Dear Lukas Raschilla, In your article, “Athletes are artists, not role models”, you claim that you are bewildered that anyone would view professional athletes as role models. By saying that sports figures are "not" and "shouldn't be expected" to be role models in their actions on and off the playing field is in my opinion giving a free pass for bad behavior. As the saying goes...to those who much has been given, much is expected. You claim, "athletes do not choose to be role models", but I feel anyone who holds a position of notoriety and popularity with the public should shoulder that admiration with dignity. As we know, merely by association in any career, be it sports, education, health care, government, and even religion, does not guarantee that the individuals will be positive role models. Instead, moral obligations need to be nurtured and, when necessary, consequences clearly enforced in incidents of conduct not befitting the role that person represents. It is unrealistic to think there will not be transgressions in the athletic arena as they are all human, but even this can serve as a valuable lesson to young fans. Charles Barkley is correct when he says in the Nike commercial that "parents should be the most important role model for kids" and no one expects a sports figure to replace that position, but it also takes a village to raise good citizens. Everyone that occupies attention in a child's life should realize that their actions will be seen and will affect the child's perspective of the world. Sadly, sometimes the lesson learned is to avoid the bad behavior that defamed an athlete who previously was admired. Life itself is a responsibility and if we continue to make lame excuses for bad behavior, as you did in this editorial, we not only disappoint those around us, we will end up with a society that has little regard for the well being of its people. You state that athletes can’t be role models because they are just something to look at and they are living an unrealistic dream life we can't expect to experience. This is confusing to me because what does one want more than to grow up and live their dream? Children’s role models are usually people who have accomplished a dream because that is what children hope for their own future. They look to people who have already achieved the level of success that they envision for themselves. Athletes show others that when you display determination, you can reach any goal you have set for yourself. Professional athletes demonstrate hard work and give children motivation to never give up. They emphasize that when obstacles arise you must push through them, because anything is possible if you put your mind to it. One of the best athletes to portray this specific scenario would be Olympic track and field hurdler Lolo Jones. Simply making the Olympic team was a life changing accomplishment, but shortly after such a high she experienced one of the hardest moments a professional athlete could imagine. Running her way to a gold medal, Lolo ended up hitting one of the final hurdles causing her to fall to seventh place. As devastating as this was, she did not let this ruin her love for the sport and her determination to redeem herself at the next Olympics. Lolo took this setback and used it as motivation to train for the next Olympics held in London and worked her way back on the team. (Time Olympics) I am taken back by your statement, “In reality, athletes are participants in the entertainment business. For the most part, they’re not relatable to you or me. They are a brand, in their own way, making huge amounts of money from endorsements and contracts". I feel this is an derogatory way of expressing how athletes earn and choose to spend their money. Professional athletes are often criticized because of their extravagant wages and glamorous career, but I believe this is an unfair judgement. Professional athletes work harder than most people can even imagine and contribute to our communities in many positive ways. Besides working toward reaching their own personal goals, many athletes at the professional level of sports are working toward bettering the world around them. It is said by ESPN sports broadcaster Skipp Bayless that athletes have all the money in the world and never make the right decision as to how to spend it. This broad statement is false, because many players do show responsibility in handling their money and careers. Although they may hire someone to do this for them, it is still part of their personal responsibilities. An example of using money for good can be seen in the actions of former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard, who created the United Athlete Foundation to help educate the professional athletes on ways to improve their community involvement. Howard states, “Rather than pick just one cause to go behind, we thought it was more important to put our organization in a position where it became an empowerment organization to basically put individual athletes into positions where they can become ambassadors of their cities and ambassadors of their causes” (Howard). This effort helps offset the critics who view athletes as an overpaid profession and who despise the idea that people look up to such sports figures. As is evident in so many positive endeavors, athletes are not just bringing wealth to their own lives, it also allows them to have money and time to give to others. Many professional athletes demonstrate hard work in their career and then use their abilities and wealth in philanthropic ways. The athletic talents and these positive traits that many professional athletes display allow them to be viewed as role models to people of all ages. You concede some role modeling by saying, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to run like Usain Bolt, kick a goal like Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin or swing a club like Tiger, but looking up to athletes to follow their off-field behavior is bordering on moronic.” This to me is implying you don’t think an athlete has the responsibility to represent themselves or their team to the public in a positive way. We have seen many athletes try to maintain their favorable status with the public and sponsors, even when it meant they had to ask forgiveness for their behavior. They also work very hard to prepare for the challenge of their sport. Too often we see our youth trying to take the easy way out, rather than working to accomplish a set goal. Our society as a whole is losing the needed determination to become successful individuals. Young children are quitting school sports more often, and young adults are dropping out of their college programs at a higher rate because they have the idea that "it is too hard". When people watch professional athletes, whether on television or in person, it is easy to see that these elite athletes are far from lazy. Athletes show the true value of what perseverance can accomplish. To reach the high expectations that athletes set for themselves they must dedicate themselves to improving their skills day after day. Even some of the best known athletes have fallen on hard times, but through their hard work and discipline have overcome obstacles. Professional basketball player Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Reflecting on the situation, Jordan states, “It was embarrassing not making that team; they posted the roster and it was there for a long, long time without my name on it” (Schwartz ESPN.com). He used this situation to motivate himself to work even harder during the off-season. Now Michael Jordan can sit back and reflect on his outstanding career and the records he made in the NBA. He is an example of someone kids can look up to and witness how hard work pays off even if you had previously experienced failure. Now, I can agree with you when you discuss what athletes have to do to make it to the pros and then once they get there, what they have to give up for this commitment. You say “To play at the elite level, professional athletes must in turn, give up a lot, including being away from their family for months at a time” and this to me is very relatable. Professional athletes illustrate how hard it is to make it to the top. In order to get to the top, an athlete must progress from high school, to college, to the pros. In doing so, it becomes tougher and tougher at each level. In the Bleacher Report, analyst Soven Berry claims that athletes are terrible role models because they had been pampered by coaches, teammates, and parents on their way to the pros and therefore end up feeling "they aren't accountable for their behavior off the field." But working for an organization, their employer, should demand the additional responsibility for the player to represent the team both on and off the playing field. At the pro level the competition is tough and eventually athletes run into other athletes with similar talents. If you are a detriment to the team, you can be replaced. This is where the “who wants it more” mentality pushes an athlete to the next level. For non-athletes who look up to these professionals as role models, these athletes provide the guidance of how a strong work ethic can allow you to achieve any position you want in life. The dedication that athletes show toward their career is the same dedication that everyone should have on a day to day basis, because it is the only way to reach your full potential. Mr. Raschilla, when you say that athletes aren’t getting paid to be role models, so they do not care to be seen as one, is a rather narrow view. Yes, I can agree that some fans think of professional athletes as simply paid entertainers and do not see their impact on society. But I can point to many successful athletes who have made it to the professional level who are far more dimensional in their role. Professional athletes do much more than provide their fans with a winning record or entertainment on game days; they give back to charities and donate their time, money, and effort. Not only do they provide support to their teammates, but also have supported families who have reached out to them. Professional athlete Tiki Barber is known nearly as much for his community involvement as his professional athletic career. He is on the board of the Fresh Air Fund, works with the Children’s Miracle Network raising money for hospitals, and is on the leadership council of the Robin Hood Foundation helping to fight poverty in New York City. Not only do athletes offer funds to the underprivileged, they offer their positive outlook on following a dream. This is just one way many athletes have given back to others although it is not part of their “job”. They do it because they know without the help of their fans and supporters they wouldn’t be where they are today. Athletes are also involved in going into schools to speak to students, making appearances at businesses, attending fundraisers, and giving motivational speeches to people in need of guidance. The goal of these professional athletes is to guide others by being an example of a positive role model. Since so many people choose an athlete as their role model, just being in the presence of one can change someone’s life. You make the point that having a professional athlete as a role model makes you lose a sense of reality because of their “supermodel wives, wealth status, and playing a sport as their living.” Yes, I can agree that many people believe that professional athletes are getting paid to do something that everyone else wishes they could do also. Not many people understand the hard work and dedication that goes into not only their practices and performance, but also their efforts in trying to help others. They have earned their money just like any other successful person in a profession and are not obligated to give back, but they certainly try harder than some. Professional athletes understand they are more privileged than others and this in itself is respectable. (Tauer) Although professional athletes are compensated well for their sport, they continue to work with the homeless and underprivileged children, and hold camps for children who have a love for a specific sport. Professional athlete Desean Jackson became involved through the Make a Wish Foundation with a child that had a hematologic disorder. The foundation has celebrities spend a day with a sick child. This particular child’s wish was to meet his role model, professional athlete Jackson. Jackson arranged for this to be possible, creating one of the best days of this child’s remaining days. Stories like this demonstrate how professional athletes are not solely interested in the dollar amount of their paychecks. Dan Graziano, ESPN New York Giants reporter, describes it best. He said, “On a day when the big stories are about players being arrested, something like this is more than worthwhile. But he (Jackson) is also a guy who tries to do the right thing off the field. He has a charity dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer, a disease that claimed his father's life. He's not perfect, but he's working hard to try to do the right thing, and his involvement in something like "My Wish" is part of that.” (Graziano ESPN) I hate to break it to you, Lukas, but you are wrong when you say athletes do nothing but eat, sleep, and play their game. You then begin to criticize them for lacking real life skills because of this daily routine. Being a professional athlete forces you develop life skills. Being on a team in general involves mastering the skill of teamwork. A professional athlete is nothing without their teammates. Being on a team requires working together and being able to depend on other people.(Goldberg) Communication is essential to an athlete’s success on the field and a very important skill needed in all aspects of life. In order to win, a professional athlete must communicate with his/her teammates and coaches. According to former NFL player and now coach Alan Goldberg, “ the pro athletes who respect the coach and their teammates, who are always looking for ways to improve, who are "team players" and who choose to deal with their conflicts and problems constructively are the ones who are remembered even after their careers are over." Many people struggle with self-confidence but seeing an athlete's motivation can assure anyone that if you believe in yourself, you will be successful. An athlete’s well-rounded persona is often overlooked because most assume they are nothing more than a talented individual.(York) They can also be models for the dedication shown to their teammates and their impressive communication skills. In your article you also state that professional athletes cannot be role models because they simply aren’t qualified. You complain that they are too self-centered, engage in too many “wrong” activities, and aren’t people you want your kids to look up to. In my opinion, athletes are the perfect example that hard work can get you far in life. In reality, they devote themselves to their sport and also demonstrate perseverance. They balance their professional training and performance, life on the road, and striving for a better future through personal development not just for themselves as an athlete but as a person who contributes to the community. Professional athletes contribute their time and money to supporting charities and even visit the needy. They are doing what they can with the money they are given for being talented. The talents they display while playing certainly does not come from sitting around and hoping they will perform. It comes from working hard and believing that they can accomplish their goal. They show responsibility and leadership, social and communication skills, and learn how to face some of the most judgmental people in the media. I think an athlete has the unique opportunity to be a very good role model. They have worked day in and day out to get to where they are and yet they still reach out to help others. They are criticized by millions every day who know nothing about them and they still wake up the next morning with determination to be better than they were the day before.(Kay) To the people who say they should not be paid such high salaries, I ask why should someone who works hard every day not be rewarded for the success they achieve? Professional athletes give hope to others that no goal you set for yourself is impossible. They give their supporters not just entertainment, but someone to look to as a role model.
Works Cited

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