Professional Sports and Michael Pore Essay Example for Free

Professional Sports and Michael Pore Essay Athletes are almost as bad of role models as criminals. Athletes get called role models a lot but they do not fit the definition of a role model. Athletes set bad examples for teens. They make poor choices and are easily forgiven due to their athletic abilities. Athletes are bad role models for teens and kids because a lot of athletes have bad habits, set unrealistic expectations, and set bad examples. In spite of their abilities, athletes are not good role models for anyone of any age. Many athletes have bad habits like drug use, fighting, and gambling. Laura K. Egendorf says many unrealistic expectations are set; not everyone can become famous or a professional athlete. Too many teens and kids look up to major athletes so they should not be setting the bad examples that they are setting (Laura K. Egendorf, 64). Not only are they setting bad examples but they have bad habits as well. Also, as teens grow older they read about their athlete hero and their bad habits. Michael A.  Pore states that any law breaking or wrong thing a professional athlete does, there is a story posted in newspaper, online, or even said on television. Michael Jordan had a gambling problem, Sammy Sosa had a steroid issue, and Riddick Bowe had a fighting problem (Michael A. Pore, 41). Some teens realize athletes are not good role models. Professional athletes are easily forgiven for their mistakes. However, professional athletes set bad examples for teens and young athletes. Michael A. Pore states that athletes are too easily forgiven for their bad behavior. You don’t need to use drugs to be good at something. They feel money comes easily, but money is not everything and does not come easily. Athletes send bad messages to kids; if you buy a certain product the athlete promotes, you will not perform better (Michael A. Pore, 40). Not everyone will perform the way professional athletes do and become famous. In Addition, athletes set unrealistic expectations for the teens and kids looking up to them. Not everyone can and will become a professional athlete. Very few people will make millions of dollars a year just for playing a sport. Michael A. Pore says teens feel if they wear a brand promoted by an athlete they will fit in with the rest of the players playing the sport. For the kids looking up to the professional athletes, they feel they have to look as strong as them or be as muscular as them to plat the sport well (Michael A. Pore, 43). A few athletes get their muscular look from steroids, not actual strength. However, steroid use is not that bad once in a while. In the article, Athletes Are Role Models it states; If you have no time for practice, steroids improve your performance. Steroids make you feel better when you do well in your game. No one will know if you do it once in a while (http://www. ickscorner. com). Steroids can help anyone any age. In any case, no one of any age should use steroids. Steroids are an illegal substance and if you get caught using them you can get a huge fine or even jail time. If you use steroids, you are just cheating yourself and the game. Not only does steroid use get looked down on but it also kills brain cells (http://forum. bodybuilding. com). If you do not have time to practice and feel like that is a reason to use steroids and perform better, than you should not have the time to be on the team. Accordingly, athletes can set realistic expectations and help teens and kids go for their dreams. Laura K. Egendorf explains how most young kids and teens want to be famous when they are older; professional athletes help them reach for that dream. As teens grow older, they continue to watch their favorite professional athlete. Watching them do well in a game will make teens want to perform like them (Laura K.  Egendorf, 64). Professional athletes make a lot of money just for playing a game, but money is not everything. On the other hand, many kids and teens get motivated but is it realistic? Very few people in the world become famous. The chances of becoming a professional athlete are really small; there are about 301,000,000 people in the United States and only about 17,000 professional athletes. â€Å"http://forum. bodybuilding. com† Being like a professional athlete is not always good; drugs are not a good thing for a teen to get into. As a result, athletes should not be role models for anyone of any age; they have bad habits, set unrealistic expectations, and set bad examples. A lot of athletes have bad habits like steroid use and gambling. Professional athletes set unrealistic examples, not everyone can and will be famous. Many bad examples are set within athletes. People get motivated for unrealistic dreams. Athletes can teach teens how to try to achieve in athletics but they can’t help with homework or real world family issues, they should not be considered role models.