Are Athletes Good Role Models For Kids?

Children may imitate the positive behavior an athlete practices in his sport, such as following rules, striving for improvement and teamwork. Athletic training and improving performance demonstrate focused, persistent and goal-oriented behavior that may positively influence a child's behavior. Although media coverage may overemphasize a professional athlete's missteps and mishaps, John Tauer, Ph.D., suggests that athletes may actually provide good role models for children in his August 2009 "Psychology Today" article.

Physical Fitness

Athletes may be good role models for children because they encourage greater physical fitness. Training and improving athletic performance involve strengthening bones and muscles, enhancing range of motion and taking care of the body. Greater physical fitness helps children look, feel and perform at their best. Imitating athletes can help children perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly while having energy for leisure activities and meeting emergency demands. Greater physical fitness helps children cope with stress, enhances general health and promotes a sense of well-being.

Social Integration and Good Behavior

Violating rules of conduct can prevent athletes from participating in sports, while following the rules supports social integration. Children can learn good behavior from an athlete who has a track record of sportsmanlike conduct. Communicating calmly with officials and opponents, maintaining control during emotionally charged situations, reacting positively to aggressive actions by others and refraining from obscene language or gestures are examples of sportsmanlike conduct. Athletes may be good role models for children by discouraging antisocial behavior, such as cheating, fouling, bad sportsmanship and violence. Athletes, such as football and basketball players, cooperate with others, and children can learn to overcome impulses by imitating this team cooperation.

Achievement and Goals

Playing sports motivates achievement by directing an athlete's behavior toward optimistic results, such as winning a game or progressing to the next round, and away from damaging outcomes. In 2001, the "European Journal of Sport Science" published a study by researchers at the French Universities of Paris-Sud Orsay and Grenoble I analyzing the content of essays written by 107 female and 95 male students. These essays suggested that sports were the most important social domain of achievement for these students. Athlete role models may help children pursue mastery goals, such as acquiring new skills, understanding tasks and improving competence. The French study showed that boys were less oriented toward mastery goals than were girls. Therefore, athlete role models may help boys pursue social comparison goals, such as striving for distinction and surpassing normal performance.

Optimism

Athletes may influence greater optimism in children. For example, an athlete can influence a child to play a game as if his team can win despite the fact that the team's most valuable player is injured. Playing sports requires that athletes overcome physical pain and accept risks, such as the risk of losing. Athlete role models may help children learn to accept setbacks or risks by promoting positive possibilities and discounting limitations to possibilities. Children with athlete role models may develop a greater ability to manage stress by overcoming doubt and negative impulses, such as worry, fear, anger, frustration or feeling overwhelmed.