College Athletes: Students First, Athletes Second? (2/2)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association governs college sports in the United States. For the past few years, this organization has been increasing requirements for student athletes. That includes high school students who want to compete on Division One teams -- the top division in college sports.

College athletes are required to make continual progress toward earning their degree. New reforms aim to punish Division One schools that do not graduate enough of their athletes.

Yet finishing college is not always a goal for students who are good enough to play professionally. Is this short-term thinking? A sports career may not last very long, or lead to the wealth and fame that young players may dream of. But there are always exceptions.

Fans of American football may remember the retired New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. Last weekend, he graduated from the University of Alabama. He left that school forty-two years ago to play for the Jets. Now he is sixty-four, but he went back -- in part, he says, because he had promised his mother to finish his education.

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美国大学体育联合会管理美国的大学体育。在过去几年中，该联合会已经增加了对学生运动员的要求。这也包括那些想在甲级队--大学体育最好的队中进行比赛的高中生。

为了获得学位，大学运动员需要不断取得进步。新改革的目的在于惩罚那些大学运动员毕业不多的甲级学校。

然而，对于那些技术好的可以打职业比赛的学生而言，完成大学学业也许不总是他们的目标。这是一个短浅的想法吗？运动生涯可能不会持续很久，或者不会使那些年轻的运动员获得他们梦想的金钱和名声。但是，总是有例外的。

美式足球球迷可能会记得已经退役的纽约喷射队（Jets）四分卫手Joe Namath。上周，他从阿拉巴马大学毕业。42年前，他离开学校去Jets队打球。现在他已经64岁，但是他回来了。他说，部分原因是因为他向母亲许诺要完成学业。