Professional Athletes Are Role Models, Essay Example

Charles Barkley became controversial in 1993 after doing a Nike advert where he stated that he wasn’t a role model. His statement shocked the world and sparked a debate that has been going on ever since. Some agree that placing such a huge responsibility on an athlete is unreasonable, while others state that athletes have an ethical calling to be good examples. The essay will therefore argue why skilled sportspersons should be role models.

In the Nike poster, Charles Barkley detailed that being a good example was a huge responsibility for a stranger and instead should be the role of the parents. Parents should be responsible for their children and not expect public figures to raise their children. Good morals are taught at home, and therefore it is the parents’ responsibility to teach and ensure that their children are good.

Sometimes people are fans of an athlete due to their sporting prowess and not their behavior. According to Klein (2017), fans sometimes view their favorite athlete as a role model in that sport but not a role model in behavior. He argues that fans follow what they see the athlete do when playing, whether their clothes or sports strategies, but not their behavior off-field. He states that fans apply critical thinking when emulating behaviors they see from their favorite athlete. For instance, a teenager is likely to follow an athlete’s clothing style or strategies but not their behavior because they can judge what actions are right and wrong. Klein (2017) describes a study done on young men where it was found that they could discern the behaviors of their role models, thereby choosing or rejecting said behaviors.

On the other hand, I argue that athletes should be role models. First off, athletes are among the most known public figures, which means their actions are often scrutinized. In an article by Leng & Phua (2020), Karl Malone responded to Charles’ stance by stating that athletes are in a position where they can either be good or bad heroes. That is, athletes must be role models. Many people are aware of professional athletes, therefore, their actions should be influential

Secondly, the sportspersons have a prominent rank, and thus have moral obligation to be role models. Professional athletes are in a position where most people only dream of reaching, and thus through what they do and say, they can influence the next generation. Therefore, they must recognize that their actions are emulated by many people, children, and adults alike. According to Leng & Phua (2020), athletes must recognize that their behavior impacts people’s lives on and off-field. Therefore, athletes should positively influence other people since it’s morally right. The utilitarian theory is attached, which states that positively influencing the world makes the world a better place collectively. For instance, young children look up to their parents, but the parents cannot be with them all the time; therefore, they have someone they can look up to if they are interested in sports.

Thirdly, there are many professional athletes to choose as role models scattered in every sport. Granted that there aren’t that many popular sports, there isn’t a shortage of popular athletes who are leaders and celebrities. These popular athletes can share their experiences and inspire different types of fans. For example, Serena Williams is an accomplished tennis player who inspires young girls to achieve success through hard work and determination. According to an article in the Guardian by Brown (2017), Serena Williams is an inspiration to black girls who feel excluded by the American standard of beauty. Another popular athlete is Rhonda Rousey; she is a popular UFC fighter and, according to an article by Carpenter (2016), inspired Adeline Gray, a US gold medalist wrestler, to “feel beautiful.” The two women are among the many inspirational athletes in the different sports, and one may choose from as their role model.

Finally, professional athletes are top achievers and the best in the different sports, which takes a lot of discipline and dedication. They can capture the imagination of their fans by sharing their humble beginnings. The fans then relate to their journey and inspire them to work hard to achieve greatness, just like their favorite athlete. For example, N’golo Kante, a Chelsea midfielder, is a role model for taking a normal salary. He is also described as very humble despite his achievements (Amrani, 2018). Athletes like Kante inspire many people with their humble beginnings and are thus role models.

In conclusion, as much as it is a huge responsibility to place on an athlete, the benefits outweigh the cost in the long run. Meaning that the athletes must recognize their influence and act accordingly. Being morally virtuous is hard at times, but the monetary compensation, fame, and positive impact on the world make it all worth it. There are many athletes in every sport to choose as role models, and the humble beginnings of some of the athletes are an inspiration for their fans to achieve greatness. Thus, athletes have a moral obligation to be role models.

References

Amrani, I. (2018, November 15). Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté is the hero that football needs. The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/15/chelsea-ngolo-kante-football-world-cup-corrupt

Brown, V. (2017, June 1). Serena Williams isn’t just an athlete – she shows black girls their bodies are perfect. The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/04/serena-williams-black-womens-bodies

Carpenter, L. (2016, August 25). Why Ronda Rousey has changed the world for women like Adeline Gray. The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/17/adeline-gray-olympic-wrestler-ronda-rousey

Garcia, A. (2021, June 16). Cristiano Ronaldo snub sees Coca-Cola market value fall by $4bn. ESPN. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.espn.com/soccer/portugal-por/story/4410619/cristiano-ronaldo-snub-sees-coca-cola-share-price-fall-by-$4bn

Klein, S. (2017). An argument against athletes as political role models. FairPlay, Journal of Philosophy, Ethics and Sports Law, 10.

Leng, H. K., & Phua, Y. X. P. (2020). Athletes as role models during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing Sport and Leisure, 1-5.