ng both the spectator and the gods. In Roman times 2000 years ago, athletes represented the state during the gladiator games and chariot races. They were seen as soldiers who reassured the citizen that the nation was strong. Today, athletes are not considered to be religious figures but nonetheless are accorded great material wealth, privilege, and fame. These figures are visible to us on a weekly basis. Because of their talent, salary, and positions as leaders, it’s inevitable that we admire and identify them with such integrity (Ferraro). Courage and determination aren’t the only lessons we can learn from successful athletes. Some of the best athletes in history are the ones who can take their achievements in stride. You have to love a sport in order to do it well. Hard-working and motivated people understand that winning isn’t everything. Leading a team in homeruns or 3-pointers, is meaningless when compared to one just giving his/hers best shot at it. Champion distance runner Joan Benoit says, “Winning is neither everything nor the only thing. It is one of many things” (Globus). Athletes have made many contributions to society over the years. Los Angles Rams linebacker George Andrews is one example. Andrews stood outside the principle’s office at Douglas Macarthur Fundamental Intermediate School in Santa Ana, watching about three hundred sixth graders file into the auditorium for his anti-drug speech. “I think you can give kids a positive role model, it helps.” Andrews said (Berkow). All professional teams in the L.A. area have Adopt a School programs, in which athletes meet with students and stress getting an education and staying off drugs (Berkow). Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox is another pro athlete who has done good deeds especially for kids with disabilities. Wakefield ran a golf tournament (Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic) in Jan. 1993 and raised $40,275 for the Space Coast Early Intervention Center, which would have closed down in July of 1992 if it weren’t for the head of the center, Betsy Farmer, a close friend of Wakefield. In the past eight years, Wakefield has raised $1,127,704 for the organization, which has subsequently blossomed into one of the nation’s leading facilities in helping children with disabilities; mainly Down Syndrome. Tim said this about the organization: “I’m very fortunate to be living a dream and making the money I am, so why not give it to someone who really needs it?”(Horrigan). In 1989, about 8,000 schoolchildren from the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys, carried red, white, and blue balloons that read “JUST SAY NO” into the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA for an a

Some topics in this essay:
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