Do All Student-Athletes Get the Same Privileges

When people think of student athletes they assume that all student-athletes receive the same privileges, no matter the sport or gender of the athlete. There may be a few universal privileges that come with being a student athlete, but for the most part it’s not really equal. In fact certain sports, genders, and even scholarship status’ can affect the quality and quantity of privileges that the student athletes get.

To start off, being a student-athlete comes with privileges yes, we all know that, but at the same time being a certain “type” of student athlete…. Well, makes things a bit easier.

Being a student-athlete with a full-ride can help you get a tutor the moment you ask for one, as well as help with the expense of books. Did you know that student-athletes on full ride scholarships get their textbooks handed to them the day before school. They don’t have to go through the process of going to the bookstore, where there, you’ll find students in isles searching and clawing for the left over scraps of books, along with a long ass line of students waiting to buy the books that they practically lost their lives over. Student-Athletes on full-ride scholarships get it a little easier than the rest of us, but a tutor and some free books isn’t even hitting the surface for some.

There is a big difference between male and female student athletes.

Side Bar: I am talking in the experience as a female volleyball player. I am also going off of what my female basketball, male basketball, male volleyball, and football friends and I have talked about.

So moving on, being a male in most sports is more rewarding than being a female. You get more people to show up at your games, your team is more supported throughout the community. For example going to a college party, being a male basketball or male football player, you are sort of treated like a celebrity, and can get in anywhere. For football this treatment is mostly for the starters, or well-known players, but for a small team like basketball, practically the whole team gets this treatment. Also, on-campus and off-campus security as well as some police officers treat them more as friends, smiling when they see them, giving them high fives, chatting about the season. They are fans of the athletes, and as a result act like fans rather than people of authority.

Being a male basketball player and male football player comes with more perks. I know everyone has heard of the old tale that athletes pay people to do their homework for them. Well this is true from what I’ve heard. Getting homework done is a struggle for everyone, but for some male athletes it can be a bit easier. (Keep in mind I’ve only really heard of male basketball and football players doing this) Yeah its frustrating but what are you going to do. I feel for them, as a student-athlete you don’t get the same luxury of time to be able to:

1. Sleep

2. Get all of your homework done

3. Have a social life

4. And have time for yourself.

It’s hard managing your time as a student-athlete. So although I don’t condone what they do, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t say I’ve thought about doing the same thing, when I’ve been too overwhelmed.

However the same cannot be said for male volleyball players or female basketball players. Male volleyball players in my opinion are in the shadow of female volleyball players, and the same is said for female basketball players to male basketball players. It is not fair. However, female and male volleyball players practically get treated the same aside from the amount of fans that show up to their games and the endorsement money, but when it comes to the school they’re pretty much are equals.

Female basketball players however, don’t get the luxury of getting into any party they want on campus, being treated like a celebrity, and in some cases have someone do their homework for them. Also male basketball players and football players are the only sports who charter their own private planes to and from away games.

I am sure there are plenty of other examples in regards to the inequality of how student-athletes get treated compared to other student-athletes, but I am still looking into this.

As for my next blog post, I am going to divulge a bit into how Title IX evened out the playing field for female student-athletes.