I really do think that it is a shame that we value sports heros more than those that make the honor roll and that teachers don't make what they should be worth. Yes, priorties are out of whack.
But this is a capitalist society and supply will be dicated by demand. If starting pay for a teacher is $35k with no glory and the minimum wage in the Big Leagues is $250k with perks, groupies and adulation, which field do we expect people to aim for?
It really is a shame that some people have such a limited view of sports and athletes. Athletics teach so many other lessons for life.
While it is true that some peak at 18, there are others who continue on participating on a recreational level and also achieve academically.
Astronauts, for example, are not only academics, but athletes as well.
And my favorite example is General Patton. Decathlete/warrior.
We place more value on things like finding the negative, placing blame, complaining, fault-finding, gossip, etc. too. I'm with you that those on the honor roll should be highly valued too. I wish the the media would report more on the positive things I see happen with children in my own community, but that just doesn't make news.
Athletics teach many lessons in life--you are right. I have a hockey tournament each year for my students (using PVC pipe insulators and those "bubble balls." While it's more like watching the Keystone Kops, the kids have a lot of fun and learn a lot in the process.
One thing that does make me feel enlightened are what I am seeing from my students. When I first started teaching, the kids' heroes were often sports stars, movie actors, and pop singers. Now, by far the most common mentioned heroes are moms and dads. That's the way it should be.
$35 is NOT even a starting salary for a teacher here. You have to teach several years to get that much. It is just above what a fast food manager makes (not putting them down).
I do lament the fact that astronauts aren't much regarded as heroes any more. Many of them have been Eagle Scouts too. In fact, ask anyone to name a famous scientist nowadays and they probably can't do it. There has been a lack of respect for science from many sides of the spectrum. Yet where would we be without the efforts of dedicated scientists?
Again, all people who do their best at their jobs and do with with a great attitude and ingegrity are heroes in my book.
My real heroes were my religious leaders, the big guy upstairs, my parents, and some teachers, but I did have my athletic heroes too. I loved Dale Murphy because he wasn't like the rest of the baseball crowd. He actually THANKED Atlanta when he got traded. I loved reading baseball books when I was younger. All of my papers during most of my school years were about baseball. I had a lot of baseball heroes like Lou Gehrig, Christy Matthewson, and even Ty Cobb, but my most favorite of all was Yogi Berra.
Yogi has grown to be an even bigger hero for me as I've gotten older. I've started to try to adopt his optimistic outlook on life and the fact that he didn't take himself too seriously. In spite of being some short ugly guy from Saint Louis, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams and we still remember him today.
> It really is a shame that some people have such a limited view of sports and athletes. Athletics teach so many other lessons for life.
Given that this thread is about sports teaching kiddies to be thugs and unsportsmanlike... what lessons did you ahve in mind?