An athlete’s home life should not be involved in the life that is in the spot light for everyone to see. They should be allowed their privacy and be able to conduct their lives outside of sports how they please without the chance of public ridicule. Though the life style they live is what children can and should strive for, they should not look to these athletes as role models and heroes. Family members and people that are close to them should be the ones they look up to and admire. Athletes should only be r

ole models on their perspective playing field. When Charles Barkley said, "I am not a role model," I became one of his biggest fans. In a Nike commercial that aired a few years ago featuring basketball star Charles Barkley, Barkley shares with us a few important things: first, just because he’s a basketball star doesn’t mean he should raise America’s kids; two, he is not a role model; and three, parents are the ones who should be role models. Coming from a professional athlete, this helps you to realize that when athletes step onto the playing field they are only thinking about one thing, winning. They are not concerned how their actions both on and off the court are perceived by their fans. When I see what people think of these athletes, the thought brings me back to my own personal experience, that memory has me question anything done in the public eye by anyone. There was a kid on my Inland Empire basketball team who had a pacemaker installed for his heart. He was featured on the local television stations for 'human interest' stories and proclaimed a courageous athlete, a responsible citizen, and an all around good guy. Later, when I got to know him, I found out that he was a first class jerk who looked down on others, degraded his girlfriend, and viciously mocked his teammates. Yet, the public at large saw him as a role model. Although, the one example that I have encountered has shown me the negative side to sports and publicity, it helped to show that not all that is said in the news and in magazines is true. Also, that how we perceive these athletes to live on and off the court can be entirely different and not to mention, completely false. I realized that if this local kid could so easily fool people into believing him to be so virtuous, there is absolutely no way to truly know the multi-million dollar athlete on television. Thus, Barkley's statement struck a chord

Some topics in this essay:
Steve Howe, , Recently Bryant, Inland Empire, Barkley Barkley, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, Tech Hokies, role models, Michael Jordan, role model, Allen Iverson, playing field, athletes role models, athletes role, considered role models, professional athlete, true meaning, professional sports, live lives, charles barkley, athletes considered role, basketball star,