-
IELTS Topic: SPORTS
Reading 3
Role models? What athletes themselves believe
Original source: The New York Times, WACA
“Athletes are a key role model for many people, and they can and should be but in an ideal situation they should not be the primary. The parent should be first, the teacher should be second and then maybe the athletes or other non-family members.
“Unfortunately, in this day and age, it doesn’t necessarily work like that. So athletes do impact and influence a lot of people, whether the athlete wants to or not.”
Dave Winfield, baseball outfielder
“Being a role model is not a personal choice. It is a purposeful, proactive designation by other people – often strangers – who see you from afar and admire some quality.”
John Amaechi, basketballer
“We all have to recognise that some people are well suited (to be role models) and others aren’t. Some of the players are parents with kids and know their way around, but some of them are 19 or 20 years old and are no more than recent kids themselves.”
Donald Fehr, head of the US baseball players’ union
Being a role model is not a personal choice … other people … see you from afar and admire some quality
“I said to the boys before, it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got or how many games or how many runs — if you’re not a good bloke, that’s what people remember.
“So humility is important, honesty is important. Our mateship is really important.”
Justin Langer, coach, Australian cricket team
“Justin Langer holds himself to the same high standards that he expects of others and that has helped to breed a strong culture of honesty, trust and respect within the WACA, not just the teams he coaches.”
Christina Matthews, CEO Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA)