In today’s society, many athletes and celebrities are role model to by children of all ages. Athletes give off an aroma of charisma and confidence. Many athletes became popular and well known because they appear on television performing a sport or advertising a product. In addition, in general many professional athletes make more money than the working citizen does. Which is another reason why society holds them to a much higher standard. Professional athletes are also scrutinizing for being over paid and irresponsible. However, student athletes participate in support programs, give back to the community and have certain qualities that make them positive role models. While others may state the same claim about student athletes as they do professional athletes, I believe student athletes can be positive role models to children.
History supports the inference that sports players have been adored since ancient Greece. When the Olympic Games first began in Greece, they were known as rituals. Wars between feuding lands would stop to see these glory games because each land wanted to see their heroes reach new heights and defend their land. “All through history sporting performance and success had been the substance from substance from which heroes were made (true men as they were called)” (Biskup & Pfisher, 1999). Hence, these players were honored for their performance with crowns made of coral reefs. So many citizens wanted to be a player because being an Olympic winner meant that they were a demi god. This meant an individual more powerful than a mere mortal who had a better chance of being accepted into the heavens on mountain Olympus with the rest of the gods.
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