Guys like Blake Ferguson, Todd Carney and Josh Dugan all made stupid decisions and hit rock bottom after being stars.
The notion of a role model revolves around the idea that one’s action, stardom and success should be emulated on the field by kids.
I am not saying we remove the idea of role models completely but rather we change the concept. Children should be seeing all these stars as examples, not role models.
Growing up, I looked up to guys ranging from Clinton Schifcofske to James Maloney more recently, however I never tried to emulate their behaviour on the field. I took pieces of their game and tried to integrate it into the way I played.
I was not looking at becoming the next Andrew Johns or Brad Fittler, but rather a better version of them. Something that made me stand out from the crowd – being the very best on the field.
Young children should not be emulating their favourite stars but rather picking out the good points of their game and putting it into their own. Parents should not be discouraging their children from looking up to guys like Blake Ferguson completely but instead making him an example of the type of player they want to be.
They should be telling their children that he is a good player with tremendous upper body strength and versatility who has had demons with drinking.
If their child loves Blake Ferguson, let them love him as a player but instil the message that they should not only reach his level but strive to go far and beyond that point.
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