Are Professional Athletes Overpaid?

I believe that professional athletes are drastically overpaid. We see athletes getting paid millions of dollars just to throw or kick a ball. I mean what importance are they to society beyond entertainment? They aren't.

I think that the athletes being overpaid issue begins in school with high school and college. Schools place an emphasis on sports, making students neglects their studies and grades because it is reinforced that from a young age that supports are an important part of life. Students who excel in sports have inflated egos because the schools are telling them that they are good at sports and should focus on it.

I am disabled and participated in many high school academic activities and competitions. Many able-bodied students also were involved with these activities. I remember lots of times when the teacher advisors for these activities try to ask the school district for our money to run our activities, including transportation, supplies, promotion, among other things. Most of the time the school gave us a limited budget or not at all, while sports was well-funded and received funds at the snap of the coaches' fingers. What does this tell students? It tells them that it pays to play sports more than it does to use one's mind to compete. I think this is the sad reality of school life.

High school athletes see professional athletes on TV received millions of dollars in salaries and the idolization my millions of fans. This makes them really want to become professional athletes later in life and so they neglect their studies and focus on sports.

During the junior and senior years of high school, the college recruiters start looking for great athletes to sign up with their college to play sports for large amounts of money. The colleges bribe the athletes with scholarships, cars, money, and many other perks to go to their schools. Of course, to young people at this age, the lure of big money and fame is a great attraction for them and they will aim for it.