Professional Athletes Have a Responsibility to Be Positive Role Models for Children

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Jamie Saunders 414000340 English for Academic Purposes Thesis: Professional athletes have a responsibility to be positive role models for children Professional athletes are individuals who play a respective sport at the highest level and are paid for their performances. They are often well known and become household names, due to the many sports fans all around the world. Professional athletes have a duty to behave in a manner that is conducive for children, in terms of playing their respective sports in the right manner because their young fans will play similarly, and along with bad habits being followed, their actions will have an impact on the spirit in which the game is played in the future. Children will undoubtedly emulate their actions because they are looked up to by these young individuals. They want to be just like them, because of this, in many cases children will follow their actions blindly out of admiration for the athlete. Secondly, the onus is on the professional athletes to strive to be a role model for their younger fans because children are socialized into looking at sports as a way to gain key attributes. This is illustrated by John R. Gerdy in his book “Sports in School, the future of an institution”. It states “Athletic programs, if conducted in a way that emphasizes the value of the process (participation) as opposed to the outcome (winning), can instil in participants an appreciation for hard work, honesty, teamwork, and discipline.” Professional athletes are expected to demonstrate high levels of commitment and dedication, as well as integrity in their respective sport not only for themselves and their team, but so that there is a good example in which their young fans can follow and possibly shape the way they play their sport of interest. Furthermore, with the power and fame that is associated with

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