Pro sports are extremely popular in
America; however, nothing can compare to the popularity of many of the top
professional athletes. These athletes
are put on a pedestal and admired by many people especially young children.
This unquestioning adoration can be both good and bad as some athletes are great role models while
others serve as examples of all that is wrong in American society. The question
for debate: Are pro athletes role models?
Admiration
& respect comes with the territory! A role model is someone that people look up
to and want to emulate. As an athlete, serving as a good role model is simply
part of the job. Playing sports does not give an athlete the right to act like
an idiot on (or off) the field of play. If anything, athletes must be on-point
in their actions and words at all times. The youth of today need positive male
and female athletes to hold in the highest regard. Athletes need to understand it is a privilege
to play sports. Thousands of people pay to watch them play and the least they
can do is have great character and display solid sportsmanship. It takes
everyone to build a positive society and athletes are role models whether they
want to be or not. Michael Vick realized this during his in prison and changed
his image. He is now a great teammate and leader both on and off the field. But
most importantly, kids respect him for his accomplishments and are still wearing
his #7 jersey.
You are so right that players are idolized by our youth. Some players take their jobs as professional athletes for granted and act like they are better than others. I see this action all the time in the weight room and it carries on to the field and off the field. Typically it’s the athletes that have the greatest genetic abilities within a sport that act like this. Is it that they are too good and they don’t need to be coached or trained, or is it the fact that they think their better than everybody else, so they walk around with their noses stuck high to the sky. Maybe it’s the way they were raised. Who really knows why some athletes act this way when so many children look up to them? In the end professional athletes should carry a high moral respect for themselves because of the fact that so many kids of all ages admire them and would like to be just like them one day. I have always been told that the way you act, no matter where you are, is seen by all who watch you. So act accordingly because your image is portrayed everywhere you go and you never know who is watching you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the fact that professional athletes are role models whether they admit it, like it, or act like it. Not everyone has been blessed with talent to be a professional athlete and I think they need to take advantage of the status that comes with playing pro sports and use it as a lever to be a good influence. They are automatically put in the public eye and have the capability of leveraging this in such a positive way. It would be great if more athletes took this responsibility serious and made a meaningful and positive impact on those that look up to them.
ReplyDeleteMe myself as an athlete also believe that professional athletes are role models whether they like it or not. There are thousands of people that wish they had the ability, or even the chance to be a professional sport player. Although some of these athletes feel that they simply play the game and get paid for it, what they must realize is that they are role models and they should live up to it. If one was to do a survey on kids and who they want to grow up to be like, majority of them would say the name of a professional athlete. I remember back in my elementary days I always wanted to be like Dirk Nowitzki, not because he was a Maverick but because he had a style of play like no other. He could make the weirdest body movements to get to the goal and just when you thought he would miss, it was nothing but net. Still till this day I look up to Dirk, just as millions of others do, and believe he and all professional athletes are role models regardless of how they feel about it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Athletes are role models whether they “want” to be or not, especially if you are a professional athlete. Being a good role model doesn’t necessarily mean going above and beyond for those looking up to you. It can simply mean just staying out of trouble, keep your name out of the press, and just be the best athlete for your team you can possibly be. Athletes need to think about their actions from a parent aspect, would they want their child to idolize someone like them? Or with that certain attitude? Athletes should embrace the opportunity they have and worked so hard for and use that hard work to inspire children.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that athletes are role models. In golf there are so many kids that look up to many of the professional golfers including Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler. Everywhere you look on a golf course or at professional tournaments there are kids dressed just like these guys dressed in Sunday red and in all orange. It’s so neat to see what these guys have brought to the game of golf. Although Tiger had a bump in the road he pulled himself together and doing well by being a role model. Everything you do as in athlete is looked upon by many and it is so important to remember there are eyes watching you.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNBA basketball players get a lot of grief about the amount of money that they get paid. Some say that they are overpaid but if you look at the amount of danger they put themselves in playing the game and the amount of money the owners and TV companies make off of them, they are almost underpaid. A lot of people only look at what the players are paid and do not look at what all comes with that pay. These players go through a 82 game season and then playoffs after that, not to mention that some of these games are back to back were one game could be in New York and the next in Los Angles. These players are spending a lot of time on flights and in hotels to play a basketball game for the entertainment of us viewers. Also you have to think about the work these players have to put in off the court. They have to eat a certain type of way and a lot of teams will fine you if they find out that you are eating food that is not recommended. Furthermore, these players are also spending a lot of time away from their families and loved ones which causes a hassle for them. Another reason individuals feel that NBA players are overpaid is because they see them on these commercials and all over TV, but not all players are getting paid like that, only the top players get the commercials and pictures on billboards and all the advertisements so you have to look at the whole picture.