Our culture is in dire need of role models, and with that said I would like to introduce to you Erik Ainge. Nobody is perfect, this we know. Some people may perceive a person as perfect but the truth is that they are far from it. The only thing a person can do to try and be as "perfect" as possible to do good deeds, be considerate, excel in life and give it their all in tough situations. There is someone that I believe everyone should get to know about, that person is Erik Ainge. He is the starting quarterback for the highly ranked Tennessee Volunteers. He goes above and beyond in the classroom, while performing excessive community service and playing college football. Throughout this essay I will discuss with you many different aspects of this fine young man. I’ll let you know how he was when he was young, how he evolved to be a great student athlete, and how Erik excelled in life.
When Erik Ainge was young, he was a very gifted athlete. He was always taller than most (His father was 6’5”) and his parents (Doug and Diane Ainge) taught him how demonstrate good sportsmanship in his athletics. He was an outstanding football, basketball, and baseball player. His father Doug played college basketball, and his uncle, Danny Ainge, played professional baseball with the Toronto Bluejays, followed by a productive career as a professional basketball player (now the general manager of a professional basketball team, the Boston Celtics.) Erik dreamt of playing professional basketball or football when he grew up. Through his hard work and discipline, Erik made all of the competitive all-star teams when he was in grade school, and all the way through junior high. Outside of sports was no different. His parents made sure he would not only grow up to be a great role-model, but also that he needed to get the job done in the classroom in order to have a productive career down the road.
Once high school came, this would be the time to see if he would lose focus of his goals, or take a step forward to his dreams. Like Mr. Ainge has done his whole life, he not only went above and beyond in sports, but his grades were excellent. Erik saw his first varsity football action as a freshman.
Students should read this book in a high school English classroom because it demonstrates how relationships can be difficult, but teamwork can help to solve many issues. Hutch realized that it would not help his team to continue fighting with Darryl and by being mad at his father. He was able to take those difficult relationships and form them into positive outcomes and achieve his goal. After winning the championship game, “Hutch made his way through his teammates, and up through the stands and did something he had not done in a very long time: Hutch hugged his father. And his father hugged him back” (Lupica 243). This proves to students that if they continue to work hard and focus on a goal, they can achieve it by being a team player on and off the field.
Another person that has influenced me is an entrepreneur and retired professional Hall of Fame basketball player Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is not only a retired professional basketball player that went to the University of North Carolina but he also hosted a numerous of basketball camps to give children the opportunity to live out their dreams. Mr. Jordan stated. “If you 're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I 've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don 't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don 't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it” (“Quotes by Michael Jordan”). Ten years ago I came across a rerun of a Michael Jordan press conference telling the world that he is retiring from the NBA because his father was murdered and he had no longer love the game of basketball. I had always found Mr. Jordan basketball skills to be remarkable and had been very interested and why people praise him highly. I found Michael Jordan and his documentaries to be very enlightening and I love to watch videos of him play basketball because I wanted to be like him. I notice that he loves playing basketball because his documentary mentions he hates losing. Not only did Michael Jordan seem passionate about basketball, but he also talked about more than just basketball and hoping to educate younger people that he has dealt with adversity to get to the NBA. When he said that he did not love basketball
The intended audience for the piece, “King for a Day”, is an intelligent crowd that has somewhat of an interest in sports in general, not necessarily basketball. Any current or former high school athlete can relate to the situation that Weems is in. He is a replacement who just wants to have fun when he gets the chance. Anyone who appreciates the story of an underdog who succeeds will value this article. Reilly’s purpose is to show that there are two sides to ever story.
Everyone wants to get better at something, but some want it more than others. In “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium”, the narrator wants to get better at basketball, so he wakes up everyday at 4:30 to go with his dad to his work. Everyday, the narrator would wait 3 hours in his dad’s car until the gym opened, only to sit on the bench and watch the other men play basketball. Finally, one of the best players, Dante, tells the narrator he can play but he’ll get “smoked”. However, the narrator proved him wrong. The narrator learns that if you persevere, work hard, and have confidence, your dreams may come true. In How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place
In the 2013 article “The Sports Gene”, the author, David Epstein discusses two high jumpers with extremely different backgrounds, training, and experiences, who competed in the World Championship. Stefan Holm was an Olympic champion who endured intense training for 20 years. On the other hand, Donald Thomas was a former college basketball star, who discovered his talent for high jumping through a bet with a friend. The central idea of the passage is that there are many pathways and means that lead to success, such as training and practice or giftedness and genetics.
The main focus of Geoff Colvin’s article, “ What It Takes To Be Great”, published by Fortune magazine on October 30, 2006 is research on what it takes to be great. Colvin notes that the researchers were first curious why what really separates world class performers from everybody else and that led them to study elite performers such as Michael Jordan. While may believe that natural talent is needed to be great, the researchers and Colvin conclude that greatness is only achieved through deliberate practice. Deliberate practice includes having the right mindset and doing the activity in order to get better, not just to get it done, setting specific goals beyond one's current ability, practicing well consistently and with high levels of repetition
To understand the true scope of Eric Liddell’s greatness, one must look at Liddell’s full life story, not just his Olympic accomplishments. The way Eric Liddell lived his life was extremely not ordinary for a famous athlete. Instead of embracing the spotlight and the fame that comes with success, Liddell shunned all of the glory and chose instead a life of service and selflessness. Eric Liddell believed that his athletic abilities were a gift given to him by God, and he said, “I believ...
I plan to use this article for my research by explaining to the reader how athletes do not value their education the way they should. This will lead to my main point, in which I will describe how some athletes do no take education seriously, they do not finish college. This will help guide my reader to understanding what a college
As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.
Tyronne Gross and Otis Amey, two former NFL players, quickly climbed up the stairs as they buzzed with anticipation, looking forward to how many students they would be able to reach out to during their sixty-minute sojourn at Center High School. As they opened the door of the classroom, exclamations of praise and excitement greeted them. There were over eighty students gathered to hear the stories of these men and their journey through life as Christian athletes. As members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, they were closely associated with our school's Transformed Bible Club, which I organized. The room quickly grew quiet, so quiet a person could hear their neighbor breathing. We all sat quietly and listened to the message both men brought forth to us.
At some point in their lives, nearly every little kid in America dreams of becoming the next great pro athlete. Whether they like it or not, professional athletes in every sport are looked up to by hundreds of thousands of younger children and teenagers. While some welcome the attention and prove themselves worthy of being idolized by young children, others do not demonstrate as positive of actions. In order to determine whether or not an athlete is a good role model, one must weigh the criteria of their behavior, making good life decisions, and being an inspiration to others. Furthermore, a good role model can be defined as a person who is looked up to and sets an example for others through these
Organizing Sentence: It may be wishful thinking for our beloved professional athletes to be proper role models for kids; but some may say that athletes should still have an obligation to be role models on the grounds of always being on a public stage, the abuse of drugs and steroids kids bring on is largely because of what they see the professional sport heroes doing, and particularly the African-American race needs them as role models.
A record 37 underclassmen, plus three high school students, made themselves available for the recent National Basketball Association draft, adding to the growing concern of many that more and more young men, particularly black men, will abandon educational pursuits for hoop dreams. Farrell 15. When younger kids see these players pass up their education for the attempt to get rich quick, it sends the message that education isn't that important. John Thompson says, "One of the dangers of what is going on is that it minimizes the value of an education" (Farrell15). There are a very small few amateur basketball players that make it to the NBA, and this is another reason why leaving education for the NBA is not such a good idea....
Sitting in class eagerly awaiting the final bell to sound, all the guys in the classroom on the team all wore their blue Russell brand jerseys with white numbers. This was a typical experience I had playing high-school football, and I feel many people that have played sport can agree that all you think about in school on game day was the game itself. High-school football is many small towns and city’s pride and joy. I cannot think of one high-school that does not love the football season. It does not matter where you are from people that have played high-school football speak the same language and share the same love and passion for the game. High-school football is elevated to such a high status many towns shut down just so all the town residents have the opportunity to see the game. High school consists of some of the best high school memories a teenage boy can have and in long run football can teach values that are essential tools for the rest the boy’s life. In order to get to the high school football there is a lot of preparation the team must do before even thinking about playi...
Young Derek is two years old and comes from a very athletic family. The son of a professional football player and a WNBA basketball star, Derek's future is set for athletic success. At the young age of three, he runs with his father and plays basketball with his mother. He eats only natural food; white sugar, white flour, and other processed food are cut from his diet. At the young age of six, he plays three organized sports: basketball, football, and track & field. Most of his formative years help develop his strength, speed, and muscles. His father forks out thousands of dollars for him to be mentored by the most elite coaches in their training fields. Years pass; Derek becomes the star quarterback for his high school football team and earns a football scholarship to USC and while playing, draws the attention of NFL scouts, resulting in being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Derek's childhood is not too different from many American youth parents' who dream of only the best for their children, not knowing the effects of their efforts. Youth sports are a foundation for social development, a competitive experience, and a practice of healthy habits. But more than that, youth sports is a host to fun and exciting activities for children. Parents involve their children in sports, enabling their children to experience both the fun and excitement of competition. Sports are also a platform for children to learn lessons that they will carry with them in their daily lives. However, the very people who encourage them to participate in these sports often cross the line between competition and fun. At what point do parents and coaches stop to think that they may be pushing their athletes or childern beyond thei...