Should Athletes Be Role Models Essay

Athletes Should Not be Expected to be Role Models When you hear the phrase “all-star athlete” what kind of person pops into your head? Do you imagine an incredibly gifted individual with phenomenal athletic abilities, or do you envision a super hero that you can look up to? Often, professional athletes are given the misconception of being role models in society. In reality, they are people like you and me doing their job. The only differences may be their high salaries and buffed up egos, which is a proving point that they do not make accurate and responsible role models. In addition to their altered lives they lack many social skills in society because they trade off social responsibilities for total concentration and devotion to their sport. It is nearly impossible for professional athletes to maintain a spotless reputation and perform at their best level while being constantly scrutinized by the media, making them less than stellar role models for society. To begin, the average day in the life of a professional athlete is hectic and stressful. Athletes are so caught up in their job that they forget about the real world and how it functions sometimes. Wallace demonstrates, “To be a …show more content…
Younger generations need to realize that while they may have exceptional athletic abilities that does not mean they have exceptional leadership skills. While everyone makes mistakes, for some odd reason the media flourish on the mistakes made by professional athletes, and gives another reason not to idolize them. In summation, athletes should not be subject to the harsh spotlight and do not deserve to be treated with such examination. They are merely doing their job and they should be judged on their athletic abilities and not character. In conclusion, leave the role model aspect to other occupations and let the athletes do their job without being judged on their actions off the