopefully many
> 
> players will find such courses interesting as well as useful. Some people 
> will still find this a turn off, so let them concentrate more on their game 
> and less on the theory - remember, they are performing a service for the 
> college every time they help to win a game.
> 
>  
> 2) For those that want to concentrate on their sport(s), but also want an 
> academic education, give them vouches or something similar, allowing them to
> 
> come back and try a more academic degree after their sporting life is over.
> 
> In this way, people who have the smarts and the sporting skills have a
> chance 
> to excel at both, rather than having to choose one or the other, or possibly
> 
> risking being mediocre at both.
> 
> 
> 3) With the extra time spent on the game, some game related skills that will
> 
> both benifit people while playing the game and possibly after, and the 
> prospect of getting that education thing if the sport thing doesn't pan out,
> 
> is cut short etc, hopefully more sporting people will be encouraged to go to
> 
> and stay in college, and the standard of rookie will be improved by the
> extra 
> experience and skills.
> 
> 
> OK, so this is our solution, what do those of you who are actually familiar 
> with the American college system have to say / suggest ?
> 
> 
>             Have fun,
> 
>                         David N.