The world of role models in athletics has existed for millennia and can be traced back to 776 BC when athletes were thought to be demigods (half human, half god) and athletes the first Olympic Games were held on the site of Olympia. Although the only event was the 200 meter sprint, many people admired them and expected more than a 200 meter sprint from these "divine" men. (WEBSITE) Today, more and more people are starting to look at athletes like the ancient Greeks did: not just entertainment. A recent study conducted by the Journal of Adolescent Health showed that nearly 60% of young people can identify a role model in their lives. The type of role model has also been shown to be important in predicting adolescent health. From the analysis, it can be seen that those who identified their role model as an athlete showed better health-related decisions than those who identified a peer or entertainer as a role model. No one is flawless, but athletes can inspire young people, and most are model citizens we look up to. Unfortunately, in recent years, some athletes have been in the news for inept behavior; however, that group is the minority. There are more athletes in the world who set great examples than get into trouble, but the good doesn't always make the news simply because the bad is more interesting to spectators. No one in the media is interested in what Christmas event Andre Johnson attended or how much Tim Tebow invests in his W15H Foundation. They are more interested in which athlete was found in which strip club. If the news showed all the charities and foundations that athletes participate in, people would get tired of... half the paper... in the world were as benevolent as Melson and the members of the Athletes for Hope organization, there would be far fewer problems in society. (Graham 19; Hewitt “Effects of Good Role Models)Works Cited• Graham, Bryan Armen, and RICHARD O'BRIEN. "Fighting for a cure." SportsIllustrated 117.17 (2012): 19. Premier academic research. Network. December 4, 2013.• Harrison, C. Keith, and Brian Lampman. "The Image of Paul Robeson: RoleModel." Rethinking history (2001, March) (p.130-177) Web. 05 December 2013• Ponti, James. "Should athletes be role models? You decide!" SportsIllustrated for kids. December 12, 2013• “Journal of Adolescent Health”: Role Models, Risk, and Resilience in California Adolescents; Web. 6 December 2013• "History of the Olympic Games - Olympic-Legacy.com." History of the Olympic Games -Olympic-Legacy.com. Np, nd Web. 09 December 2013.Back