VOA教育报道2022--美国大学的外国运动员找到赚钱的方法

Foreign Athletes at US Colleges Find Ways to Make Money

Rule changes that took effect last year mean that athletes competing for American colleges and universities can make money through deals with businesses and products. Before the rule changes, an athlete could not keep an athletic¹ scholarship or compete collegiately if they took money.

But international athletes are unsure about their ability to cash in. Many foreign athletes competing in the NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association², cannot earn money unless they go to their home country to do it.

That includes athletes like Lou Hedley. He is from Australia. Hedley is a kicker on the football team at the University of Miami in Florida.

Many of the players on Hedley's team are making money by doing things like promoting products on their Instagram accounts. That money comes their way thanks to a 2021 decision by the U.S. Supreme³ Court. It permitted college students to use their name, image and likeness⁴ – also called NIL⁵ – to earn money.

Hedley is attending college in the U.S. on a special student visa known as F-1. People on student visas are not permitted to make money while attending school in the U.S.

Observers⁶, however, say there is still a way for Hedley to earn money. They say foreign athletes can travel to their home country and do things like take photos and record videos that can be used to sell a product.

So Hedley took the long flight home to Australia. He did not say exactly how much money he expects to make, but noted⁷ the amount is similar to what his teammates earn. The teammates have said they make about $50,000.

"It's a pain," he said, speaking of the long trip home, "but it's all worth it."

Hedley recorded videos and took photos for a company called LifeWallet, a healthcare information company run by a Miami sports fan.

Hedley said, "I deserve⁸ to get a little bit of money," because of his efforts on the football team over the last two years.

He said he did not break any of the rules. He gets paid in Australian money and did not sign any documents until he made it home.

Foreign athletes in other college sports are following Hedley's example. They include Mustapha Amzil, who is from Finland. He plays basketball at the University of Dayton in Ohio. He recently said he will be looking for work opportunities when he is in Finland this year to play games with his national team.

Some foreign college athletes, however, are not as sure about cashing in on their fame. They are worried that taking money for talking about products might cause their visa to be canceled. That is because the rules about NIL deals are not clear for foreign students.

Schools including Drexel University in Pennsylvania and West Virginia University have asked their foreign students to stay away from NIL deals for now.

"There is a ton of ambiguity," said Casey Floyd. He is co-founder of NOCAP Sports, a company that helps students find NIL deals. He said the rules should be clearer.

But other schools, like the University of Nebraska, are not waiting. Australians Jaz Shelley and Isabell Bourne both play on Nebraska's women's basketball team. As soon as Shelley and Bourne arrived in Australia recently, the university tweeted: "International NIL made possible!"

Administrators⁹ at the University of Florida told their athletes to be sure they could prove they were in their home countries if they signed any documents that resulted in money. They were told, for example, to make sure their passports got stamped.

Sarah Loicano is a spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement¹⁰. She said the U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which permits the international students to come on visas, "continues to assess," the NIL issue.

One athlete who would like to see the questions answered quickly is Oscar Tshiebwe of the Democratic¹¹ Republic of Congo. He is a basketball player at the University of Kentucky. Tshiebwe won the sport's best player award last season.

Instead of choosing to leave school this summer to become a professional basketball player, he said he would go back to school this autumn. If he is permitted to make money from an NIL deal, he could bring in over $1 million.

Tshiebwe recently met with Mitch McConnell, one of the most powerful U.S. senators¹². McConnell, a Republican¹³, represents Kentucky.

Tshiebwe discussed the problem international students face with the visa rules. The F-1 visa traditionally keeps foreign students from doing anything but schoolwork. If that changes, however, it may make coming to the U.S. more appealing for many young international athletes.

Words in This Story

athlete- n. a person who is trained in or is good at sports

scholarship- n. money given for the purpose of attending school

cash in – phrase. to obtain money in return for something you own or a skill you have

promote– v. to talk positively¹⁴ about something new that needs support

likeness– n. a person's face or photo or a creation¹⁵ that is clearly representative of them

deserve– v. used to say someone should be given something, either positive or negative

opportunity- n. a chance to do something

ambiguity- n. something that is not clear

stamp- v. the act of hitting a piece of paper with ink or pressure in order to produce a mark

assess- v. to look over a situation or make a judgment

1 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

2 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

5 nil   

n.无，全无，零

参考例句：

• My knowledge of the subject is practically nil.我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。
• Their legal rights are virtually nil.他们实际上毫无法律权利。

6 observers   

n.观察者( observer的名词复数 )；遵守者；观测者；目击者

参考例句：

• According to observers, the plane exploded shortly after take-off. 据目击者说，飞机起飞后不久就爆炸了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 deserve   

vt.应受，值得；vi. 应受报答，值得受赏

参考例句：

• You really deserve a good beating,you naughty boy.你这个调皮孩子真该打。
• I do not deserve all the praises bestowed upon me.我不配得到这些赞扬。

9 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

10 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

11 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

12 senators   

n.参议员( senator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When the senators vote, the ayes will have it. 参议员投票时，投赞成票的人将占多数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The committee concluded that the senators had engaged in improper conduct. 委员会断定议员们从事了不正当活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 republican   

n.拥护共和政体的人； adj.共和政体的，（Republican）共和党人，（Republican）共和党的

参考例句：

• Some families have been republican for generations.有些家庭世代都支持共和党。
• A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.第三个候选人已经加入角逐共和党提名的行列。

14 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

15 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。