Brooking reveals people involved with football have a duty to be role models

[ajt09]

Sir Trevor Brooking has revealed, that people involved in football have a duty to be responsible role model for youngsters. However, he also says that it is not just as senior level that this happens, but also at grass roots level too.

Brooking keen to set standards | Football News | Sky Sports

I like Sir Trevor, but I'm not too sure on this to be honest. This is only my opinion, but I don't think footballers, or people involved with football, must be role models for youngsters. Now I do agree, they inspire youngsters, and loads of youngsters strive to play like Wayne Rooney, Messi, Carroll et all, and inspire them to take up the sport.
However, for me, role models have to be the parents. They are the ones, who brought the child into the world, and should strive to look after the child, bring him up, and most importantly, instill moral values into them, and show them what is right and wrong. It is the moral responsibility of the parent, to be the role model and inspiration.
Granted, there are parents out there to which the word "parent" is very, very losely applied. And I have witnessed this many a time, not just on my local estate, but also during a sunday football match.

So, is Sir Trevor Brooking right or wrong on this?

 

[GodCubed]

I think they SHOULDN'T be role models. Whether they are is something completely different, of course.

That said, you can look at people like Giggs, a gentleman on and off the pitch by all accounts, and Scholes and Becks, people who have beaten their asthmatic problems to play professional sport at the highest level. They're **** fine role models (mostly, though in Giggsy's case almost completely) for those reasons. Then again you have players like Joey Barton and El-Hadji Diouf and probably Rooney, who couldn't be worse role models if they tried.

 

[Mike.]

hard to make that case when you hear what fans chant at every match. And to be honest, if you are relying on a footballer to instill mral values, what the **** are you doing as a parent. Paul Robinson summed this up on MOTD after Rooneys outburst, talking about his kids said "daddy thats a naughty word" becuase he had taught them whats right and wrong. thats the job of the parent, not relying on a football through some medium. Guess thats part of the problem these days, people want to shirk their responsibilities onto someone else

 

[ajt09]

I think they SHOULDN'T be role models. Whether they are is something completely different, of course.

That said, you can look at people like Giggs, a gentleman on and off the pitch by all accounts, and Scholes and Becks, people who have beaten their asthmatic problems to play professional sport at the highest level. They're **** fine role models (mostly, though in Giggsy's case almost completely) for those reasons. Then again you have players like Joey Barton and El-Hadji Diouf and probably Rooney, who couldn't be worse role models if they tried.

That is true. I remember vividly where I used to live, there was a local youngsters match, and one the dads was a Barton fan, and basically just told his son to imagine he was Barton. Low and behold, he was off after a pretty disgusting smack on an oppossing player-thanks to the parent, and in part, to Barton. But when parents shout "launch into 'im" or "take him out!", I'm not surprised by what I see straight afterwards. And I definately agree with Mike, when he mentions the disgusting abuse so-called "fans" shout at players of the oppossing team. That, on the flip side, is not how to bring up kids. Thats just disgusting and aren't fit to be parents if that's what they do

 

[Jake]

That is true. I remember vividly where I used to live, there was a local youngsters match, and one the dads was a Barton fan, and basically just told his son to imagine he was Barton. Low and behold, he was off after a pretty disgusting smack on an oppossing player-thanks to the parent, and in part, to Barton. But when parents shout "launch into 'im" or "take him out!", I'm not surprised by what I see straight afterwards. And I definately agree with Mike, when he mentions the disgusting abuse so-called "fans" shout at players of the oppossing team. That, on the flip side, is not how to bring up kids. Thats just disgusting and aren't fit to be parents if that's what they do

In every sport there are 'characters', extroverts, destructive personalties and quite a few downright *****. Talent always shines through ahead of any personality traits that count towards making a professional sportsman a role model.

The parent could have been fan of any number of footballers and sent his son onto the pitch with varying results. If the parent was a diouf fan, the kid may have spat at an opponent or the ref, Cattermole fan the kid may have kicked lumps out of the opposition until he saw red, etc etc etc.

What i'm getting at is, it's not Bartons (or any other players) fault that he's a good footballer, should he be expected to change who he is as a person just because he is paid to do something he is naturally talented at? Clubs buy the whole package when they sign a player, if they are unhappy with the way their players are portraying themselves, they would surely intervene? I haven't seen Barton dropped for acting like a ****, and Fergie hasn't punished Rooney for his swearing thing, no-one at Dioufs clubs seems to do much when he spits or winds up opposing fans.

It's solely down to the parents to instill the meanings of right and wrong in their children's minds. If a parent allowed their 8 year old to watch a **** load of ****, a few 18 rated violent movies and then play Grand Theft Auto for a few hours, and that kid then went and smacked another kid in the face, stole his money and tried to **** the nearest vaguely female looking thing it could find, would we blame the parents or the film/game makers?

Footballers are not the problem, it's the borderline vegetables that a lot of kids have as excuses for parents nowadays.

 

[ajt09]

On the point of Barton, I should say that he has improved his temprament incredibly recently it has to be said. Saying that, the incident I referred to was a while back, so in hindsight, I guess it was a bit unfair to lump Barton into the argument. But you are pretty much bang on with the parenting thing. I have to admit, my other half just lets him get on with his games to keep him quiet, and there's been many a time I've had to confiscate games like Grand Theft. There is no way in **** that the kids will be allowed to play those games at such a young age, or watch 18 rated films. I may get called a kill joy, but couldn't care less. Kids future well being is far more important than anything else.

 

[iNickStuff]

I can understand why Sir Trevor Brooking would want to encourage more role models through the sport of football, especially in this country where football is arguably the most popular sport nationally. Highly reputable players that young people and children see on television or in stadiums have sort of an implied responsibility to not aggravate any negative actions.

However, with that said, it's something that is a big ask, and it shouldn't be relied on players themselves to set an example week in, week out - even if it does promote professionalism and good morales. Footballers are only humans, and as humans have experienced before in football, the adrenaline and heat of the moment gets the better of players. Take for example Adel Taarabt tonight against Derby County, where he threw his drink to the ground and charged off down to th dressing rooms. It's going to happen.

The Premier League and Football Association already promote good morales and role models with all twenty clubs through community-based programmes and have footballers help out. That is enough, surely, and has it's own encouragement of positive actions rather than negative. Often enough, those programmes have rewards for the children to watch the footballers in action, on the pitch, with tickets.

 

[Sid]

I don't think they should have the duty to be role models but they do, it's beyond their control as so many kids are interested in football and want to be one when they're older