Athletes shouldn’t be role models

Tiger Woods linked to adultery. Michael Vick.  Animal cruelty.

Mark McGwire.  Steroid abuse.

What if today’s headliners were the same as those of yesteryear?  Could you imagine hearing these things about Bill Russell?  Billy Jean King?  Ernie Davis?

In comparison, today’s athletes are some of the most visible and popular figures in the entire world.  But they are not the role models of prior generations.  Look at the money.  The exposure.  To a lot of people, these individuals are idolized.

Kids and adults look up to them.

Athletes shouldn’t be role models from Newhouse BDJ on Vimeo

We buy jerseys, video games, and posters of our favorite players.  According to NBA.com, Kobe Bryant has led the NBA in jersey sales three of the past four years and has the largest selling jersey of the past decade.

I idolized Allen Iverson.

I wanted his newest sneaker or jersey.  Thinking he was who I wanted to be when I grew up.  But as I got older, I realized that while there’s no denying an athlete’s ability and the entertainment value they can provide as we watch them perform, they are not always the people we should look up to.

They are not always the people we should strive to be in our lives.

Athletes shouldn’t be role models from Newhouse BDJ on Vimeo.

Think about what it means to be a role model.

The dictionary defines role model as a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially young people.  Honesty.  Integrity.  Strong moral fiber.  We should advise our young people to look up to those who help others, show selflessness, and have an ability to improve their surroundings through hard work and communication.  They should not be those who commit crimes, set poor examples, or act solely in the interest of benefitting themselves.

Today’s society is driven by personal success and glory, sometimes even if it means sacrificing health, integrity, and morals.  Why do we look up to athletes who are driven by greed and glory?  Who treat others with disrespect?  Who cheat and eventually fall from grace?

Now this is NOT to say that ALL athletes can’t be role models – many and most are good people who do tremendous charitable work making good use of their visibility and wealth.

So, a player can hit a baseball 500 feet or make highlight plays on the football field, but their true value as role models should be based on what they do off of the field.

Your kid’s teacher or family members might not be able to dunk a basketball but the slam dunk lies in the characteristics of hard work, honesty, and selflessness.

Former NBA forward Charles Barkley once said, “I don’t believe professional athletes should be role models.  I believe parents should be role models.  It’s not like it was when I was growing up.  My mom and my grandmother told me how it was going to be.  I’m not a role model.  Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.  Parents have to take better control.”

Barkley’s right.

It’s up to parents to teach their children strong values.  But it’s also up to you to make sure that young people realize there should be a separation between entertainment and reality.

You see, you don’t know these people.  The people that you DO know are the ones who should influence and shape who  you become.  So the next time you hear a young person say they want to be just like Ben Roethlisburger, Serena Williams, or Roger Clemens, take a step back and make sure it’s for the right reasons.