The Effects of having Athletes as Role Models
...de to begin chewing tobacco, it takes someone to show them that it is cool. Gerlach, Orleans, and Kaufman discovered that "high school athletes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than non-athletes. However, research also shows that high school athletes are more likely to use chewing tobacco or snuff than non-athletes. They may see their favorite baseball player spitting tobacco juice on TV and want to be like him. Or certain products marketed toward kids may influence their decision (such as shredded bubble gum sold in pouches made to look like chewing tobacco)" (Gerlach, N. J. Kaufman, and C. T. Orleans 1). While the numbers of students who use chewing tobacco are on the rise, athletes are also promoting(Unintentionally) the popularity of alcohol among America's youth. MJ Chen and JW Grube of the Research Society on Alcoholism found that "A study of 5th-through 11th-grade students found that those who are exposed to and enjoy alcohol advertisements have more favorable beliefs about drinking and say they are more likely to drink in the future and consume more alcohol" (M.J. Chen, J.W. Grube 1). This poses a serious problem for the future of the young sports fans of America. Another effect of giving athletes iconic standings is the lengths that our nation's youth will go in order to become their favorite athletes. While inspired to become one's favorite athlete many good things can happen including building self esteem, getting exercise, and becoming healthier. But what if one is without natural talents, or are not six foot five and weigh two hundred pounds? What if no matter how hard he works he can not become as successful as his favorite athletes? This is a real situation that has gotten in the way of many professional athlete's goals, as well as the goals of athletes in high school and the college level. Unfortunately, one thing that professional athletes know is that they can exceed their physical limitations with the use of illegal body enhancing drugs, such as steroids. The use of steroids has become so common in professional athletics that now it is well known about amongst athletes of all ages. Use of illegal steroids has even infiltrated sports at the high school level. Larry Birnbaum of The College of St. Scholastica asserts that "Now, it seems all athletics is about is winning at all costs, particularly at the professional level, Olympics and Division I Collegiate sports programs. I want to believe that at least most high school and Division III Collegiate athletes still play fair, but according to a 1988 study, 7 percent of high school seniors reported that they had used steroids. That was 15 years ago. Since then, the ergogenic aid regimen has grown" (Yesalis 1). And it will only continue to grow as it has already become a crutch for America's youth if they cannot perform at the level for which they are striving. Many professional athletes have committed crimes in the past and gotten away with them, this shows America's youth that if they are important enough to society that they will be above the law. Not only does this create a dangerous attitude, but one that sees no negative consequences. The youth of America already sees professional athletes as aggressive, strong, and dangerous, but to add on top of all that the idea of being above the law simply because they are valuable players on some type of team is wrong. Numbers of athletes have committed crimes in the past, and it always seems to be that they get off with a lesser sentence, as long as they can be allowed to perform in the upcom...