The question, "Are athletes overpaid?" stems more than just that one simple question. Within this question, one is also asking, "How much, on average, is an athlete paid," and also, "Why are athletes paid so much in the first place?"These questions can be answered by numbers and statistics, but most of the time do not take into account the countless sponsorships and endorsements that some athletes receive. It is absolutely incredible the amount of money that athletes receive for playing a sport. But, we have to remember, these sports are the athletes' actual jobs. This, although in a different manner, is the same as a businessman attending meetings, or sitting in his office signing the next project into action. This is a job, and even a career for many athletes. The pay, however, is much different than what most employees receive. Paying an athlete can be very expensive for any league. For example, Albert Pujols, first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels, signed a $254 million, ten year, deal in 2011 (Matthews). If this $254 million is broken down over 10 years, this ends up being $25,400,000 a year. With 162 games in a regular season in Major League Baseball, this ends up being $156,790 a game. Per out, Pujols makes $5,807. This amount is staggering and leaves most people angry, resentful, and in question of these athletes. And this amount is still not including any endorsements, sponsorships, or any outside deals that may not even involve their league. 

Most individuals would question the amount of money that is presented, compared to the average American citizen, who makes $46,000 a year (Social Security Agency), and they would be very quick to become envious and angry. What they do not see are the countless hours of work put in by these athletes every minute of every hour of every day. It is more than amazing to see what the athletes put themselves through just to play a game. However, these athletes do not see their job as just a game. These games are a lifestyle, therefore the athletes treat them as such. The work put in on a day to day basis by most athletes will blow the mind of an average everyday citizen, and a lot of people would say that it is silly to work so hard at just a game. While outsiders do not understand the unimaginable amount of money athletes receive, the athletes' work ethic, talent, and charity work off the field are only a few reasons they deserve every dollar they earn. 

Albert Pujols is one of hundreds, maybe thousands, of athletes that are paid millions of dollars to play a sport. Along with Pujols, MVP basketball player Paul Pierce is also being paid millions of dollars to "just play a sport." However, that outlook, which most individuals possess, is wrong, and there is strong evidence to prove it. Tim Keown, senior writer for ESPN Magazine, states, "And by extension it struck me that moments like Pierce diving for a ball are the kinds of things we rarely acknowledge because we choose instead to focus on the millions the players make and the women they get and the lives they lead rather than the grinding hard work it takes to get there, stay there and excel." Keown, while at a Celtics practice, witnessed Paul Pierce diving for a ball to recover it. This effort may be seen in a game on a regular basis, but Keown was caught off guard when Pierce, an MVP, dove for a loose ball during practice. What Keown explains, in his own style, is that while the fans only see the games that athletes play, they lack the knowledge of all the endless work that goes in along with every single game that is played.The fans do not see the endless hours that athletes put in, on and off the field. This includes exercise, diet, practice, and mental preparation. 

While everything Keown says is true, he fails to mention the work that athletes do off the field. Keown's argument is that while athletes are not underpaid, they are also not overpaid. The amount of work an athlete does is equivalent, or even more than a "9 to 5" job. However, most 9 to 5 jobs are not asking you to be in shape, run full speed, catch a ball, kick a ball, hit a puck, serve accurately, make a three pointer, and so on. And these are only few examples of dozens of sports. These athletes work almost the same hours, if not more, than most do. The countless 6 AM, or earlier, workouts, weightlifting, running, and skill-work adds up when discussing the amount of hours an athlete works.These games are not just games, they are lifestyles to the athletes. The athletes eat, sleep, and breathe their sports. Time is money, and the athletes at the highest level sure do put in that time to earn the big dollars. This goes to show that the players' work ethic is worth the pay. 

While professional athletes work harder than what the public sees, their talent level is that much more incredible. Because of their determination to be the best they can be, professional athletes put themselves at an amazing standard which very few reach. According to Mike Rosenbaum, MLB Prospect lead writer, only less than one percent of high school baseball players actually make it to the Major Leagues. This statistic goes to show just how special these athletes have to be to actually make it to the big leagues. This talent level is not simply worked for. While one can practice his or her whole life, he or she may never reach the level of talent it takes for that sport to become a job. Tim Notke, a high school basketball coach in Indiana, made one of the best statements on the subject when he said, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." While the philosophy behind Notke's quote is excellent, there are a good bit of athletes that work very hard, day and night, and never see their opportunities at the highest level of their sports. Some of this is due to injury, however, some just do not have the talent level that it takes to get to the highest level in a sport. It takes a very special, dedicated individual to make it to the highest level in a specific sport, and that person is often paid higher than those who don't make it, or who are not professional athletes. This talent level is outstanding, and deserves to be rewarded by the best pay possible. 

Sure, professional athletes get paid a lot. And even then, that is just a crazy understatement. According to David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, "Professional athletes are among our nation's highest-paid employees." Carter, in his article, "Federal Tax Bill for MLB, NFL, and NBA players is $3 billion," goes on to talk about how much athletes actually have to give in taxes. The players of these leagues, combined, are paying $3 billion. This money, in tax dollars, is going strictly to the government. However, some athletes also give money where most outsiders least expect it. It is what some of these athletes do with this money that catches a lot of individuals off guard. Clayton Kershaw, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is one of the highest paid athletes in Major League Baseball. While Albert Pujols was mentioned earlier, Kershaw signed a 7 year deal for $215 million. When doing the math, this contract is even larger than that of Albert Pujols. This is an unimaginable amount of money for that amount of time. What may make one stop and look at Kershaw differently, however, is how he actually uses his income. While most athletes use their money for themselves, basking in luxury cars, ridiculous mansions, clothes that can only be seen in Hollywood, Kershaw spends his money in a different way. While he is neither struggling when he wakes up every morning, a good bit of Kershaw's money goes to something other than himself. And that is what makes him, and his income, stand out when it comes to the amount of money that athletes are paid. 

In 2010, Clayton Kershaw became the husband to Ellen Melson. According to David Epstein, senior writer for Sports Illustrated,  when marrying his wife, Ellen, Clayton Kershaw was unaware of his wife's spiritual connection to a child she had met while on a mission trip in Zambia. A young girl named Hope changed their lives forever. This girl affected Ellen spiritually and emotionally so much that Ellen and Clayton wanted to do something, anything, to help Hope, as well as many other children that are affected by the awful conditions in Zambia. The Kershaws did just that. In 2013, the Kershaw's dream was put into reality as The Arise Home was built.This orphanage now holds nine children, from infants, to the oldest of 16. The Kershaws, according to Epstein, made it so that these children can stay in The Arise Home until the completion of high school. 

Soon after the starting of the orphanage, the Kershaws found out about how Zambia had steep municipal water rates. This led Clayton and Ellen to build the orphanage its own well. While these projects seem very extensive and expensive, these are only a few ways that the Kershaw family has used their blessings in resources to better others. While Clayton Kershaw makes over $30 million a year on his current contract, a good chunk of his income goes to charities. For example, whenever Clayton Kershaw records a strikeout, he donates $100 to The Kershaw Challenge, another charity of his. The Kershaw Challenge directly funds The Arise Home in Zambia.  In 2015, Kershaw recorded 397 strikeouts. That is $39,700 that he donated. One could say that Clayton Kershaw is certainly an outstanding steward of his money.

While Clayton Kershaw is using his money in ways to affect the world around him in a positive way, he is not the only professional athlete that does so. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of athletes with their own charities. These athletes are using their money other than to purchase the best new merchandise. However, the outlook that modern society has on professional athletes is biased. Our social networks focus on the negative aspects of athletes' lives instead of positive aspects. Because most see things like Floyd Mayweather's Instagram, where he flashes his newest foreign sports car or diamond incrusted watches, they have no respect for athletes as a whole. Society only sees those who succeed to further themselves and not those who succeed and allow others to succeed because of their great accomplishments. 

Being a college athlete, I have noticed that the question arises about whether or not collegiate athletes should be paid. This question is on the front of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) agenda. While there is talk of actual monetary payment, I find it almost invading that athletes would ask for more than an athletic scholarship. While we put in some of the same work that professional athletes do, our job is still to do well in the classroom, and on the field. These scholarships are provided from the university, wherever the athlete is attending, straight to the athlete. 

Compared to NCAA Division 1 football, which receives 100 scholarships per team, NCAA Division 1 baseball only gets 11.7 scholarships. Due to the fact that most schools carry a 35-man roster, these scholarships have to be divvied up among most of the players. There are 8 walk-on players, which means these players do not receive scholarship money but are still part of the team, nonetheless. However, the other 27 positions on the roster are on scholarship. This simply means that the athletes are receiving financial aid to attend school at whichever university they choose. With 11.7 scholarships, if divided among 35 players, each player receives .33 percent of a scholarship. However, this is not how the system works. The players are given a percentage of scholarship based on how well they perform in the years prior to coming to school. Therefore, some baseball players are getting less money than others. Although the NCAA grants these 11.7 scholarships, these baseball players have to pay what the scholarships do not cover. The NCAA is questioning whether or not athletes really should be paid, and what this may look like if they do make this decision (Bush). While some see this as beneficial, as mentioned before, these collegiate athletes are already being paid. Their school is being paid for through these scholarships. And most of these scholarships even include payment for housing, food, parking, and tuition, which is not cheap. So in a way, college athletes are already being paid for the endless work they do every day.

The difference between a college athlete and a professional athlete is simply the way that these individuals are paid. While professional athletes sign million dollar contracts, college athletes sign scholarships for thousands of dollars to strictly pay for their school. So while this money is not in the pockets of these college athletes, it is paying for what they need, and more. Although these college athletes do not have extra dollars to donate to charities, they do have enough to purchase food, housing, and meet other needs. Yes, college athletes are required to do community service, however, it is not to the extent of the professional athletes that volunteer their time and millions of dollars to further the lives of others. Professional athletes take pride in their community service, while some college athletes find these services burdening. This is one of many reasons professional athletes deserve their pay. 

Professional athletes, and athletes as a whole, are paid exactly what they need to be to be successful, on and off the field. These athletes are a special breed of human beings, and they will compete at some of the highest levels of competitive sports. Some athletes will be paid more than others, and some will be paid the bare minimum. However, athletes are paid according to their talent level and how well they compete and execute at their job every single day. This is what those huge numbers are based upon. And those huge numbers are not always taken advantage of, like those of modern society predict. 

All athletes do not abuse the money that is given to them, as seen with Clayton Kershaw. However, that is the way that society labels athletes, and it is completely and utterly wrong. Although most professional athletes do not struggle to pay bills, and pay for food, a lot of athletes are using their money for something bigger than the best pair of shoes or the best car that they can buy. Athletes are seen as stuck up, money wasting individuals, when in fact, they are doing more for bettering the society than most people really are. There are athletes that spend millions of dollars to the benefit of those who cannot even afford three meals a day. 

While most do not have the type of money to give any away and even start their own charities, athletes do. And it is because of some of these athletes that those who are underprivileged become successful. While we see athletes as just some individuals playing games, there are some, if not over half of, professional athletes that use their money in such a way that it benefits someone besides themselves. Therefore, the athletes' efforts that are not seen off the field that affects their play on the field is worth every dime. The athletes use their talents to serve. But, it is because of the athletes' work ethic, talents, and work done off the field that they deserve the millions of dollars. The athletes earn and utilize every bit of it. 

