Athletes as Role Models

             Sports have played a major role in society since the beginning of man. From the Greeks to the present day, the influence of great athletes has been tremendous. However, today's media has enhanced sports and the people who play them traumatically. Athletes are seen all over the place, we see them in commercials, on television shows, we read about them in magazines, and we watch them on national television all of the time. Sports are some of the most watched television programs. People of all ages look up to these athletes. Athletes are expected to be responsible, positive, and mature role models. Many of the Sports Organizations like the NFL have put in league wide policies to keep athletes in line. Even though some break these policies and get in trouble with the league and sometimes the law. Most higher level athletes provide hope for young athletes all around the world. Jackie Robinson for example broke the color barrier in baseball, and gave new hope to black athletes everywhere. (Sailer 2) Children act like their favorite players when they are playing sports, and mimic their moves and attitudes.
             Sports are a big part of our society. They put the athletes who play them on a pedestal. In this paper I plan to show the need for athlete role models in society, the kind of role models athletes become, and the ways in which athlete role models influence fans.
             One of the fastest growing popular cultural practices in the US is organized sports. Approximately 30 million children are involved in youth sports programs, 6.5 million in interscholastic athletics and 250,000 in intercollegiate athletics. (Sage 33) "I mimic the way I play after Walter Payton, he was the best and I want to be the best", Priest Holmes of the Baltimore Ravens said this when asked, who had the most influence on your football career. Many big time players have someone that they have tried to play like and be like. Athletes are a big part of our societ...

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Athletes as Role Models. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:59, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/56044.html