The world of sports is a multimillion dollar industry. Around the globe, people flock to sporting events or watch their favourite teams faithfully each week on television. As a result, professional sports athletes receive huge salaries – well above, for example, those of doctors, lawyers, teachers or social workers. There is some debate about whether such outrageously high salaries are justified.
On the one hand, sport is viewed as a professional career, in which the top players should rightly earn high salaries. Athletes train rigorously from an early age to become peak performers in their field. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition. Their personal lives are compromised and they lose all privacy. At the same time, their strong achievements bring honour and attention, not only to themselves, but also to their teams, schools, cities or countries.
On the other hand, various professions contribute to making our world run smoothly. Doctors put in at least ten years of grueling study and internship; their work saves lives. Teachers educate and inspire young people to be responsible citizens: their efforts produce the citizens of tomorrow. Social workers rescue individuals facing physical, mental and psychological challenges: their intervention creates safer societies.
Yet, professionals in the fields above usually struggle to get by, despite their meaningful and critical contribution to the world.
In my view, paying enormous salaries to sportspeople is unnecessary. We need to reconsider our social priorities and eliminate the great disparity in income received by diverse professionals. By doing so, we can build societies in which each one feels valued, appreciated and appropriately compensated for their own vocation or specialization.
The world of sports is a multimillion dollar industry. Around the globe,
people
flock to sporting
events
or
watch
their
favourite
teams
faithfully
each week on television.
As a result
,
professional
sports athletes receive huge
salaries
–
well above,
for example
, those of doctors, lawyers, teachers or social workers. There is
some
debate about whether such
outrageously
high
salaries
are justified
.
On the one hand, sport
is viewed
as a
professional
career, in which the top players should
rightly
earn high
salaries
. Athletes train
rigorously
from an early age to become peak performers in their field. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition. Their personal
lives
are compromised
and they lose all privacy. At the same time, their strong achievements bring
honour
and attention, not
only
to themselves,
but
also
to their teams, schools, cities or countries.
On the other hand
, various professions contribute to making our world run
smoothly
. Doctors put in at least ten years of grueling study and internship; their work saves
lives
. Teachers educate and inspire young
people
to be responsible citizens: their efforts produce the citizens of tomorrow. Social workers rescue individuals facing physical, mental and psychological challenges: their intervention creates safer societies.
Yet
,
professionals
in the fields above
usually
struggle to
get
by, despite their meaningful and critical contribution to the world.
In my view, paying enormous
salaries
to sportspeople is unnecessary. We need to reconsider our social priorities and eliminate the great disparity in income received by diverse
professionals
. By doing
so
, we can build societies in which each one feels valued, appreciated and
appropriately
compensated for their
own
vocation or specialization.