Review on The Evolution and Legacy of the NCAAs Amateur Myth

These two authors view the NCAA as a villain. In this book, these authors arguably try to unveil the big pretense and hypocrisy that lies in the NCAA organization. The organization pretends to embrace amateurism, while all they care about is exploiting the players’ abilities financially, instead of providing them with standard education. The biggest myth lies where the NCAA organization developed the notion that the student athletes are amateur which quite the opposite is. This has led to the lowering of integrity of education in many colleges and universities. I will also deeply give an evaluation on the historical accuracy, sociological issues or the societal norms as they are discussed in the book. This thesis will also include my own opinions on the content found in this book, and to what extent the issues addressed in the book agrees and disagrees with my views.

Historical Accuracy The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was first established in the year 1906, and it is located in Indianapolis in the United States. The main goal for its establishment was for it to attract competition and qualifications or eligibility laws and regulations for football and other sports such as basketball. One of its objectives prior to its establishment was to embrace and implement amateurism, therefore this was the basic principle of the organization. Sociological/Societal Issues and Norms Sociological issues are problems or challenges that affect or have a tremendous influence on a number of individuals. Sack and Staurowsky, have extensively and deeply addressed some major sociological and societal issues that are connected to NCAA. The outcome of this issues usually have an effect on the student athletes that are involved.

Since these two authors have majored more on amateurism, these issues and norms are as a result of the organization abandoning this principle. One of the biggest myth as portrayed by the NCAA is that the student athlete is a student before being an athlete. Initially the Association of Intercollegiate Athletic women (AIAW) used to control women athletes and women sports. But in 1980, NCAA took over the work of providing championship to women. With the involvement of NCAA, women athletes were treated unequally to their men counterparts. The AIAW tried to fight for the equality of the female student athletes, but that did not change how things were. NCAA interfered with the women’s sports with an aim of denying them the same educational opportunities with the male student athlete.

The other alternative given by the authors, is that instead of scholarship students pretending to be amateur, they should be allowed to attain professionalism. By this it means that the students should be allowed to earn from their abilities and sign contracts. But it doesn’t mean that they should be allowed to join the big leagues, just earning from their efforts. My View on the Book by Sack and Staurowsky What I love about this book is the fact that, it doesn’t only try to address the sociological issues that are connected to NCAA. It also gives valid and realistic recommendations and solutions to the issues at hand. The student athletes should also be allowed to access the revenue that help to generate in the school.