Athletes as Role Models Essay - 1400 Words : In today's world, sport stars and other athletes are looked up to by all ages. Everyone loves them. They look great in the eyes of the everyday public. They appear on television; they perform like rock stars and do this with the entire world watching. No wonder we make heroes out of our favorites. They are seen as heroes because they can do things that most of us can't. They hit fastballs at 95 mph, leap at balls in mid air or defy gravity and throw down a dunk. Their words are repeated and broadcasted throughout the world and their faces have appeared on the front of cereal boxes.
Athletes as Role Models Essay - 1400 Words
In today's world, sport stars and other athletes are looked
up to by all ages. Everyone loves them. They look great in the eyes of the
everyday public. They appear on television; they perform like rock stars and do
this with the entire world watching. No wonder we make heroes out of our
favorites.
They are seen as heroes because they can do things that most
of us can't. They hit fastballs at 95 mph, leap at balls in mid air or defy
gravity and throw down a dunk. Their words are repeated and broadcasted
throughout the world and their faces have appeared on the front of cereal
boxes.
But if you examine athletes while they're not on the court
or on the field, you can see what they are like in every dimension. Athletes
have many positive and negative sides that affect their public face and both
benefit and harm their abilities to become role models. The athlete as role
model is by no means a new issue. In fact it is quite ancient.
As distant as 800 B.C., when the Olympics were first played
in Greece, the athletes all paid homage to the Greek God Zeus. Olympia was
originally on the sacred site of Gaia. Sports were started as a religious
ritual and the athlete was considered a demi-god, representing both the
spectator and the gods. In Roman times 2000 years ago, athletes represented the
state during the gladiator games and chariot races. They were seen as soldiers
who reassured the citizen that the nation was strong.
Today, athletes are not considered to be religious figures
but nonetheless are accorded great material wealth, privilege and fame. These
figures are visible to us on a weekly basis. Because of their talent, salary
and positions as leaders, it’s inevitable that we admire and identify them with
such integrity. Courage and determination aren't the only lessons we can learn
from successful athletes. Some of the best athletes in history are the ones who
can take their achievements in stride. You have to love a sport in order to do
it well. Hard-working and motivated people understand that winning isn't
everything?
Leading a team in homeruns or 3-pointers is meaningless when
compared to one just giving his/hers best shot at it. A champion distance
runner says, "Winning is neither everything nor the only thing. It is one
of many things." Athletes have made many contributions to society over the
years.
In the past eight years, a famous athlete has raised
$1,127,704 for an organization, which has subsequently blossomed into one of
the nation's leading facilities in helping children with disabilities, mainly
Down syndrome. He said this about the organization: "I'm very fortunate to
be living a dream and making the money I am, so why not give it to someone who
really needs it?" Another athlete founded an eight-month leadership
program designed for high school athletes, program involved experiences
designed specifically to use as many of the participants', senses as possible.
When they can see it, feel it, hear it, and smell it, then a memory is created
and a memory means they'll have a recall. Student-athletes involved in the
program participate in police ride-along and mock city-council, meetings; they solve
community problems and tutor and coach elementary students.
When we look at athletes, we tend to see that not all that
they do is good. Yes, they are supposed to be role models and present the youth
with positive vibes. But in reality, they do as much bad as they do well. In
the news all the time, we hear about people who are involved in the usage of
cocaine.
Their actions affect younger student-athletes, specifically
in high school. A survey found that more than 50% of Chicago area
student-athletes said that drinking among their peers is a bigger problem than
most people realize. Play sports by day, get drunk at night and go to class in
the morning. Is this an accurate picture of student-athletes today?
Student-athletes attend parties, consume some beer and their
parents and coaches have no clues about it. Where do the kids get the 'ok’ to
do this? Yes, peer pressure is a problem, but by hearing and seeing
professional athletes day in and day out getting in trouble for drugs and
alcohol, kids will think it ok. Although student-athletes are involved in this,
some places are doing something about it. Student athletes will lose their
right to play just for being in the presence of alcohol or drugs. As it stands,
athletes caught actually drinking or doing drugs face a two-game or two-week
suspension from play.
Misbehavior is always present in sports and fans can be
aware of that. But what are the rights and needs of the fans? Should they be
mad when they see this misbehavior? For most fans, their only contract with
this will be found in the rules of sports and in fair play on the playing field
and by the athlete. Athletes can't have their cake and eat it too. If they want
the love from the fans, then they better not misbehave. When the media gets
involved, some say that they should just report the news. But this is like
saying when they score, don't celebrate. The media can voice their moral
position. In doing so, they are very straightforward. The media has an
obligation to define issues, report wrongdoing and at times act as a moral
barometer for the sport culture.
Star athletes learn from their mistakes as well as from
their successes. They have what it takes to be a winner. Top athletes are
constantly striving to improve. What's more, they can stay focused, often under
intense pressure. To rise to the top, it takes countless hours of practice to
fine-tune the skills needed to accomplish your goals. Another major factor that
athletes put on society is the strength they show when the odds are against
them. For example, Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins after being
diagnosed with cancer, he continued his career in the NHL.
Not only is he one of the greatest to ever play hockey’s,
he's achieved his goals while missing a respectable amount of games. Another
example could be former Olympian Wilma Rudolph. Born with polio, doctors said
that it could prevent her from walking. She played basketball and ran track at
13 and competed in the 56th Olympics as a sophomore in high school. Positive
thinking goes hand and hand with these athletes.
Great athletes can focus on the task at hand. They can
become fully focused and arrive like a winner before they even begin to
compete. Athletes who are champions also show qualities such as perseverance,
dedication and the ability to keep their cool under pressure. Stories about
superstar athletes teach us about working hard and believing in ourselves and
being passionate about what we do.
Many high-profile players work hard to be positive role
models to children. In addition, they raise money for charities and act as
mentors, talking to groups and volunteering their time to programs that help
kids stay away from drugs and alcohol. They get paid vast sums for their
efforts and their names and faces appear on everything from running shoes to
billboards.
Still, even the greatest champions have flaws. Just because
someone has a perfect swing it doesn't mean that he's a good friend, parent or
spokesperson. Just because they're rich and famous doesn't mean they don't face
problems like the rest of us do. Just because they have such an image doesn't
mean that they don't get sick and have to stay in bed. However, separating an
athlete's professional and personal tile can be quite difficult.
Fans do get disappointed when athletes get in trouble with
the law or make crucial mistakes in their personal lives. Before he died, the
great Mickey Mantle, who was a raging alcoholic, told young ball players, 'Play
like me, don't be like me." As these stories arrive, questions form in the
minds of fans across the country. Who are athletes really role models for?
In conclusion, athletes inspire and encourage as well as
bring upon a bad influence on society today. They know what they are in the
spotlight to do and by all means they accomplish it. Good and bad come out of
sports and with today's media, it's swallowed up and spit out in many different
forms. Everyone out there is watching and for a prime time athlete, every
decision is monitored. The athlete as a role model is not an issue; it's a part
of everyday life.
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