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Copyright© 2009, My Question of the Day. All rights reserved.

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Copyright© 2009, My Question of the Day. All rights reserved.

Please do not use any of this content without first contacting the owner of the My Question of the Day blog and asking for permission to do so. Permission will most likely be granted if you agree to credit the My Question of the Day blog as your source. Contact permissions@myqotd.com to make your request.

My Question of the Day: Should people put photos/videos of the children in their lives on non-password-protected websites?

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The Question: Should student-athletes be required to GO TO and FINISH college before they’re allowed to turn pro?

My 2 Cents: This particular question was prompted by the following article I read: Jeremy Tyler’s Israeli experience thus far a failure. It was based on an article originally written in The New York Times: Young, Talented and Unhappy Playing Basketball Overseas.

Jeremy Tyler, an 18-year-old, was allowed to forego his senior year of HIGH SCHOOL (not college) to sign with an Israeli basketball franchise. Now he’s far away from home with a limited support system, being called out-of-shape and lazy and playing on a team of mostly people who dislike him. His father allowed him to do this, so that it would make him more appealing as a number-one draft pick in 2011. Yes. 2011.

Tyler was following the lead of another high school basketball sensation, Brandon Jennings. Jennings, however, did finish high school before going to Italy to play for $1.2 million in salary and endorsements. Jennings, also, had it written in his contract that his mother and brother would go with him to Rome, so he would have a support system. Read Brandon Jennings Sends Home a Warning From Europe for more information. I found it interesting that at the end of this article, several other baskbetball stand-outs declared they would not follow in Jenning’s footsteps, but apparently not everyone felt that way.

Enter: Tyler. Not only does this young man have a long road to hoe in his personal and professional life as a basketball player, according to one article I read he is now estranged from his father, who has spoken out about the kinds of people who surround and “support” his son. I’m going to leave it at that.

The Army allows individuals as young as 17 to enlist and serve their country, but they also now have mandatory personal finance classes for these young soldiers. I know, because the determining factor to whether you have to attend these classes is rank. I was a junior-enlisted soldier at 30, and I had to go to the top of my Chain of Command to be exempted from these classes, and even the exemption wasn’t automatic. I had to show a history of being able to handle my personal finances, or I would have had to go to the classes and learn to budget my pay, balance a checkbook and write entries in my bank ledger. Along with that, supervisors of young soldiers are trained to encourage their young troops to pursue higher education. The Army even has computer-based training and correspondence courses of which soldiers can take advantage.

Student-athletes should not be required to finish college in order to play professional sports. I do, however, wish there were some requirements to help these young people with focus and direction. Not every person is made for college, or even wants to go to college, but some programs should be put in place, so these athletes’ intellectual growth isn’t stunted. It would be nice if lifetime learning was a part of off-season training.

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Take a few moments to check out the tweets from Twitter on this subject:

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PROTECTED TWEETER YES they should. Anything can happen and they may need to fall back on their degree.

sistawithafro No. Maybe require the completion of at least the first two years.

ishadowaddict Yes, because athletics is not something one can fall back on. “A mind is a terrible thing to lose.”

md20737 N

HILHolla no, you go to college to find a career, if you are offered a job then your mission is complete.

YasminShiraz NO. There are bunches of people working jobs with no college degree! And some of them need ‘em!

BradleyHerzog Absolutely they should

PROTECTED TWEETER I am a fan of the “Two-Year Minimum”.this way if their career is cut short by injury, they can go back and finish in 2 yrs…..

blacknthick I think they should because they will need something to fall back on in case it doesn’t work out

blujayy no, i’ve know many people who were not ‘college material’ but had rich, happy, successful lives.

crcpr21  No…it’s a free country, & though they SHOULD finish college, it shouldnt b MANDATORY. not everyone’s cut out 4 college life.

TayByAusDesigns No, ppl accept jobs without finishing their degrees all the time. Student was dropped from their titles that’s all.

John_Hinds No. Although I am a college graduate the students should have the right to go pro based on the age limits of their sport.

Krissy90220 I don’t think they should just like with any profession.

PROTECTED TWEETER nah. i think they shd be required to commit to finishing school though within a certain time period

walkerdl No. However, I would highly expect them to contribute a good deal of their pro salary to their athletic dept

Hadji4ever I don’t think it should be mandatory. lol

fureousangel bill gates nor tiger woods finished college so neither should an athelete.

zconway Yes students should graduate before going PRO can’t be a pro player for 10 year at least have a degree to fall back on

NancyWelker A very big “yes!” The education they get will last a lifetime. Being an athlete won’t!

PROTECTED TWEETER College and sports are career making opportunities. It is a matter of choice by the student-athlete.

TankaBar_JasonD I could see it creating and molding a better athlete. I believe in freedom so it should be a choice,some athletes are not smart

LadyJay91 Yes they should everyone is not going to make that final pro cut. So it is WISE to have a real edcuation to fall back on.

PROTECTED TWEETER I think they should..my sons an athlete..his ACADEMICs is a must..maybe at least be required to attend to stay pro

Inkognegro When colleges are required to Pay for their school in perpetuity, Maybe. Actually, No, not even then.

BLKMGK Yes! They would be better prepared for the world and professional sports if they finish college.

ankomaguy YES/NO, IT SHOULD BE A CHOICE, BUT ITS NOT BAD IDEA TO FINISH COLLEGE BEFORE.

jluntzreport no because going pro is a job like anything else. if you can get a good gig without a degree nothing wrong with that

treschic67 Yes, it should be Mandatory the Athletes Finish College. They need something to Fall back on once their career is over.

PROTECTED TWEETER No we can’t start requiring free choices. College is a choice, sports r also a choice. USA=land of FREEDOM!

Pettra88 Yessss! Especially on scholarship

NightShade10 If they’re there on an athletic scholarship yes, if it’s their own student loans, etc… then no.

sunshine625 No.

PendragonUK it’s only a problem in USA, no other country in the world has such a system. you don’t get into uni just because you play sport

Jubilance1922 if they aren’t interested in utilizing the academic opportunities college provides, they should be paid for playing… it benefits no one to have them pretending to be students when they aren’t interested in learning or graduating

rishaholmes Great idea, but I never see it actually happening….it’s all about winning and $$$.

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The commentary doesn’t have to end!

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