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Bad Behavior by Celebrity Sports Heroes: Are There Any Strong Role Models Left?

Like most children, I grew up loving sports. And, like many children, I had my share of sports heroes. They were men I looked up to for their athletic accomplishments and strong character.

But now as an adult, I fear the days of the sports hero are in danger of ending.

The headlines tell the increasingly familiar story of famous athletes involved in domestic violence, alarming alcohol and drug abuse, and secret steroid use. This doesn't even take into account the surge of emotion that comes with an elevated level of competition, where not everything will go the player's way—and an ever-present camera with a super-zoom lens captures reactions. In this technology and social media-savvy age, these players are always on stage—and the mistakes they make will be made public. As a result, it is increasingly difficult for young athletes to identify positive and inspiring role models among professional athletes. All of this begs the questions: Is the end of the sports hero inevitable? Is it too late to turn the tide?

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In the good ol' days of peanuts and crackerjacks, professional athletes were more than celebrities. Star athletes like Hank Aaron and Reggie White were role models, encouraging aspiring young athletes around the country.

Many might argue that the athletes of days past were no better or worse role models than today's pro athletes—we just know a whole lot more about today's pros. Perhaps that's true. But for better or worse, the world—and the world of young athletes in particular—is watching today's athletes and finding many of them unworthy of admiration off the field.

Why some professional athletes behave badly has been the subject of much speculation in recent days. Perhaps when some professional athletes reach a certain level of success, they begin to think themselves exempt from the standards of polite society. Perhaps the praise and adoration of their fan base creates a sense of entitlement to live however they want without consequences. Or possibly, the problem is the different standard of consequences to which pro athletes are held. When top athletes go outside the rules and receive different or lesser treatment than average Americans, it may give them the perception, "If I'm good enough on the field, I can behave as I like." Whatever the reasons, there is an arrogance that characterizes these athletes making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Perhaps the shift from renowned to rogue for some of today's sports superstars is due, in part, to how they were taught to play the game as children. In recent years, it appears the emphasis on sportsmanlike conduct, building character and learning to lose gracefully have all been wiped away and replaced with the need to win, break records and earn big dollars. Young athletes are not taught to love the sport for its own sake or respect and encourage teammates. The landscape of youth sports has been changing rapidly over the past few decades and, unfortunately, not for the better.

Winning is important. After all, everything in sports is measured in winning and losing. The reality is, however, that every game will not end in a win. Things go awry when athletes and coaches adopt a whatever-it-takes-to-win mentality. When players desire to win so badly that they breeze by the line of what is true and fair, the integrity of the game (and the players) is lost. Additionally, in many situations, it's not only the player stepping outside the line—it's the coach, team, boosters, etc., lowering standards to keep the player on the team.

But it's not too late. We can increase the likelihood that tomorrow's professional athletes will be men and women of character by teaching today's young athletes to play with purpose. Those in leadership over athletes have to be the ones to stand for solid principles. There are important lessons to be learned in every sport—lessons to be used to help athletes grow not just athletically, but mentally, spiritually and socially as well. The real issue is not whether today's sports heroes are failing young athletes but whether coaches and parents are willing to invest in building sportsmanship and strong character in the next generation of champions. Young athletes are responding to the way they are led.

Since Upward Sports, the world's largest Christian sports league for youth athletics, was founded, my first priority has always been the development of the player's character. Of course, we develop the skills needed to play the game and play it well, but we teach the fundamentals and focus on who the athlete is becoming off the court. In our programs, we make sure athletes understand that long-term goals should not be sacrificed for short-term gains. Young athletes learn that a win achieved dishonorably is worth less than a loss achieved virtuously. And they come to understand that how one lives his or her life on and off the field of play speaks more to your character than any trophy or medal.

Fortunately, there are still some strong role models out there. It inspires me when I hear stories of star athletes around the country giving back to their communities by teaching at camps for underprivileged youth or starting nonprofits to serve our nation's wounded servicemen and women. Maybe, for the next generation of pro athletes, these types of positive stories will be the rule rather than the exception. I sure hope so.

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