Sound ridiculous? No, it isn’t. And I suspect some players would actually have interest. And colleges and universities could and should play a role.
For starters, a professional career in some sports is short — under a decade. There is an offseason and there are camps — where there could be intensive courses. And, given that many athletes do not have name recognition, their post athletic life will be impaired by the absence of a degree. And, I know one professional sport that actually was exploring this options.
There are former athletes in many sports who have done just this. Some have gone on to graduate degrees. And, there could be a positive engagement between educators and those in professional sports. Why not create this opportunity? We create health care risks like CTE. Why not create something positive like educational opportunities — and one usually cannot be a coach in college or even high school without a college degree.
So, let’s be creative and think about how to make this kind of education happen. Imagine, even, courses in public speaking and rhetoric? Courses in sports management and psychology of coaching. Imagine courses in leadership, or economics including personal finance, entrepreneurship, and franchising. Picture courses in current events and disaster relief and charitable organizations and fund raisers and other issues with eleemosynary institutions. Imagine professors going to training sites to teach professional athletes — might be a prized assignment and one for which many would volunteer (me included).
There are possibilities, with a myriad of approaches. Imagine that: Athletes with degrees. For real. Doable.