Maybe we should educate our children not to use Footballers as Role models.
 

Following the errr little problem with John Terry, there appears to be a new target for the "moralists" who print newspapers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ing-model.html

Disillusioned Terry supporters or upholders of the public's right to know?

Should we try to educate our kids not to look up to sportsmen in general or only those of certain sports (football and golf spring to mind)?

Parents should be a childs role model. Just because somebody is good at football doesn't mean they should be forced to take on the job of being a role model too. That said, I think being chosen as captain of a team does come with extra requirements. You have to be respected to some degree.

Ive certainly never looked up to sportstars. On a physical level maybe but certainly not regards their morals or how they handle relationships etc.

It's a great point, Shasown. I think we should raise them to take the positives from wherever they find them. If they want to be a footballer then I don't see a problem with them being inspired by a footballer... but only where football is concerned... and let their moralistic stance come from good parenting. I'm a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, but only his writing. I'm not going to blow my brains out because he did. Kids don't need role models, they need guidence and to learn the meaning of right and wrong so that they can decide what path to walk, rather than blindly following someone that they don't actually know.

Who the fuck does look up to idiotic footballers anyway?

NOt just footballers, but all entertainers in general. Thats whta I never understand, when people are so focus on the personal lives of entertainers. MOst of the time, these are the people who drop out of school, who do drugs, and were a nightmare for their parents. Then they end up rich and famous, because of sports music or other things. ANd now all of a sudden, they are supposed to be role models. Its ridiculous! MOst of them do worst things than Terry on the side. They just usually dont get caught.

The only thing Terry should be a role model for, is how to play center back. The only thing Tiger Wood should be a role model for, is how to hit drivers and iron shots. Not how to conduct your lives.

There's plenty of people do. You want like names or something? Like a list?...Santa?

Yes why do so many Girls think Jordan is great?

Because Jordan shows them that you don't need to be educated or even a nice person to make it in this world. You just need big tits and a robot voice. No offence, I wasn't meaning your robot voice.

I love you.

parents job is to shatter the illusion of celebs and sports stars

we can all wonder what it would be like to be like them but at the same time realise that all have sinned and will continue to do so.

Look up to Jesus. no one else matters.

I think it is harmless when young boys look up to sportsman like David Beckham. Young boys and a few girls... lol will look up to them because they want to be a footballer too. It is a good thing and it is a good physical sport.

Most just want to be footballers.. and simple as that. However the fame thing comes into it. The media will do anything for a snippet of juicy gossip from ANYONE in the public eye.

That's B.S. Sure people look up to them as athlethes, but people like Posh & Becks and parasites like Jordan and Andre have inspired and convinced young people to be as unpragmatic, vein and materialistic as they can possibly be and to ***** themselves out to virtually anything.

On the other hand I don't think parents should be automatic role models either. Not everyone has great parents, and often parents will inspire you only to live the life of 9-5, reproduce then die mundanity that they have adhered to.

Be your own role model. Have a hero, if you want, but make it for a good reason. My hero is Bill Hicks because he spoke an unbelievable amount of truth and sense about the world we live in. Some peoples heros are Peter and Jordan. Why?

Although I don't disagree with that - look at the amount of kids on here that idolize so called celebrities/sportstars simply because they are famous! Kids are influenced by such people - regardless of upbringing!

kids look up to who they want! their idols. :)
but, taking John Terrys 'captain' place away from him! - :bored:

I made a thread once on here which was about a study made on young girls nowadays compared to young girls 40 years ago.

It basically said that 40 years ago, when someone asked a little girl what she wants to be when she gets older, she usually said teacher or nurse.
Nowadays, when the same question is being asked, the majority of little girls say they want to be a celebrity like Paris Hilton.

It says it all to be honest.

Not all sports because some players earn too much money while some are basically rather unknown and don't earn much money from this.

That's one of the reason I will always love Rugby over Football because us, Rugby players do it because it's our passion. It doesn't pay a lot to be a professional player while footballers earn too much money for what they're doing.

So I can see why young men look up for them because it shows how easy it is to make money. But it's not right.

Have to agree - I find that really sad!

I think girls, from an early age, should be encourgaged to aim for wider career choices than just teachers and nurses - ie there should be more women engineers, scientists etc - but to just aspire to be complete waste of spaces like Paris Hilton is beyond comprehension. The value system of this country has so gone downhill in that respect. Mind you, despite the survey - I think most girls in higher education have more sense!

Cant stop children not looking up to footballers..

When most boys are young they play football, they always look up to some footballer and support a team, you cant stop a kid not having a type of person the look up to..

Unless you stop them watching football altogether which would be ridiculous.

Yeah, we probably should not encourage women into sciences or engineering. As it is we already have too many women Biologists aka 'Librarians of science' but we can use less Paris Hiltons that is for sure.

You know the important thing here is to remember footy stars work very hard to create for us a used net.
These used nets can be given away to schools or fishermen some day.

Seriously, it is possible for an athlete to use a game as a simplified way.. a sort of object lesson.. to show kids how dedication, practice and effort can achieve a literal goal.
Then you hope that the kids see this for what it is - an example or lesson about life itself.
Maybe realizing that they want to be a Biologist so they apply those concepts and practices, not into a field and ball but into books and study and experiments.
You might hope that is what can happen.

Little boys will always like football, nothing wrong with that - it is our national sport, it keeps them fit apart from anything else, better than being sat in front of a computer screen all day long. Hence little boys will always idolise players and will be likely to take on board certain behaviours as normal, acceptable behaviour, when perhaps they aren't.

I think that if players are going to be paid such astronomical amounts of money to represent their country - they have certain responsibilities. They are role models to gullible young boys - like it or not. Has always been the case.

Footballers are normal people they cant live perfect lives..

As for
"if players are going to be paid such astronomical amounts of money to represent their country"
Every penny of their wages playing for the national team goes to charity.

And they will idolize someone, and football players (usually) arent a bad choice, id rather a footballer than a rapper.

no there not they are public role models who children look up too

No-one's perfect granted - but when earning so much money for kicking a ball - they have to contribute some degree of responsibility for the image they create.

Didn't know about the charity bit - I think that is a good idea - but generally, think they are paid far too much money for what they do. Maybe if they want to be less influential in youngsters lives - they should be paid a lot less!

agreed.

Agreed:)

Agree with you on that but I cant really see it happening anytime soon.

Imagine the next Meeting of the Professional Footballers Association.

"Next thing on the agenda, look lads we have this plan to keep the press of our backs and to be more accepted in society, all you have to do is take a whopping great pay cut at the higher levels, call it 100 grand a year not a week for the top lads.

After all you are in it for the love of the beautiful game not lining your pockets.

Oh and speaking of pockets, could we ask all of you to keep your cocks in your pockets until this Terry Cole Ferdidand stuff has died down and been forgotten?"

Talk about lead balloons.