Footballers as role models

hoof_it_up_to_benty

I hear it trotted out time and time again that footballers are role models but I've never understood why? They're paid to play football and beyond that do we really expect more?

We get some who do engage with fans and the community but it seems they're in the minority. Young players are so hyped up now at the top level it's almost guaranteed they will lose touch with reality. If you were 20 years old earning 50k+ a week what would you have done?

Most of us were pretty idiotic and immature in our early 20s I imagine......

The Red Robin

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

I hear it trotted out time and time again that footballers are role models but I've never understood why? They're paid to play football and beyond that do we really expect more?

We get some who do engage with fans and the community but it seems they're in the minority. Young players are so hyped up now at the top level it's almost guaranteed they will lose touch with reality. If you were 20 years old earning 50k+ a week what would you have done?

Most of us were pretty idiotic and immature in our early 20s I imagine......

Completely agree. If you need a footballer for your kid's role model you need to question your parenting ability in my opinion.

Lee Bowyer was my favourite player as a kid. Not my role model. Luckily.

SuedeAdidas

Agree entirely.
I think social media has a lot to do with this.

If young people do need to look for inspirational people then number of Twitter or Instagram followers is not necessarily the best barometer.

killerandflash

I think all players do community work to be fair, even if it's because the clubs make them do it! You often see clips of PL players visiting hospitals and schools

JaShea99

I agree that they shouldn’t be, but for kids who don’t have proper parents, they often are whether they like it or not.

East_Stand_Loopy

https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5aba1dc22a09c/marshall-sarr-and-former-addick-mortimer-star-at-last-weeks-efl-day-of-action

Case in point?

LonelyNorthernAddick

I think the idea of them as a role model might have more to do with image rights and agents trying to sell these young stars as a brand, they know that if they get a lot of kids looking up to and having a hero status for that player they are going to make $$$ off it for shirt sales etc etc.

LonelyNorthernAddick

I could understand the idea of a role model for someone like N'golo Kante, who came from nothing and worked his ass off and still seems to be pretty humble even today when he must be earning serious money, but not for ALL footballers just because they play football and get paid a lot. People seem to have lost the barrier between celebrity and role model nowadays. Anyone whose on tv a lot or has instagram fame (Kim Kardashian and all the other bimbos) is somehow a role model, Ant McParlin for eg, I don't see why anyone would look up to him as a role model myself but he's getting a lot of stick at the moment (rightly so) for letting people down and not being a role model etc

Sorry for the double post, thought i'd separate it out as they are separate points

cafctom

The Red Robin said:

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

I hear it trotted out time and time again that footballers are role models but I've never understood why? They're paid to play football and beyond that do we really expect more?

We get some who do engage with fans and the community but it seems they're in the minority. Young players are so hyped up now at the top level it's almost guaranteed they will lose touch with reality. If you were 20 years old earning 50k+ a week what would you have done?

Most of us were pretty idiotic and immature in our early 20s I imagine......

Completely agree. If you need a footballer for your kid's role model you need to question your parenting ability in my opinion.

Bit harsh. A lot of kids will choose footballers as role models regardless of whoever you try and thrust upon them, simply because kids love football.

PopIcon

Children choose their own role models. When you are a kid most of the world is black and white and innocent. There would have been thousands of kids whose role model would have been Beckham. England captain, married to a beautiful pop star. I find those questioning parentage over this offensive.
When I was an eight year old boy, I saw my parents as old and I didn't want to be like them. As for my teachers? Boring! I wanted to be like my hero's on the pitch. It has nothing to do parenting.

I would rather my kids role models were Charlton players(people who get paid to kick a pigs bladder around a field) than politicians(people who get paid to run this country).

Dazzler21

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

I could understand the idea of a role model for someone like N'golo Kante, who came from nothing and worked his ass off and still seems to be pretty humble even today when he must be earning serious money, but not for ALL footballers just because they play football and get paid a lot. People seem to have lost the barrier between celebrity and role model nowadays. Anyone whose on tv a lot or has instagram fame (Kim Kardashian and all the other bimbos) is somehow a role model, Ant McParlin for eg, I don't see why anyone would look up to him as a role model myself but he's getting a lot of stick at the moment (rightly so) for letting people down and not being a role model etc

Sorry for the double post, thought i'd separate it out as they are separate points

This 100%

role model
noun
a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated.

celebrity
noun: celebrity; plural noun: celebrities
a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport.

Clear difference there for me. I wouldn't want to imitate most celebrities, As a kid I really looked up to the military, the emergency services and even RSPCA inspectors.

soapboxsam

Footballers or Cricketers as Role Models NO.
The young Lee Bowyer or Ben Stokes NO

Lizzy Yarnold who trains so hard and peaks for the Olympics and said that pressure is a privilege and is the daughter of a Cafc fan. YES

Miss Sammi soapbox, who works non stop in the wacky world of show business, in theatre, television, Modeling and dance, teaching and performing, who believes in being super fit when you have auditions and 12 hour days.
Still just 23 but a real trooper and is the daughter of a Cafc fan. YES

Footballers who went into academies at 6 and had a cosseted life where the lucky few who come through are in the limelight yet have had no life experiences outside the roller coaster of winning or losing football matches. NO

Riviera

Trevor Brooking was a good role model.

hoof_it_up_to_benty

Think Bradley Pritchard conducted himself well - very down to earth and hard working.

Dazzler21

soapboxsam said:

Lizzy Arnold who trains so hard and peaks for the Olympics and said that pressure is a privilege and is the daughter of a Cafc fan. YES

What about Lizzy Yarnold? Strangely she matches that exact description... even similar names.

soapboxsam

Dazzler21 said:

soapboxsam said:

Lizzy Arnold who trains so hard and peaks for the Olympics and said that pressure is a privilege and is the daughter of a Cafc fan. YES

What about Lizzy Yarnold? Strangely she matches that exact description... even similar names.

Y o Y did I make that mistake.
Cheers Dazzler for the correction.

soapboxsam

Riviera said:

Trevor Brooking was a good role model.

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

Think Bradley Pritchard conducted himself well - very down to earth and hard working.

Both Bradley and TB had more of an education than the majority of players. Had quick word with Bradley at the end of Greenwich borough's game at Whyleafe this season and he said now working in Law. Not a career path for many footballers (Eni Alouko aside)

bobmunro

The Red Robin said:

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

I hear it trotted out time and time again that footballers are role models but I've never understood why? They're paid to play football and beyond that do we really expect more?

We get some who do engage with fans and the community but it seems they're in the minority. Young players are so hyped up now at the top level it's almost guaranteed they will lose touch with reality. If you were 20 years old earning 50k+ a week what would you have done?

Most of us were pretty idiotic and immature in our early 20s I imagine......

Completely agree. If you need a footballer for your kid's role model you need to question your parenting ability in my opinion.

Lee Bowyer was my favourite player as a kid. Not my role model. Luckily.

There are exceptions, and I've said on here before that Chris Powell was most certainly a role model for my sons to look up to as they grew up. But I agree there are few footballers that a parent would point their children towards and say for example 'there's a man with integrity'.

lolwray

Peter Garland was a Roll model

hoof_it_up_to_benty

bobmunro said:

The Red Robin said:

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

I hear it trotted out time and time again that footballers are role models but I've never understood why? They're paid to play football and beyond that do we really expect more?

We get some who do engage with fans and the community but it seems they're in the minority. Young players are so hyped up now at the top level it's almost guaranteed they will lose touch with reality. If you were 20 years old earning 50k+ a week what would you have done?

Most of us were pretty idiotic and immature in our early 20s I imagine......

Completely agree. If you need a footballer for your kid's role model you need to question your parenting ability in my opinion.

Lee Bowyer was my favourite player as a kid. Not my role model. Luckily.

There are exceptions, and I've said on here before that Chris Powell was most certainly a role model for my sons to look up to as they grew up. But I agree there are few footballers that a parent would point their children towards and say for example 'there's a man with integrity'.

Chris Powell is someone who stands out - intelligent, hard working and dignified. Met him a few times and he's a great person to talk to.

Parkinson was another person that I have a lot of time for. Always conducted himself well and seemed a modest guy.