Athletes As Role Models?

Why Athletes are Not Role Models, Newsweek Magazine Article

 The very week we began discussing morality and ethics in professional and amateur sports with our 8th grade students, Newsweek magazine published this hard-hitting article about the image of the professional athlete in our society.

Its author, an African-American woman, has some strong words for the behavior of many professional athletes, including this quote from a leading sports sociologist, Steven Ortiz:

Spoiled-athlete syndrome begins early in sports socialization. From the time they could be picked out of a lineup because of their exceptional athletic ability, they've been pampered and catered to by coaches, classmates, teammates, family members and partners. As they get older, this becomes a pattern. Because they're spoiled, they feel they aren't accountable for their behaviors off the field. They're so used to people looking the other way.

The article is brief, and although it contains some 5o cent words, it will surely spark some interesting conversation. Check it out.