Athlete

An athlete can be represented as a person who has good character on and off the scene, has respect towards others, and sacrifices himself for others. This is the most accurate view of athletes in the world today. However, athletes can also tend to participate in illegal behavior, not be a role model for people who look up to them, and show disrespect.



Athletes have many criteria that society judges them on. They have many positive characteristics that make them outstanding in society. Athletes sacrifice their time to help the community and be a role model. They are willing to learn new things to be better people and better players of their sport. They have respect for their teammates, coach, players, and the community. They are capable of identifying their own weaknesses and working on improving them. However, athletes sometimes also have negative characteristics which cause them not to be a role model at times. Athletes can sometimes have the tendency to disrespect the players, coaches, and referees in time of frustration. Athletes at times do not have good sportsmanship and they can be arrogant. They sometimes end up breaking the laws by participating in illegal behaviors. Overall, athletes have both positive and negative aspects that shape themselves.

Athletes possess certain personalities that make him or her considered an athlete in society. One of the most important characteristics of athletes is their sacrifice of their time for the community. In order to help the community, many athletes participate in many programs and organizations to work with younger children or children with disabilities. Dwight Howard has founded an organization called "Dwight's D12 Foundation" that works with the younger children of the community. (http://www.dwighthoward.com/tag/dwight-howard). He participates in this program to raise funds and help the community. Athletes have a very busy and rigorous schedule, but they sacrifice their time for the community. Athletes are what children look up to in the world of today, and they are a source of their inspiration. Children look up to athletes as role models and want to be famous as they are one day. Through NBA Cares, NBA players are able to play with the children, helping them develop their skills in the sport that they love. (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/35011-who-cares-the-nba-cares-thats-who-part-1). This makes the children feel loved and special. The athletes give inspiring speeches to the children and motivate them so that they can dream big and reach their goals. This organization helps athletes give back to theri community because the community also plays an important role in the athletes' lives. Good athletes are also able to identify their weaknesses and are able to build on them; whether it be physical build up or mental build up. The book, __Mind Gym,__ by Gary Mack shares the techniques that strong athletes use to build their mental "muscle." This helps the athlete improve mentally along with physically. This quality stands out in the phenomenal athletes. Athletes are a major factor in the community just as they are in their sport and their sacrifice to the community is one of the many positive characteristics that distinguishes them from anybody else.

On the other hand, even though athletes have many positive abilities, they also tend to contain some negative aspects which cause them to be undermined in society. Athletes are very determined to win and are very supportive and prideful of themselves and their team which is what causes them to be very aggressive at times. They can get frustrated with the game, the opponents, and the referee. The Pistons' brawl was between two teams who were very frustrated of each other while the game gained intensity. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacers-Pistons_brawl.). Suddenly, they began to fight each other and the fight was almost taken to the fans. Athletes start to develop rivalries with their opponents and being to lose their good character and sportsmanship when all they have on their mind is victory. They lose their respect for their opponents in the intensity of the game. Athletes have been seen knocking down other players, elbowing, and using more types of violence. They even have the tendency to disrespect the referee and even their coach. Rasheed Wallace, in one of his games, began to curse at the referee and start screaming because he thought that the calls that the referee made were unfair. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG8BY80BxPA.) Instead of respecting the call of the referee, athletes bust out in anger and end up doing things that might get them into trouble. Even when they are not playing their sport, athletes lose their character. In 2003, Kobe Bryant, a basketball player of the Los Angeles Lakers, was caught in the case of sexual assault on a woman. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant_sexual_assault_case). These negative aspects lower the reputation of the athletes after their hard work of making one. Athletes are undermined in their society based on their negative behaviors.

Overall, athletes are most known for their positive contributions. They stand out being role models for the younger generation. Their contribution to the community plays an important factor in the lives of the children of today, even the disabled children who unfortunately have restraints in their life. These children are so uplifted and touched by the visits of famous athletes. Despite their negative behaviors, athletes have a great impact on us. They teach us that in order to be successful, we have to work really hard. They inspire us with advice that shows us that nothing is impossible. Athletes teach kids not only to dream big, but also to strive towards reaching their dreams and making them a reality. Athletes are not just a source of entertainment in the world; their value to the world is legendary.

__Works Cited__
 * "Dwight’s D12 Foundation honored for making difference in kids’ lives." N.p., 15 02 2012. Web. 3 May. 2012. .
 * “Kobe Bryant sexual assault case.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant_sexual_assault_case>.
 * Mack, Gary. // Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence // . Print.
 * “Pacers-Pistons brawl.” N.p., 19 04 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacers-Pistons_brawl.
 * Rasheed Wallace with his usual Trash Talk but NO TECHNICAL. Film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG8BY80BxPA.
 * V, Gaz. Who Cares? The NBA Cares, That's Who! Part 1. N.p., 04 06 2008. Web. 3 May. 2012. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/35011-who-cares-the-nba-cares-thats-who-part-