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Opportunities for Upcoming Athletes in Low-income Communities
How can upcoming athletes be given better opportunities in low-income communities within the
United States?
Word Count: 2015
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Introduction
In today’s society, it is impossible to discover a place that doesn’t differentiate based on
socioeconomic status. The same goes for upcoming athletes who are forced to settle for mediocre
opportunities regardless of their capabilities. According to Claduia Rankine’s article The
Meaning of Serena Williams, low-income athletes have to “work harder, be smarter, be better” in
order to be successful in the sports industry (Rankine, 2015, pp.1). In a recent study almost 86
percent of college athletes live below the poverty line due to a lack of opportunities. The sports
industry has been supporting middle to higher class level athletes for many years leaving the rest
of the athletes behind. However, lower-income athletes have been predicted to work harder than
those who are born in a life outside poverty (Ferguson & Stern, 2014, p.2). The benefits of
giving low-income athletes more opportunities are there, but the main question still stands. How
can upcoming athletes be given better opportunities in low-income communities within the
United States? By looking at this question through historical, economic and ethical perspectives,
it is possible to come up with solutions that can help increase the number of opportunities given
to upcoming athletes in low-income communities. The United States government could
restructure the federal budget in order to give many aspiring athletes in low-income areas
scholarships that will pay for their tuition. The government can also pass bills forcing colleges to
prioritize low-income athletes for a short period of time in order to bring balance to the athletic
world. Lastly, the United States government could create specialized training facilities where
low-income upcoming athletes could train in order to master their sport, giving them a higher
chance at a professional career.
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Historical Lens
The scarce opportunities for low-income upcoming athletes are not something that is new
to the United States. For the past 30-40 years, there have been countless low-income high
schoolers who have given up on sports due to the lack of opportunities available. Thirty years
ago, the United States had a sharp decline in high schoolers due to a “short-term falloff” in births
(Thompson, 2019, p.2). Twenty years later, there is still a sharp decline in the number of high
schoolers participating in sports due to the lack of both economic and academic opportunities. In
2010, only 28% of Division I basketball players were first-generation college students, meaning
they came from low-income families. This coupled with the fact that less than one student per
seven students receives an athletic scholarship for low-income families means that for the past
couple of decades, there has been little to no opportunities available for disadvantaged upcoming
athletes. However, the number of student-athlete scholarships distributed per year in 2010 was
more than three billion dollars (Thompson, 2019, p.4). This means that although there are
enough scholarship funds, low-income athletes are not able to receive these funds. Low-income
students have been shut out from expensive coaching, travel leagues and college recruitment
scholarships. By analyzing how students have been shut out in history, it is possible for the
United States government to make amends and figure out how to increase the amount of
opportunities given to low-income upcoming athletes.
Economic Lens
Low-income upcoming athletes are at a major disadvantage compared to middle-higher
class athletes due to the fact that they have a low-income leading to a lack of training and
experience. In a nonprofit organization’s report, it was understood that about seven out of ten
children from families earning $100,000 play sports compared to only three out of ten from
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families earning less than $25,000 (Picchi, 2019, pp. 4). With families of low economic
backgrounds not supporting their children due to a minimal chance of success, low-income
aspiring athletes have little to no opportunities to succeed at a professional level. A training
facility for successful high school athletes costs almost $1,800 for 6 months of training. That is
more than half of the monthly salary for low-income families, which is money many families
cannot afford to part with. Without the access to training facilities and financial support from the
parents, it is impossible for aspiring low-income athletes to succeed.
Furthermore, athletic sponsors also have been reluctant to give money to low-income
athletes since they are less specialized. The lack of specialization is due to a lack of training
which costs too much money. The athletic sponsors feel that by sponsoring high school athletes
from a disadvantaged background, they will lose money. In order to retain a profit, they sponsor
middle to higher class athletes. This leaves the athletes that need the sponsorship, essentially in
the dust. With the lack of money, they are receiving, low-income high school athletes give up on
their career due to there being no opportunities available. On the other hand, it is possible to
understand the perspective of the athletic sponsors. If athletic sponsors risked more and
sponsored athletes from a lower socioeconomic background, the benefits would be exponential.
However, this is not predicted to occur, leaving the opportunities minimalistic for low-income
athletes.
Ethical Lens
The economic issues surrounding giving opportunities to low-income athletes is major
however, the ethical dilemmas with low-income athletes are also important to consider.
According to Michael P. Cottinghanm II, a professor at the University of Houston, coaching
biases occur often, especially among high school athletes. In his study, Cottingham concluded
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that the lack of exercise facilities, limited social integration, and overall impact on health leads to
a lack of faith among coaches. This sets off a chain reaction, leading to a lack of participation
among high school athletes which leads to an overall lack of low-income athletes at a
professional level. Though there are potential disadvantages for athletes who come from a lower
socioeconomic status, these athletes also have the potential to succeed if they maintain a positive
coach-athlete relationship through high school (Cottingham II et al., 2010, p.11). If a positive
coach-athlete relationship can help low-income athletes succeed, then it is vital to question the
ethicality of coaching bias due to socioeconomic status, as it is indirectly denying opportunities
for those of a lower socioeconomic status.
Furthermore, it is also important to question whether college scouts should be biased
against low-income athletes. College scouts have been accused of speaking against low-income
athletes since there is a less likelihood that they will be able to attend expensive colleges
(Keating, p.7). In The Harvard Crimson’s freshman survey, 46.3% of the athletes recruited come
from families whose household incomes were $250,000 or higher (Desai, 2018, pp. 8). Almost
half of the recruited athletes in the graduating class of 2022 at Harvard, were from a high
socioeconomic status. The survey, furthermore, was clear to mention that the other 53.7%
accounted for nonathletes as well, meaning that there is a chance that less than a third of the
athletes in the graduating class of 2022 came from a low socioeconomic status. Due to this, there
have been many ethical debates on whether or not coaches and scouts are biased when selecting
certain athletes to support. By viewing both the economic and ethical dilemmas surrounding this
issue it is possible to come up with a viable solution that will be able to resolve both issues.
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Solutions
Marika Warner, the Director of Research and Evaluation at MSLE, stated that, “sports for
development programs have a range of benefits to youth facing barriers…[including]
development of life skills and sports programming” (Warner et al., 2019, p.2). The programs
Marika Warner is referring to are training facilities for low-income upcoming athletes. The
facilities will be funded by the federal government and will essentially train these athletes from a
young age to give them the highest chance at mastering the sport. Many students whose families
earn less than $25,000 a year, do not have the money to pay for specialized training. This
solution has the ability to resolve the economic dilemma of low-income athletes’ families not
having money to support their child’s athletic dreams. According to Alicia Garcia-Falgueras’
article, Psychological Benefits of Sports and Physical, stress created by familial or economic
problems can be released while athletes practice their sports. The training facility gives athletes
the opportunity to escape from their pressures at home as well as those from school and other
extracurriculars. The solution has the ability to work since higher income athletes have their own
“specialized” training that their families can afford.
Though this solution accomplishes the goal of increasing opportunities for low-income
aspiring athletes, there are political, social, and economic ramifications. For example, the
funding required for a training facility around the country for low-income athletes would have to
come from the federal government. In order to raise this funding, the government would have
two options. They would either have to restructure the federal budget causing an uproar amongst
the departments’ whose funding gets cut or raise the taxes on the general public causing chaos
among the general public. Due to this, the general public and lawmakers in Washington would
oppose the training facility to be created. The average citizen would feel betrayed with the
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creation of a training facility as well since this facility would only be available to low-income
families and not to the entire public. Lawmakers and citizens would feel unhappy knowing that
they are losing money to create a facility they cannot use. However, in order to address these
issues, the United States government could reason with the general public letting them know that
the creation of the facility is for low-income athletes since they do not have access to
opportunities the majority of the public has access to. It is an attempt to “even the playing
ground” since as of now, low-income aspiring athletes are at a severe disadvantage.
Though this solution has the ability to create opportunities for low-income aspiring
athletes, there is a possibility that the youth might give up on participating in sports as a whole.
According to Dr. Nicholas Holt, a professor from the University of Alberta, “[the] financial
barriers [of low-income families] constrain their children’s sport participation in the first place”
(Holt et al., 2011, p.4). Dr. Holt’s article argues that due to the financial situation the low-income
families are in, they do not allow their children to participate in sports at all. Because of this,
there is a possibility that few children will use the training facility, even if it is built for them.
This will lead to a massive uproar amongst the general public as they spent a massive amount of
money to create a facility that no one will use. However, the solution is still viable because
although the financial barriers of low-income athletes’ families are preventing them from
pursuing a professional career, the children who participate in the training facility will have a
possibility at a sports college scholarship or even a professional career.
Conclusion
Low-income athletes have the capability to go professional, however, with the lack of
opportunities, many athletes fail at being successful at their sport. Furthermore, there are many
economic and ethical issues to consider when discussing ways to increase the amount of
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opportunities given to low-income athletes. For example, the extreme pricing of specialized
training, bias faced by low-income athletes by coaches and scouts, as well as the lack of support
from family and friends. After reviewing all of these issues a solution is formed, creating a free
training facility around the country where low-income athletes can train. Though this has
implications such as a disapproval from the public and limitations such as a lack of guarantee of
participation, the solution is still viable since it offers students the opportunity to get a
professional career in the sport. Furthermore, it allows for the athletes to receive a scholarship to
esteemed colleges. Until there are equal opportunities given to high school athletes regardless of
their socioeconomic background, a training facility specifically for low-income athletes is
necessary. This issue is present and crucial to acknowledge, and without correctly addressing and
solving this solution millions of athletes will be denied opportunities that would help them
succeed. It is vital to act now and the training facility for low-income athletes is the best solution
to combat this issue.
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References
Cottingham, M. P., Blom, L. C., Burchell, S. H., & Johnson, J. T. (2010). Understanding the
Relationships Among Social Cohesion, the Coach-Athlete Relationship, and
Socioeconomic Status of High School Softball and Baseball Players. Journal for the
Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 4(1): 9-22.
Desai, S. (2018, November 2). College Sports Are Affirmative Action for Rich White Students.
The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/10/college-sportsbenefits-white-students/573688/
Ferguson, B., & Stern, P. J. (2014). A case of early sports specialization in an adolescent athlete.
Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 58(4): 377–383.
Garcia-Falgueras, A. (2015, November 22). Psychological benefits of sports and physical
activities. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science, 11(4): 1-7.
Holt, N. L., Kingsley, B. C., Tink, L. N., & Scherer, J. (2011). Benefits and challenges
associated with sport participation by children and parents from low-income
families. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 12(5), 490–499. https://doi-org.proxygsusful.galileo.usg.edu/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.05.007/
Keating, P. (2011, July 17). Importance of an athlete's background. ESPN.
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/6777581/importance-athlete-background-makingnba/
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Picchi, A. (2019, August 15). Game over: Middle-class and poor kids are ditching youth sports.
CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uneven-playing-field-middle-class-andpoor-kids-are-ditching-youth-sports/
Rankine, C. (2015, August 25). The meaning of Serena Williams. The New York Times.
Thompson, D. (2019, August 30). Meritocracy Is Killing High-School Sports. The Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/08/meritocracy-killing-high-schoolsports/597121/
Warner, M., White, G., Robinson, J., Cairney, J., & Fraser-Thomas, J. (2019). Study protocol for
a 2-year longitudinal study of positive youth development at an urban sport for
development facility. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1–14. https://doiorg.proxygsusful.galileo.usg.edu/10.1186/s12889-019-7843-5/