Role Models

8 Pages 2032 Words

Athletes As Role Models "An athlete with undying will, tremendous courage, awesome defense, and unbelievable scoring. Michael Jordan, a man who seems to be without a weakness, makes a great role model for youths and adults ("Role Models on"). Michael Jordan shows he is also a great person off the court by the way he has given his money to charities and has dealt with the difficulties in his life. This is a person who is looked up to and admired by people everywhere. Michael Jordan is a role model, just as all athletes in the spotlight. When people become professional athletes or any kind of athlete that is brought into the public eye, they become a role model. A role model can set good examples by being educated, having good morals, and by staying drug free; or they can set bad examples by doing the complete opposites of these actions. As role models it is important that athletes show the youth of today the importance of getting an education. It seems that high school and college basketball players have not been doing a very good job of setting this example. A record 37 underclassmen, plus three high school students, made themselves available for the recent National Basketball Association draft, adding to the growing concern of many that more and more young men, particularly black men, will abandon educational pursuits for hoop dreams. (Farrell 15) When younger kids see these players pass up their education for the attempt to get rich quick it sends the message that education isn't that important. John Thompson says, " One of the dangers of what is going on is that it minimizes the value of an education" (Farrell15). There is a very small few of amateur basketball players that make it to the NBA, and this is another reason why leaving education for the NBA is not such a good idea. The way things are going college might be looked at as a momentary preparation for the NBA. " College coaches will be trying to impress upon recruits how soon...