Verified Document

Athletes As Role Models Has Been A Essay

Athletes as role models has been a topic of discussion for many years. The debate of whether athletes who are only famous because they know how to throw a ball or catch one is debated among those who believe that to worship such superficial individuals is to do our society harm (Kelley 2010). For years athletes themselves have denied the idea of being role models and have at times refused to live up to that expectation (Jones 2008). Some believe that holding regular individuals who are just playing a game and not having any real impact on a progressive society is to do harm to the people doing the worshipping. While others view this notion as being unfair to the athletes who literally just want to play a game because they are good at it, it cannot be denied that these individuals have a profound impact on the youth and although it is their job to play, it should also be their responsibility to live up to any expectations of good and role model-like behavior. Sports is not only an activity of fun, it is an activity of distraction. For many children who participate in sports, it is a way for them to escape their reality. It is a way for them to do something that they view as being important in their lives, regardless of their surroundings and everything that could be occurring around them. It is this reason why athletes are seen as role models. These children could identify with them. They look up to them as being who they want to be and what they want to become. To not acknowledge this powerful force in sports, would be to ignore the whole aspect of money making in these activities. The field of sports makes money because of the people who become fans and off the people who view these athletic figures as God-like characters. It would be unfair on the athlete's part to assume no responsibility when it comes to providing role model-like behaviors for their fans and followers.

The issue of athletes being portrayed as role models puts an extra pressure on sports of all types. Sports have to be careful of what they...

From wrestling to tennis, any sport that puts on a show for an audience needs to carefully choose its players, since they will be in the public eye representing their field (Biskup & Pfister 1999). Even if athletes do not mean to become role models and even if athletes to not want to become role models, the fact that they are out there being exposed to everyone and being worshipped by those who think they are great at sports, they unwillingly become those role models (Jones 2008). A role model does not necessarily have to be a public figure, but because sports are such public activities and because they make so much money whether it is from the events they hold to the marketing campaigns that their athletes join, theses athletes who join to play their favorite sport and make money, become those role models, whether they want to or not.
Sports producing role models in the athletes that partake in the given sport activity is an inevitable thing for the fans. How can a sports team, and a given athlete not expect to be viewed as a role model when there are tons of marketing devices such as jerseys, bobble head dolls, and even life-size cardboard cut outs of certain athletes? People end up buying these items, especially for children, because they see these athletes as possessing something that they wish they had, that they look up to attain and that they see as being a god-like quality (Biskup & Pfister 1999). The amount of worship, not to mention money, that is spent by the fans on specific athlete's paraphernalia cannot be looked upon blindly and athletes need to assume that people are buying these specific items because they value them as athletes and therefore they look up to them as people. Athletes not only need to expect to act in role model type of situations, but they need to expect it because that is what their fans expect of them (Jones 2008).

Athletes can feel a lot…

Sources used in this document:
References:

Jones, B. (March 1, 2008). Bush: Athletes have role model responsibility. In USA Today. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from <http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-03-01-bush-radio-address_N.htm.>

Kelley, R. (March 10, 2010). They're not role models. In Newsweek. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/03/10/they-re-not-role-models.html.>

Biskup, C., & Pfister, G. (1999). Would like to be like her/him: Are athletes role-models for boys and girls? European Physical Education Review. 5(3):199-218.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Athletes As Role Models
Words: 736 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Proposal

Athletes as Role Models The media's role in the portrayal of athletes as role models in history ay it ain't so, Joe.' During the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal, in which the team deliberately 'threw' the World Series for a bribe, the players' betrayal was depicted as being particularly hurtful to young people who idolized the SOX (Everstein 1998). Babe Ruth was also portrayed as a hero during this era, as he

Public Figures As Role Models
Words: 3582 Length: 12 Document Type: Essay

Take, for instance, a day in the life of an athlete. According to an article written by Deidra Anderson and Tony Morris, athletes live a regimented day from sun up until late into the evening. Their meals are typically pre-mixed and prepared by professional nutritionists to ensure their bodies have the necessary nutrients for their particular needs. After breakfast, they report to their coach for practice. Their may be some

Framework of Implementing the Z. Mathematical Model to a Sixth Grade...
Words: 18348 Length: 67 Document Type: Thesis

Nature of the ProblemPurpose of the ProjectBackground and Significance of the Problem Brain Development Specific Activities to engage students Data-Driven Instruction Community Component of Education Research QuestionsDefinition of TermsMethodology and Procedures Discussion & ImplicationsConclusions & Application ntroduction The goal of present-day educational reformers is to produce students with "higher-order skills" who are able to think independently about the unfamiliar problems they will encounter in the information age, who have become "problem solvers" and have "learned how to learn,

Marginal Revenue and Over-Paid Athletes
Words: 2238 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

S.'. Babe Ruth and Herbert Hoover have commanded huge payments. The social obsession with sport and celebrity stems from the human need to display physical and psychological prowess and the sport evolves for the 'body and spirit'. The culture of a place assigns different values to different sport, and they that excel in the sport and make a name for themselves make a mark and command more of the revenue

Professional Student Athlete The Raw Numbers Eligibility
Words: 28382 Length: 75 Document Type: Thesis

Professional Student Athletes The Raw Numbers Eligibility Advantages of Sport Research Questions or Research Hypotheses Selection of Subjects Assumptions or Limitations Data Processing and Analysis SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Questions related to academic priority Questions related to role models Questions related to advantages Implications for Practice Questions related to support and pressure Implications for Practice Implications for Research and Resultant Recommendations High school sports are for some students a fond memory, for other students the golden ticket to the land of opportunity. For most students, it

Study on Lesbian Female Athletes
Words: 1833 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Athlete Lauren Lappin was at the pinnacle of her lifelong passion sport after she adapted to any role in the softball field. Peace that fueled Lappin's success came from accepting the role she struggled to embrace. In an interview, Lappin highlighted her understanding as an openly gay athlete during the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as her experiences of coming out to her teammates and family, and the increasing acceptance

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now