Sports Role Models?

Where have all the athlete role models gone? This seems to be the discussion in many articles across the country lately. Since the 2005 season, nine players from one NFL team were arrested. One player, killed in a drive-by shooting in downtown Denver after leaving a nightclub on New Year’s Eve…. Other players being questioned about triple shootings. Let’s not forget that there were over 400 arrests during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.

Is “3 strikes and you’re out” the answer? Maybe, but I would like us to consider why we are having this problem in the first place. As we look around, the number of role models in professional sports has not diminished. They are still everywhere.

There are still many professional athletes that demonstrate greatness in values, incredible kindness and care. There are still professional athletes that are hard working and dedicated to thinking and acting in a manner that is considered a good example for others.vv Perhaps a better solution is to attack the issue at the root. Growing role model athletes takes nurturing from the beginning. As parents it is important to be there for our children. We need to take them to practice, not just send them to practice. We need to be there when they win… and when they lose. We should be the narrator of life’s lessons to be learned as they are so often played-out through sports.

When we are not there….someone or something else will be.