...Athletes as Role Models Learning Team A SOC/105 August 26, 2013 Michelle Gardner Athletes as Role Models The effect of professional athletes has always played a big role in society. Talented, young, charming, women and men smashing world records on the field or court seem to be natural role models for our youth. These athletes and their behaviors and actions are so closely observed and mimicked by the youth it makes you ask the question should they really be considered role models? Athletes throughout history have always been considered role models for young children with a gift for sports. There have been many misdeeds that have occurred that makes us question whether athletes deserve to be considered role models. Conversely, athletes make good role models for several reasons such as promoting physical fitness, educational success, self-confidence, and a strong work ethic. The role of being an athlete is a good goal to reach in itself especially with the obesity epidemic that we are currently having in America. Athletes must have a strong work ethic and devote a large portion of their personal time to training in order to become a professional. Athletes also need to display a high degree of self confidence in order to be successful. With the exception of a very small few most athletes do go to college, and are expected to be successful, which promotes children to seek further education (Williams, 2011 ). A current...
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...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...
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...and class. Today we will be looking at Athletes as role models and how they can be a very bad influence on the people that look up to them especially children. I’m not saying that all athletes are bad role models but some are. We shall also see what athletes can do in the future so that when children look up to them they ARE a good role model Athletes have been looked up to as role models for as long as they have existed. There is just something attractive about the thought of being a great athlete. But, are athletes the kind of people that other people should be looking up to for guidance or direction. A survey was taken in 1995 by sports illustrated the majority of people under the age of 18 said that a professional athlete and only 4% of people under the age of 18 said their parents were their role models. Because today’s media always puts athletes in the spotlight of the public’s eye. Every athlete is monitored on and off the field. Some of them speak a positive message through their fame by demonstrating constructive ideas such as teamwork and commitment while they are on the field. And off the floor they set a good example by going to visit schools, hospitals and set up foundations or organisations for charity or things along that line. People like Michael Jordan are a great example. His dedication on and off the court was to be admired and donated to charities and set up organisation to helping people. However, other athletes are not as considerate to the fact that...
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...enhancing drugs (also known as PED) are legal and illegal substances used by professional athletes to enhance their performance. Performance enhancing drug use by professional athletes is a topic of medical, ethical, and social debate. PED usage by professional athletes has advocates arguing that the negative health consequences reported are grossly exaggerated and they contend that it’s an athlete’s personal decision to accept any potential harmful health hazards. They believe that performance enhancing drug usage is just part of a sport’s natural progression and nothing more than the incorporation of enhanced training approaches and new sport technologies. Additionally, they believe that the use of PED by professional athletes helps them to achieve the highest levels of athletic performance and puts a better product before the public. Opponents of performance enhancing drug use by professional athletes argue that their usage is extremely harmful, and possibly lethal to an athlete’s well-being. Such use makes a professional athlete a fraud, gaining an unfair competitive advantage, violating the competitive spirit of athleticism, and sending an immoral message to youngsters. Opponents further argue that the use of performance enhancing drugs by professional athletes is unethical behavior. PED use is one of the most controversial and talked-about issues in professional sports. The professional sports most impacted are baseball, basketball, and football, which give the PED...
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...Role of Sports in Popular American Culture Our group will cover the world of sports and its effects on pop culture. The sports that will be focused on are the NBA, NHL, MLB, And the NFL. In our discussion we will cover why athletes are considered role models and if they should be. Also we will discuss the debate of why many athletes make millions of dollars before even playing a game and if they are actually being overpaid. Throughout the paper we will explain how pop culture effects why these players get paid what they do by ratings and popularity of the sport. We research why teams take risks on players risking millions of dollars when that money could go back to the fans. In looking at major sports in America in referencing professional athletes as role models . Yes, we know how much money they make and what type of endorsement deals they get; what types of clothing they wear in to the locker rooms before/after the games and to press conferences; if they have of the field incident it is known to the public via media outlets; These athletes are looked up to for the skills possess during the sporting event. These people are great athletes again they are not recognized for what they do off the field of play. Most of Americans all ages that compete in sports copy some type body movement; buy a piece of equipment; develop a swagger that is influenced by professional athletes through which is seen during the time the time competition. These athletes are not recognized for time...
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...Professional athletes are the best of the best, but should they be able to use steroids to make themselves that much better? Using steroids to enhance performance and physique has been and is very popular among athletes. Many times, athletes view steroids as the main contributing factor in efforts to reach the highest level in their profession. Steroids are not good for sports as they have an impact in the world bigger than the effect on each individual steroid user. Sports have been seen as a display of pure skill and talent, but with an integration of steroids, that model is hard to tell as athletes become bigger, faster, and stronger. Steroids should be avoided in sports because they create unfair advantages, affect the integrity of the sport, and lead to poor choices in younger ages as the professional athletes are seen as popular role models. Steroids have been supported by multiple people and continue to lead to discussions as to whether or not they belong in professional sports. Being among the greats takes years of practice and raw skill...
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...Out of all the athletes in the world, 57% who have accommodations to intaking steroids or performance enhancing drugs say that even if these PED’s made their lives shorter that these athletes would still remain to use them. Athletes should not use steroids or performance enhancing drugs for various reasons. The professional athletes are influencing young adults negatively, PED’s are not good for you mentally, emotionally, or physically, and there’s a huge possibility that the athlete will get suspended from their team or sport. Out of ten juveniles, four of them say that their accommodations to intaking performance enhancing drugs or steroids were encouraged by professional athletes which were intaking PED’s. Professional athletes have around...
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...peace, I don’t know if anybody deserves to get that much money.” I believe professional athletes, actors, and vocalists get paid way to much. These professionals should not get paid more than our service men and women, some do not represent an appropriate view for juveniles, and they shouldn’t get paid because athletes don’t stand for the National Anthem. If these professionals are going to act disorderly then they don’t need to be representing America. We don’t need those famous commonality to be representing America like a bunch of barbarians. Why do famous professionals get paid more than service men and women? Service men and women try to make sure all Americans are safe and protected. People in the armed forces only get paid a little over $1,000 a month depending on the months of experience. The troops work very hard for the U.S to be safe and their salary doesn't quite show our appreciation. Athletes, vocalists, and actors don’t do anything but entertain the United States yet they get paid over a million dollars....
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...Secondly, the results of professional athletes using steroids is harmful to the fans. Albert Schweitzer, once quoted “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” In the article “Let steroids Into the Hall of Fame” written by Zev Chafets, he writes a major key point about “People thinking that steroids can set a bad example to the young athletes”. Younger fans hearing of their heroes using enhancement drugs can be harmful to their health and to their life. Children and the way they think are very persuasive. Players should think about the impact they have on the lives of children. Some children may believe that the only way that they are ever going to carry out anything in sports, is by using performance enhancement...
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...Should Athletes Be Considered Role Models By Antonio Dean Should athletes be role models? That is the question that is being asked here. The answer can go both ways. There are some people that view them as role models and some that do not. I personally think that it’s the parent or guardian place to be role models for today’s children. Kids this day in age have so much access to so many different things such as the internet and there is hardly anything that you can’t find on television now. There isn’t anything wrong with kids admiring athletes and wanting to be like them. But how often does that child actually see that athlete or famous person that they are admiring, it is very rare. There are a lot of times where those athletes or professionals did not have role models themselves and that is why you see them become famous they do not know how to handle them fame and glory that comes with it. As parents we should do things that help our children grow as a person and be responsible. To take a quote from Charles Barkley, he said (and this is not a direct quote) I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. Parents should be role models. Just because I can dunk a basketball does not mean I should raise your kid. Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/sports/738186-should-parents-role-models-athletes.html#ixzz0gCGHSlUw Rather they like it or not athletes are role models especially if they have children of their own. You have athletes that are using performance...
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...sports and television are certainly the most influential examples of pop culture. From what the television and the media display to how the athletes' lifestyles are and how they behave in Public. Sports are played and watched across all social classes, but the masses...
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...Before I criticize this passage, I would like to define a few terms. The first term I want to define is “character” and by definition it is defined to be “The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual”(Oxford University). The next term is “role model”, also by definition it is defined to be “A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated”(Oxford University). This passage “Sports Build Character” presents three arguments with two proving a larger conclusion and the larger argument helps the conclusion that professional athletes are not good role models because it isn't what we want our kids or society to learn. The first sub-argument is that athletes personal lives should be judged with their professional lives. The arguments defence was “this is an artificial distinction”, which is saying in simpler terms that this is ”a fake difference”. This...
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...Mark McCallum 5 November 2012 Eng 101: Kruger 1st draft Idolizing athletes: Should kids do it “Parents should be role models. Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids,” (Donna). This quote was made famous by former NBA player Charles Barkley in a commercial he had produced for Nike. Most people don’t take into account that athletes do not choose to go into their professional field expecting to be every little kids role model. They expect that just because they are professionals, they shouldn’t be doing anything wrong and they should be the ideal person. Most athletes however, manage to keep everything they do under wraps and stay out of trouble entailing the media or authorities. The question that has become very prevalent in the day and age where athletes are caught cheating or being arrested remains in the publics’ eye, whether or not their kids should be looking up to these athletes as role models. Baseball is really starting to crack down on their players using Performance Enhancing Drugs or PEDs. “Long before the innocence of the game was permanently stained by the filthy deception of steroids,” (Posnanski 554). That sums up how most baseball fans feel about where the sport has gone, at least the older ones. Parents who watched baseball in their time and now see baseball players as cheaters who don’t deserve all that they are getting because of how they go about it. The baseball they loved didn’t have steroids or sixty...
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...In today world athletes are very popular and sometimes can be category as celebrities. Some even start in movies and TV commercials. Being and athlete can be fun and you get good benefits, but it can, also can be dangerous like being injury, which can cost you your whole career. When you hear the word athletes you automatically picture a person who plays a type of sport such as basketball, baseball, football, volleyball, soccer, and more. When you hear the word celebrities you think of a person who is famous for something they have done. Most athletes become celebrities from either sponsoring a brand or company also from just being an excellent player at the sport they play. For example, LeBron James is an athlete who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is a very well know player and is very good at basketball. He sponsors many companies such as, T-Mobile, Nike, McDonalds, Coca- Cola, State Farms, and more. Due to all the publicity that he receives LeBron James soon became a big celebrity appearing on the red carpet, BET Awards, VMA Awards, TV commercials, and more....
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...the total of 65 games without pay, the suspension will cause him to lose three million dollars out of his eight million salary. As an MLB spokesman shares with CNN that Braun is welcome to return after his suspension, as long as he’s making positive decisions that benefit Major League Baseball, whether it’s on field or off the field. Many professional athletes use PEDs to bulk up, build more muscles, and endurance; however, using PEDs nonstop can result in side effects like strokes, heart attacks, and death when used incorrectly. For the last couple of years, professional athletes from different sports have been caught for the use of PEDs or any other type of steroids, the players, usually a well-known person like Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez. Although, the aid of performance enhancing drugs may provide entertainment to sports they also betray the values of sportsmanship; as well as give an unfair advantage over those who choose not to use PEDs. Many professional athletes know that taking steroids is bad for their health even if only used for a short period of time; however some do it anyway for money. It’s clear that professional athletes who sign bigger contracts make more money and this will likely cause them to turn to the use of PEDs. For example, Alex Rodriguez who is the highest paid baseball player makes 27 million...
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