FREE ESSAY ON ATHLETES AS ROLE MODELS

ATHLETES AS ROLE MODELS

Athletes As Role Models
An athlete with undying will, tremendous courage, awesome defense, and unbelievable
scoring. Michael Jordan, a man who seems to be without a weakness, makes a great role
model for youths and adults (Role Models on). Michael Jordan shows he is also a great
person off the court by the way he has given his money to charities and has dealt with
the difficulties in his life. This is a person who is looked up to and admired by people
everywhere. Michael Jordan is a role model, just as all athletes in the spotlight. When
people become professional athletes or any kind of athlete that is brought into the
public eye, they become a role model. A role model can set good examples by being
educated, having good morals, and by staying drug free; or they can set bad examples by
doing the complete opposites of these actions. 
As role models it is important that athletes show the youth of today the importance of
getting an education. It seems that high school and college basketball players have not
been doing a very good job of setting this example. 
A record 37 underclassmen, plus three high school students, made themselves available for
the recent National Basketball Association draft, adding to the growing concern of many
that more and more young men, particularly black men, will abandon educational pursuits
for hoop dreams. (Farrell 15)
When younger kids see these players pass up their education for the attempt to get rich
quick it sends the message that education isn't that important. John Thompson says,  One
of the dangers of what is going on is that it minimizes the value of an education
(Farrell15). There is a very small few of amateur basketball players that make it to the
NBA, and this is another reason why leaving education for the NBA is not such a good
idea. The way things are going college might be looked at as a momentary preparation for
the NBA.  College coaches will be trying to impress upon recruits how soon they can get
them ready to play professionally, and the educational element will go out the window,
says Alex Wood (Farrell 16).
Some athletes have taken the opportunity to show kids that education is important and is
something that should be valued. The Michigan State University athletes are involved in a
program in which they go to kids in the classroom to talk and hang out with these younger
students. This is both good for the college student athletes and the younger students.
Kevin Carr says, We've been wanting to do this for a while, It's definitely a way to help
our athletes to get in the spirit of voluntarism(Reaching Out). This program is good for
the kids because it lets them take good advice from the older more experienced college
student athletes. Ike Reese said,  We go to school just like they do. I like to show kids
that athletes can be role models and that we're not untouchable (Reaching Out). The
program also shows that good athletes can also be respectable students, this is really
good for the young kids to see (Reaching Out). When these athletes talk to the kids in
the classrooms it helps inspire the kids to strive towards their goals and dreams.
Part of being a role model includes setting a good moral standard for the people who
watch sports on television especially the kids that watch them.  Athletes can deeply
affect children at a critical stage in development. Many kids from about 8 to 12 years
old, looking for examples of success, fantasize about becoming athletes and identify with
them (Wilstein B1). It is obvious then, the things that the athletes do on television do
affect the way the children will act. Fighting, taunting ,and trash-talking among the pro
and college players, shown repeatedly on television, lead to similar actions in football,
basketball and baseball in high schools (Wilstein B1). It seems as though there has been
a lot of negative examples in sports world lately. One of the negative examples was
published in the December 23rd issue of Sports Illustrated of last year. The material
that was published was an interview with Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker. In this
Article Rocker used some rather vulgar language. He also made some very negative remarks
about the New York subway system. Rocker complained about having to sit with some kid
with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of
jail for the fourth time next to some 20 year old mom with four kids (Rockers Arrival).
Another example of the negative occurrences in sports was when hockey player Marty
McSorley hit fellow hockey player Donald Brashear on the head with a hockey stick, which
gave Brashear a concussion. Today in sports there is a large amount of violent attitudes
and actions, this example is just one of them. Ken Keiper, the chairmen of the NCAA's
Division II baseball, talked about the brawls in major league baseball. Keiper said,  I
don't see the mound-charging brawls yet in the youth leagues, but if they continue at the
major league level, the kids will emulate them and it will definitely come (Wilstein B1).

Some athletes set good examples by doing good things for others. Deion Sanders is one of
these athletes that has done something positive for the people. Sanders gave food, toys,
and other goods to the community for an organization called Feed The Children. Sanders
said in a brief interview, I'd like to point you to something everlasting. I'd like to
give you peace, give you joy, and love (Baker 1D). He also wanted to remind people that
after he gives this food to the people that there will still be hungry people in the
world, and it is our job to help these less fortunate people out. Sanders also mentioned
how he used to be the bad mouth Deion, but he never really liked that part of him so he
changed his ways. Deion spent hours passing out food to the people in his community.
Sanders is faithful to his community and he is also faithful to God. Deion is a dedicated
Christian (Baker 1D). This shows how caring, giving, and unselfish he is as a person. Our
society needs these types of role models for people to look up to. 
One issue that seems to come up quite often with the mention of athletes is Drugs. 
 Of all the major athlete drug testing programs, only the NBA does not test for
marijuana, because the NBA drug policy does not include marijuana in its list or banned
drugs(Athletes With). This is probably the main reason they have had such a problem with
marijuana. It's not good for young kids to see such big names as Chris Webber, Kareem
Abdul Jabar, and Isaiah Rider arrested for the possession of Marijuana. Evidently,
players rarely say no these days amid reports show that as many as 70% smoke pot at least
on a recreational basis (Athletes With). In previous years the NBA had its problems with
cocaine rather than Marijuana.  In 1983 (when the first drug policy was implemented), 70
percent of the NBA players used cocaine, and marijuana wasn't on the radar screen
(Athletes With). When cocaine was big in the NBA the players would love playing Golden
State because that area a hot spot for cocaine. In the 1986 draft the NBA had a number of
draft picks that had cocaine problem. Len Bias was one of the draft picks with a cocaine
problem, and the night of the draft Bias died of a cocaine overdose. Chris Washburn,
William Bedford, and Roy Tarpley all had their basketball careers ruined because of their
cocaine addictions. That year there was four out of the top seven picks in the draft that
saw their careers just deteriorate (Athletes With). The sad thing is that the bad guys
aren't always the ones who get caught. Allen Iverson, the Philadelphia guard, has had
some bad influences around him. On one occasion Iverson and one of his friends were
riding in Iverson's car when they were pulled over and were found with a marijuana
cigarette and a gun were found under the seat. The friend that was with Iverson in the
car was involved in a shooting and drugs a year before the incident in the car. Most of
the people who spend time around Iverson say he is a good guy and is very well liked
(Athletes With). These are some of the problems with drugs that could have a negative
affect on the youth in our society.
There are some good programs that have athlete role models that help kids live a drug
free life. One of these programs that does keep kids drug free is Athletes Against Drugs.
It not only helps keep the kids away from drugs, but it also helps the kids to learn to
lead a productive life. The program is made up of 200 professional and Olympic athletes
(Athletes Against). The athletes in this program are using their fame to help these kids
live a better life. Michael Jordan talks about the program when he says, We're not just
telling kids to say no to drugs. We are giving them something to say yes to healthy
activities, life skills, youth leadership and a chance for productive futures (Athletes
Against). This program isn't just giving the kids to say when it comes to dealing with
drugs. This program is giving kids a place to go instead of hanging around the streets
where most of the kids are faced with drugs. Athletes Against Drugs also tries to prevent
kids from getting involved with gangs. The reason why most kids get involved in gangs is
because it is a place where they feel they can fit in(Athletes Against).  The gang has a
definite hierarchy, with established leaders, roles, and responsibilities. The problem is
that a gang life usually leads to a long prison sentence or an early grave(Athletes
Against). Sports is one alternative to gangs and drugs and Athletes Against Drugs helps
the kids to make the choice to choose an activity like sports over these other two
harmful choices. The behavior of a life time is shaped during early adolescents, between
the ages of 10 and 14 (Athletes Against). Athletes Against Drugs helps to mold these kids
behaviors at a young age. It also teaches them very early to resist peer pressure when it
could possibly get them into trouble, and it teaches them to stay out of trouble by
monitoring themselves.
Athletes are role models, and it is the athletes decision to either use their influence
for a positive or a negative cause. Some athletes don't think that it is their
responsibility to be role models, but it doesn't change the fact that they are indeed
role models.  I didn't ask to be a role model. I wasn't prepared to be a role model. I
don't want to be a role model, Ron Barr talks about some of the athletes attitudes about
being role models (Athletes: Dumb). The professional athletes and other athletes that are
in the spotlight can not expect to be watched by millions of people and not have some
influence on those people watching. The athletes must realize that when they make
mistakes people will be watching.  Everyone does make mistakes, and along with those
mistakes, one must take responsibility for the consequences that come after a mistake has
been made (Athletes Are). They probably wish the people just saw that good things they
did, but if this was the case we would be living in a utopia. As role models athletes can
do many positive things such as educating our youth by letting them know the importance
of going to school. They can help instill good moral standards for kids to live by, and
prevent them from getting involved with drugs like the program Athletes Against Drugs
does. These are what the athletes should be doing as role models.