The Kids Are Alright ... really

Brett Singer over at parentdish.com had an amusing piece today on disgraced athletes who feel the need to demonstrate penitence by wanting to "work with kids."   Says Mr. Singer:  "whenever a professional athlete screws up, one of the first things we hear is about how he wants to work with kids. But do we really want some of these people spending time with children?  This is a familiar trope for athletes who fall from grace -- working with kids. Because it's all about the children. After the pros screw up, at least."

As the article points out -- and the Michael Phelps bong drama demonstrated -- athlete misdeeds also are fodder for the handwringing sports public, which worries about the impact these incidents will have on our impressionable youth.

Concluded Mr. Singer:

This isn't about The Children. This is about The Athlete.

Is it wrong for athletes who screw up, no matter what the offense, to try and make amends by doing some good for the world? Of course not. But can't they think of something to do that doesn't involve kids?

When the A-Rod story broke, Michael Kruse of the St. Petersburg Times asked Little Leaguers about the news. One of the kids said, "If you take steroids, you'll become mean, and you'll disrespect your friends or something. I learned that from my dad."

From his dad. Not from A-Rod. Let the athletes play ball. We'll take care of the parenting.

Comments

[danielle]

This brings up a good point about the role that professional athletes play in youth's lives. With all the controversies that have surrounded professional athletes over the recent years (OJ Simpson, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and now Tim Tebow) we have to look at who really is making the effort to help make a change for the good in youth lives. Check out a collection of bloggers talking about the relationship between youth and sports at http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity !