Lashay Hilliard

Ms. Douglas
Round Table Essay-Polished
5 December 2014

Athletes as Role Models

Are Athletes Role Models? is the question that society wants to know about the professional
athlete players. Athletes are looked at by young children as role models each and every day.
Should we look at them as role models for our children? Many athletes make negative decisions
that will impact their lives and their career without regard to themselves, team mates, family or
fans including children. Many fans say athletes are still human and like all humans they make
mistakes. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines athlete as: a person who is trained or skilled in
exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina. ("Athlete." MerriamWebster.com.), as you can see role model is not a part of the definition for athlete. Role model is
defined by Merriam- Webster Dictionary as: someone who another person admires and tries to
be like. ("Role Model." Merriam-Webster.com.) Athletes shouldnt be consider role models
because most of them where not chosen to be a professional athlete solely on their personality,
but the skills they demonstrated on the field or court.
In this article, So Much For Role Model, a parent explains why we should not view
athletes as role models. He states, It puts parents in a bad spot with their children who look up
to them and theyre left explaining their idols actions. (UWIRE Text) He believes that
professional athletes are nothing more than for entertainment. He gives an example of when his
child would ask him why an athlete hit a girl or why another athlete would think violence is
okay, when in reality who wants their children to think these actions are okay.

From the view of an athlete himself and as a parent Tom Glavine states, I can honestly
say as a child I wanted to be a professional athlete. Red Sox or Bruins, I didnt care. I loved
Bobby Orr, I love Yaz, Pudge, and Jim Rice. But my roles models were and always have been
my parents, Fred and Millie. Tom is saying that he made it to becoming a professional baseball
player, but it wasnt the baseball players who he loved that taught him the values of life, it was
his parents would gave him their time and examples.
Another view on whether or not athletes are role models comes from The Syndey
Morning Herald, Athletes are human, theyre certainly not role models. In this article, Darren
Kane discuss how he had to interrupt a conversation his son and a friend were having about all
athletes being on drugs. He had to explain to them that not all athletes footy players are drug
cheats. This father had to explain to his ten year old son why players betting on their own sports
are looked on so dimly, no matter how low the bet is. These views are from parents who think
that parents should be the number one role model in their children life not athletes.
Fans love the player rather they do something negative that makes them and their team
look bad as long as they can still play the game. Fans agreed that athletes should not be held up
to be role models. In the article, Professional Athletes Are Not Role Models, Kelley explains
how the fans react to the negative decisions that athletes make. In this article views on how fans
have created a pedestal for these athletes to sit on when they are merely just as human as each
one of us. The fans only care about the entertainment that an athlete can perform. Fans dont care
about what an athlete has done as long as they will be able to play in the next game. This is the
main reason why they agreed that athletes are not role models because as a humans we all make
mistakes.

In the article, Parents Should Not Rely on Athletes as Role Models, fans also believe
that athletes are typical human beings. Michael Vick was caught up in the dog fighting case, it
was not long after he was drafted in April of 2001 and shortly after purchase a property for
$34,000 in July of 2001, so fans believe Vick already had this planned as a side project to fight
dogs which almost cost him his career. Now when athletes say they are giving back to the
community its hard to believe if its truly coming from their heart or if they are just doing it
because they were caught committing crimes that made their image look bad.
As most human beings, athletes make bad decisions and they suffer the consequences
more than a normal person their lives are put on the forefront for the world to judge. Fans also
are saying that media puts too much time and energy into what an athlete has done and not the
sport that is being played. From "Who Can A Young Fan Look Up To? It's Tough." Morning
Edition the reporter talks about how instead of the sportscasters talking about who is winning the
games; such as, golf they continue to dwell on the past. Frank Deford states,
The networks who bring us golf tournaments are completely discombobulated.
They keep showing us Tiger Woods instead of who is actually winning the tournament.
No golf journalists remember how to cover golf the way it was pre-Tiger Woods. So, as a
consequence, not only is Tiger Woods a bad memory we can't escape, but golf itself has
disappeared down a rabbit hole.(Who Can A Young Fan Look Up To? It's Tough."
Morning Edition)

Sportscasters feel as though the athletes are not role models because when an athlete gets
into any trouble they are faced with judgment in so many areas their coaches, management,
family, and fans. Athletes will then start a charity or an outreach for children, but are these
actions from the heart? The article, Parents Should Not Rely on Athletes as Role Models
Anthony Stalter also emphasizes that parents should be more moderate and lead by example.

Lane Wallace, a sportswriter, also believes in his article Its Unfair to Expect Athletes to
Serve as Role Models." that athletes should not be viewed as role models because they have so
much on them. Athletes never get to rest, their life is in the spotlight all day every day. Athletes
are just like the fans that watch them only difference is athletes have an exceptional gift that
entertains millions of people over the world. Wallace states, We should, by all means,
acknowledge great achievement. Because it does come at great cost. Nobody has it all. Nobody
can have a level-10 career and excel in their personal life, as well. (Its Unfair to Expect
Athletes to Serve as Role Models.)
In another article "It's not about Tiger." In USA Today, there are letters from sports
columnist emphasizing that social media covers negative events more than the game itself, Jody
Young states Like it or not, he is good for golf referring to Tiger Woods. Fans love to watch
him play and probably could care less about his private life. This is the reason why parents
shouldnt allow athletes to be role models for their children because athletes only perform for
entertainment purposes only.
Athletes as role models is one of the worst things a parent can do to their children.
Parents should become more responsible in setting the example for their children to become
successful if they want to be a professional athlete, an entrepreneur, a nurse or a teacher. Parents
should instill standards and values within their children to make the right choices when they are
faced with challenges. Athletes should not be the face of a role model. Parents should be the role
model for their children.

Worked Cited
"Athletes are human, they're certainly not role models." Sydney Morning Herald
[Sydney, Australia] 5 July 2014: 60. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Nov.
2014.
"BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: TOM GLAVINE." Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Atlanta, GA] 28 July 2014: C7. Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
"It's not about Tiger." USA Today 12 Apr. 2013: 13A. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Kelley, Raina. "Professional Athletes Are Not Role Models." Professional Athletes.
Ed. Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "They're Not Role Models." The Daily Beast. 2010. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
So much for role model.UWIRE Text 15 Sept. 2014: 1.Introfrac Newsstand. Web.
20 Oct. 2014.
Stalter, Anthony. "Parents Should Not Rely on Athletes as Role Models."
Are Athletes Good Role Models? Ed. Geoff Griffin. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005.
At Issue. Rpt. from "Barkley Had It Right All Along." Bullz-Eye. 2007. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2014

Worked Cited
Wallace, Lane. "It's Unfair to Expect Athletes to Serve as Role Models."
Are Athletes Good Role Models? Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. At
Issue. Rpt. from "The Hard Lessons of Oscar Pistorius." Atlantic (19 Feb. 2013).
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
"Who Can A Young Fan Look Up To? It's Tough." Morning Edition 25 Aug. 2010.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.