There will probably come a day when at least one of the kids, probably Torii, will look to an athlete as a role model. I really don’t want my children to look at an athlete as a role model, but it will probably happen. There have been times when Fred and I have used athletes as examples. Torii seems to think that he can go to high school and be so good that he can immediately go play for the Steelers. We explained to him that all those players went to college first (we didn’t tell him how many didn’t graduate), and that they all worked really hard, academically and physically, to be a professional athlete. And if there’s ever a time when my kids think they can’t do something, I don’t have to look far to find an athlete that never said he couldn’t do something. Jim Abbott was born without a right hand, but he played in the major leagues for 10 years. Now you think you can’t do something? Conversely, there’s many athletes that can serve as an example of how not to behave. Recently a Chicago Bears player was arrested for allegedly dealing drugs. Why would you do that? You’re making at least six figures a year to play a game and you blow it all by dealing drugs? Unfortunately, athletes behaving badly seems to be a more common teaching moment and just one of the reasons why they shouldn’t be role models. I’m sure there are many decent human beings playing professional sports, but that doesn’t mean they should be role models. I want my kids’ role models to be their parents, teachers, relatives, and any other person who has a direct positive impact on their lives. I won’t stop them from looking up to an athlete, but we will certainly use that as a teaching moment. And if they do choose an athlete as a role model, please, please let it be Tim Tebow.
