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Role Models

biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
Recent threads about Senators, chewing tobacco, Nyger Morgan, etc. got me thinking.

Are athletes role models? Should they be? Can there be both good and bad role models?

I do think athletes can be role models. As can senators, teachers, businessmen, janitors, coaches, ministers, relatives, neighbors, etc.

Everyone around us has the opportunity to be a role model. Yet, clearly not everyone can be a good one. And that is up to each one of us who we choose to look up to.

When an athlete misbehaves (or worse, chews tobacco), people cry out that the athlete is not living up to his role model status. Well, I don't think the athlete title automatically makes you a role model.

Does the public-nature of a person's occupation automatically require them to be a role model? I can name ministers, politicians, actors, musicians and many other high-profile people who I would put at the absolute bottom of the role model list.

Heck, I can name two of my relatives who would be at complete opposite ends of the role model spectrum. Just because we're related doesn't mean squat.

It took me a number of years to realize I was raised the right way. I'd like to think that I'm doing the same for my boys...and that they'll recognize it sooner!

They know the difference between Cal Ripken Jr. and Nyger Morgan, between Herr Suppan (our local German teacher) and Mary Kay Letourneau, between Uncle Mike (boo!) and Grandpa Schultz (yay!!!!)

The title, Athlete, does not necessarily equal Role Model.
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RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
Athletes are just a section of society. Like everyday life some are capable of being role models, some are not. Sometimes an athlete can bring part of his game as a role model. I don't believe anyone would want their son to grow up with Pete Rose's character. But I'll bet every baseball parent would want their kid to approach playing the game like Pete Rose.
C cabbagedadHSBaseballWeb member since 2011
When a teen becomes an adult, he or she is expected to make certain changes related to maturity and act accordingly. When a single guy gets married, he is expected to change some aspects of his lifestyle and act accordingly. When one becomes a parent, he is expected to pay closer attention to the example he is setting and act accordingly. When a person takes a job, he is expected to understand his responsibilities regarding representation of the company and act accordingly. When one enters a profession that places him more squarely in the eye of the public (athlete, celebrity, politician), he is expected to understand his responsibilities with the added media visibility, as well as the fact that some will emulate or idolize, and act accordingly. In all cases, I think most handle themselves as would be expected. Some don’t.
coach2709coach270910,000+ posts
I think cabbagedad has made a great post on this. Overall I think the vast majority of athletes in all sports are the role model we would want from them. They show up for work, do their job, pay their bills, love their families and we never hear one single solitary thing about it due to the media. But we will definitely hear about John Rocker and his ignorant racist filled comments and him justify it by saying it's free speech and that's how he was raised. We will hear about Dennis Rodman and see him dolled up in a wedding dress acting like a freak show once again justifying it that's who he is.

Good parents (and being in education I'm starting to think this might be an endangered species) are smart enough to tell their kids "hey this guy is who you should model your game after. He hustles everything out, his teammates love him and he shows up everyday". Nothing wrong with kids mimicing playing styles because I tell my guys all the time to mimic a Dustin Pedroia or a Peyton Manning because they do their job to the best of their ability. Let them see mom and dad do their job at home by loving each other and going to work everyday and sacrificing their wants and needs in favor of the kids. Yeah your kids are going to ask about the freaks and idiots but instead of saying their bad and don't do it - teach them why they are bad role models (and sometimes people). You do that and your kids will figure out what to do and what not to do.
Coach KnightCoach Knight500+ posts
Whether we like it or not, athletes ARE role models for kids. The key I think is parenting - if kids look at the RIGHT players and understand what parts of that individual they SHOULD emulate, I think you are ok. Some athletes simply don't know how to BE role models - guys I played with at times came from backgrounds that left them ill-prepared to be asked to be role models for kids.
kt333kt3331,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by coach2709:
I think cabbagedad has made a great post on this. Overall I think the vast majority of athletes in all sports are the role model we would want from them. They show up for work, do their job, pay their bills, love their families and we never hear one single solitary thing about it due to the media. But we will definitely hear about John Rocker and his ignorant racist filled comments and him justify it by saying it's free speech and that's how he was raised. We will hear about Dennis Rodman and see him dolled up in a wedding dress acting like a freak show once again justifying it that's who he is.

Good parents (and being in education I'm starting to think this might be an endangered species) are smart enough to tell their kids "hey this guy is who you should model your game after. He hustles everything out, his teammates love him and he shows up everyday". Nothing wrong with kids mimicing playing styles because I tell my guys all the time to mimic a Dustin Pedroia or a Peyton Manning because they do their job to the best of their ability. Let them see mom and dad do their job at home by loving each other and going to work everyday and sacrificing their wants and needs in favor of the kids. Yeah your kids are going to ask about the freaks and idiots but instead of saying their bad and don't do it - teach them why they are bad role models (and sometimes people). You do that and your kids will figure out what to do and what not to do.



John Rocker and Dennis Rodman stayed true to themselves and what they believe in, and I can't say how much respect I have for that.

"We never hear one single solitary thing about it due to the media" is very true. They feed on anything scandalous, athletes' mistakes (they are human too!), and blow things out of proportion. But with the materialistic society we live in, people automatically buy into most of the **** that the media puts out there... even leading some kids like myself to blindly look up to someone for the wrong reasons.

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