Schooled: The Price of College Sports

Schooled: The Price of College Sports is a comprehensive, thought-provoking documentary that unfolds the complex structure of the highly commercialized college sports industry in the United States. Released in 2013 and directed by Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jonathan Paley, the film features compelling interviews and commentary from significant figures within the realm of college sports such as Kevin Anderson, Jay Bilas, and Taylor Branch.

From the dawn of the first frame, the film sheds light on a multi-billion-dollar industry that has grown around collegiate athletics, debunking the common perception of college sports being nothing more than recreational activities for students. Since the inception of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), college athletics have transformed into a commercial landscape on par with professional sports leagues, creating avenues for colleges and universities to earn substantial revenues. However, beneath the opulent surface lies a series of controversies and ethical dilemmas.

The film centers on the NCAA's concept of "amateurism," whereby student-athletes are prohibited from financially benefiting from their participation in college sports. Despite the enormous monetary gain made by the universities, coaches, and the NCAA itself, the student-athletes, who are critical to the operation, receive no share of the revenue. They are instead given scholarships that cover tuition, room, and board. Even though these scholarships are indeed valuable, the documentary argues that they fall short, especially considering the health risks and academic compromises student-athletes often are forced to make.

Featuring compelling narratives of former student-athletes like Arian Foster and Ed O’Bannon, Schooled: The Price of College Sports provides first-hand accounts of the realities behind being a college athlete. Their heartrending stories underscore the discrepancy between the glossy imagery of college sports broadcast on TV and the stark realities these athletes face, including grueling schedules, injuries, stringent regulations, and academic sacrifices.

In this documentary, Kevin Anderson, Jay Bilas, and Taylor Branch lend their voices, each contributing unique perspectives to the conversation and furthering the debate. For instance, Jay Bilas, a former college athlete and current ESPN analyst, provides both personal experience and professional analysis acknowledging the unjust practices of the NCAA. Similarly, Kevin Anderson, former athletics director at the University of Maryland, confirms the institutional pursuit of commercial gains over the wellbeing of student-athletes. Meanwhile, Taylor Branch, the renowned historian, and civil rights activist, takes the debate further by treating the free labor of student-athletes as a civil rights issue.

Schooled: The Price of College Sports is effectively a profound indictment of the NCAA's double-standards and its failure to ensure the welfare of the athletes who make the organization so successful. It underlines how a supposedly educational association has shifted its focus towards commercial exploitation, disregarding the true essence of college athletics – to facilitate a balance of academics and sports while fostering personal growth and leadership.

Apart from the compelling narrative and insightful interviews, the documentary also deserves applause for its excellent cinematography and deft editing, which seamlessly stitch together a variety of elements, such as archival footage, dynamic graphics, and fast-paced action shots. The stirring soundtrack adds another layer to the overall impact of the film, accentuating each revelation and poignant story.

All these elements work in harmony to underscore one central proposition that resonates throughout Schooled: The Price of College Sports: Collegiate athletics is a multilayered, complex system that needs urgent reevaluation with an emphasis on the rights and well-being of student-athletes.

The film’s strength lies in its ability to not only present the problems but also provoke necessary discussions about potential solutions. It doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths about college sports but instead serves them raw for all to see.

In summary, Schooled: The Price of College Sports is not just a documentary – it's a powerful social commentary on a flawed system abounding with corruption, exploitation and hypocrisies. It brings to light the unseen realities of college sports, stirring its viewers to question and rethink the accepted norms, making it a must-watch for sports enthusiasts, educationists, and anyone interested in the state of college sports today.