Should Athletes Be Role Models - Essay Example

Should Athletes be role models? Athletes and sports personalities are considered as role models in most of the countries. For advertising purpose and for creating brand images, these sports personalities are used extensively by organizations. The public, especially the youths and children consider sports personalities as role models which help the business people to sell their products/services. At the same time, some of these personalities have few dark chapters in their personal or social life which raised questions about the advocacy of promoting them as role models in public life. In this paper, I am arguing in favor of promoting athletes as role models because of the following reasons; Sports personalities are far better, compared to other leaders in social life like the corrupted politicians/business people or the immoral film personalities; Sports activities can create proud and nationalism among youths; Interest in sports and sports personalities will definitely increase the public interest of physical work outs which will reduce obesity related health problems; Advocating sports personalities as role models will help to improve the public awareness in diligence, perseverance, the value of training, fair play and sportsmanship, grace under pressure, the pursuit of excellence etc(Athletes as Role Models). Professional people like teachers, doctors, police man etc are all role models for today’s youth whether they like it or not. Even the drug dealer can be a role model, he of course will be a bad role model but when the kids around the neighborhood are looking up to him and wanting to be like him he has become a role model in their mind (Damon). The current generation is experiencing a severe shortage of role models in their social life. Corruption, Terrorism and Fundamentalism overrule everything and the possibilities of future generation getting attracted towards these elements are immense. Sports activities are comparatively safer than most of the other elements in social life which encouraged me to prefer sports personalities over others as role models. For example, Sachin Tendulkar is a widely respected cricket player all over the world, not only because of his achievements from cricket as a player, but as a role model as well. He is widely respected as a gentleman cricketer and the youths can take notes from his activities on and off the field. He never argues with the umpires, even if they take wrong decisions against him. It should be remembered that “most athletes do try to conduct themselves in a positive manner when in public view” (Damon). The first reason, why I advocate sports personalities as role models is because of the least amount of corruption and immoral life among them compared to others. Corruption is a global phenomenon in political and business circle. The current Pakistani President Asif Ali Sardari (accused by many of his opponents as corrupt), the Enron Company and the famous Indian software company Satyam Computers are the latest in the list of corruption in political and business circle. Film personalities are always known for immoral personal life in which they change their wives just like changing their dresses. Advocating such personalities from the society as role models is suicidal in my opinion. The second reason for the support I extended towards sports personalities as role models is that they can create proud and nationalism among youths. The love towards the home country will be increased in the minds of the youths through the achievements of their sports personalities in global events. Even though, Kenya is one of the poorest nations in the world economically, they are not so in sports activities. In most of the recent world events and Olympics, they have established their supremacy in long distance running over all the other countries. The fact, nobody in the world, able to beat them in marathon races will definitely improve the proud and nationalism of the Kenyan youths. The third reason for advocating athletes as role models is to increase the much needed physical work outs in the current world. In the current computer dominated world, majority of the youths depend computers and internet for their leisure time activities. The increased spending of time on computers, internet and video games will definitely decrease the physical work out sessions. Reduced physical activities may lead to obesity related health problems. Sports activities need physical efforts which will keep both body and mind healthy. The influence of sports personalities will definitely increase the interest for physical work among youths, which may reduce the overweight related problems. The fourth reason is that athletes can display the athletic virtues: diligence, perseverance, the value of training, fair play and sportsmanship, grace under pressure, the pursuit of excellence etc, which may motivate the public (Athletes as Role Models). The public display of these values and ideals by the sports personalities will definitely make the youths aware of such things. These values/ideals are rapidly disappearing from the social life and only the sports personalities can reinstate such values in public life. I have no doubt that there are among todays athletes qualities to admire and inspire. There have always been isolated examples of scandalous conduct among athletes as there have always been among stars in every field. And there always will be. Athletes are still the best we have to offer our young, and if their character does not always match their skills, who in what other field is ready to cast the first stone? (Question of the week; should athletes be role models?). I know that opponents of my position may cite many incidents against promoting sports personalities as role models. I realize that advocating athletes as role models blindly is not a wise decision. There are cases in which athletes behave ridiculously which may tempt the youths to behave in that manner also. Ben Johnson, the Canadian athlete has lost his gold medal immediately after the Olympics, when he has been tested positively in the dope test. Moreover, criminal cases also reported against some of the sports personalities all over the world (O.J. Simpson’s and Mike Tyson’s cases are examples). However, keeping all such unacceptable behaviors in mind, I still believe that athletes should be advocated as role models because of the severe shortages of ideal role models in the contemporary society. Personalities like Mahatma Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln are rarely seen in the current society which is dominated by the Bin Ladens and Saddams. As Keith Boykin said; “Professional athletes will always be role models” (Boykin) in my opinion. To conclude, most of the athletes inspire public in positive manner, but there are cases in which they behave unethically. We cannot ask the sports personalities to behave ethically always as they are also human beings with emotions. We can safely advocate sports personalities as role models since the influence of sports will never cultivate any antisocial behavior among youths. Sports and sports personalities can influence youths to increase their nationalism, pride and physical efforts. ‘Sports’ is a better medicine for the physical and mental health which can prevent the obesity related problems. Majority of the other segments of our social life are filled with corruption, terrorism and immoral traffic and definitely, sports personalities are the best bet as role models at present. The values and sportsmanship exhibited by sports personalities can influence the current generation in a positive manner only. In short, we are living in a world, which experience severe shortage of angels/role models and we are left with the choice of selecting the comparatively better one; my choice goes to the sports personalities. Works Cited 1. Damon, Ron “Should Professional Athletes Be Role Models?” 2009. Ezine articles 9 June 2009. 2. Boykin, Keith. “Should Athletes Be Role Models?”, sports 2006, 9 June 2009. 3. “Question of the week; should athletes be role models?”. The New York Times. Sunday, May 17, 1987. 9 June 2009. 4. “Athletes as Role Models” The Sports Law Professor. 2007. 9 June 2009. Read More