
Role models, heroes and mentors are part of our daily lives and therefore are believed to have a significant impact in our beliefs and actions. Their ways, what they do and their attitude can provoke behavioral changes in those who follow them. But, how to choose a role model? Pam Shot, tennis academy in Barcelona, tells you about the influence of athletes on young players.
Athletes can bring positive or negative influence depending on their behavior or expressions shown in public. Many athletes work hard to become positive role models and often engage in activities for charity, acting as mentors and speaking to groups of students. In contrast, athletes can be negative models through inappropriate actions both on and off the track.
When it comes to choosing a role model, most of us have always been taught to look among the “good guys”, who put kindness over cruelty, displaying their great heart more than the strength of their arms… these are the men and women we should get inspired by.
But, what about the people who are so efficient, so cruel in their pursuit of perfection, that the mere process becomes an art? Should people who crave success over anything else, but also respect the rules – the ones who play hard but fairly – be set aside as unworthy of admiration from the common man?
One of the first steps that a coach can take to show their students how to behave is to remind them how the players they admire behave, especially when faced with adversity. But is it better to have as reference the “good guys” or those who play mercilessly while respecting the rules?
We believe that if the tennis pros – and coaches – preach about representing themselves in the tennis court, they must also ensure not to fall short of that ideal of themselves. They can’t be talking about sportsmanship and then angrily berating against referees or disrespect opponents. What we mean is that it’s important to choose someone coherent with their behavior as a role model.
Regarding the type of game, that is very personal. It is good to admire someone full of passion and with their eye on the goal, someone who works hard to win, to get to the top; but without forgetting that we must respect the rules and not let the passion take control of our actions. Likewise, someone calmer, softer, can be a good role model too, as long as the player knows when not to have mercy on the court; patronizing is not an option when you want to win.
Ultimately, our role models are good reminders of how to behave and often give us that little push we need to achieve excellence. We don’t need to focus on just one person, perhaps a combination of type of game and lifestyle of many professionals it is what on our best interest. In our tennis academy in Barcelona not only we give you the best training, but we help you keep an eye on your goals. Role models are just one of the tools to help you move on and challenge yourself!
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