In the world today, we set athletes on high standards. When growing up, kids tend to look up to people. Not just people in general, but more professional athletes than anything. A major contributor to this is the fact that kids can see these athletes on television and all through the media. In my opinion, athletes should act as role models. They know their every moment in life is going to be publicized, so they need to act respectful for those who admire them. In my American Sport in the 21st Century class, on February 17th, 2013, we talked about these following important character qualities:
Honesty
Commitment
Good sportsmanship
Sense of humor
Fairness
Determination
Good self-image
High moral values
Also mentioned in class, in the beginning of the 21st century, athletes viewed being a role model as part of their jobs. I feel that every single professional athlete should make being a role model as part of their job, but there are some athletes who think otherwise. For example, found in an article online, Charles Barkley, a former NBA basketball player, gave his opinion on this topic. In a 1993 Nike ad featuring Charles Barkley, people criticized Barkley about his opinion he gave about being a role model. The words spoken by Charles Barkley are...
"I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball, doesn't mean I should raise your kids."
You can read more about this in the article linked below. Another thing mentioned in class was who are and who are not good role models.
