This week Jose Mourinho accused Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of being a bad Dad if he’d refuse to feed his kids if they reacted the way Son did to deny Man Utd a goal saying, “Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole” 🤣🤣. So it got us thinking about role models in sport and our own responsibilities as role models in sport too.
We know you lads do a great job of being good role models at grass roots level, just by continuing to play and playing in the right way, it shows our kids, sport should be for life. Now if you make a living through sport in the media, it brings with it a whole new level of attention and responsibility. So what about these guys ? Are they good or bad role models?
Lance Armstrong. Known for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times, from 1999 to 2005, the most in the event’s history, after recovering from testicular cancer. However, his reputation was tarnished (or destroyed?) when he admitted career doping after his retirement. But no doubt got many many people cycling. So good or bad?
Paul Gascoigne. Widely recognised as the most naturally talented English footballer of his generation. But now more widely recognised as a player who mis-managed his career and became a post sport alcoholic. But got so many of us trying to be Gazza. So good or bad?
George Best The highly skillful dribbler, regarded as one of the best players in the history of the sport. However better known for his womanising and drinking. And yet got so many us to engage in football by doing things on a pitch we could only dream of, so good or bad?
And here’s some more we know about; Ben Johnson, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson
But for all of their wrong doings, they did inspire us to get involve and active. By watching what they were doing in their arenas we wanted to copy, regardless of what they were doing outside of it. So then, as adults and parents should everyone be expected to be good sporting role models for our nations kids too? Should it be expected that children see adults and parents leaving the house for a while to get active? and to even watch mum & dad performing in their own arenas? Preaching to the converted here we know as you are getting involved, and maybe Lance Armstrong is a stretch. But maybe society is just a bit too quick to judge these people who have made such a positive contribution?
Let’s keep doing our bit, KEEP PLAYING, KEEP OTHERS PLAYING TOO 👍⚽
