It is short sighted to promote sportsmen as the role models for the youth of a country.

Contrary to my opponent's views, it's not necessary to have a professional athletic role model in order for a child to pursue extra-curricular activities or to see what they can achieve when they work hard. In fact, pro-athletes should be the last people they look to for inspiration. That's because the majority of screen time will be dominated by bad role models. No, I'm not talking about Deepika Kumari, a young woman who has made a name for herself and should be proud of her accomplishments. That will make one evening news segment and then be replaced by something a little more attention-grabbing. Let's look to some examples. Barry Hall is probably a name no one would know if not for a certain incident. He played for the Australian Olympic team in Sydney in 2008, one of their best players. But that's not what he's known for. He's known for his "incidences." In 1997, he struck Sam McFarlane in the jaw, breaking it in 3 places. It had to be wired back together, and Sam never played again. http://www.youtube.com... A year later, another incident where he dropped his right knee into Steven Febey, coathangered another player, and nearly punched two fellow teammates. In 2005, he punched Matt McGuire in the stomach. http://www.youtube.com... And then we come to Sydney. In 2008, at the Olympics, Barry Hall gained worldwide fame by striking Brent Staker, removing Staker. His outbursts weren't done, as he later broke his wrist on the metal railing behind a cardboard advertisement. http://www.youtube.com... Later in 2008, he tried to strike Shane Wakelin. http://www.youtube.com... And then, in North Melbourne, an altercation with Scott Thompson that included a headlock made news. http://www.youtube.com... This is an example of violence in sports, which is really what gets televised the most. We don't remember Mike Tyson for being a great boxer, we remember him for biting Evander Holyfield's ear. And lest you think that this was just in the moment, he was convicted of rape in 2003, that made the news, especially when he said she was "asking for it." In fact, rape charges seem to be a very common newsworthy moment. Kobe Bryant and Ben Roethlisberger have made news for rape allegations that were beaten down by high powered lawyers. Steve Jackson of the St Louis Rams was accused of beating his nine month pregnant girlfriend. OJ Simpson has been brought to court twice for the deaths of his wife and an acquaintance. We don't remember much about his football days. The list of ways that on-field violence translates to off-field violence is stark, as studies have shown.[1] And it gets worse. NASCAR races are known for their crashes, something that their fans wait for and cheer. Hockey is known for its brawls, again, something that their fans often go specifically to see. In most sports, it's the fights that get the most attention.[2] The fans themselves are far from innocent in this. Any list I could find was too short, but here are some news stories from Huffington Post.[3] I will, however, focus on a few: A mass beating after an attempted stabbing of the Kansas City Royals coach. Two people were shot in a confrontation between fans at an Oakland Raiders/49ers game. Monica Seles, the number 1 women's tennis player, was stabbed in the neck by a fan. It took almost 2 years for her to return to the sport. The "Malice in the Palace," a brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers that included fans, resulted in 9 suspensions. A San Francisco Giants fan was placed in a coma following a beating by 2 Dodgers fans. He has massive brain damage. The Vancouver Riots resulted in police cars being set on fire and businesses being broken into and looted following the loss of their team in the Stanley Cup.[4] These are the people who look up to these players that are instigating this violence. These are the people who view these athletes as role models. But it goes beyond violence, and into drugs. The list of players who have taken performance enhancing drugs is incredibly long, and it's only dwarfed by the list of potential players who have as well. Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Ryan Braun, Miguel Tejada, and Jose Canseco, just to name a few, are among baseball's hall of fame following the usage of anabolic steroids - illegitimate methods that allowed them circumvent hard work for an easy title. And that's just baseball. The list for basketball, football, soccer, weightlifting, and hockey are also long and storied. The Olympics have been tarnished by their usage multiple times. And let's not forget cycling. How could we? After all, Lance Armstrong, a man who was seen as a vision of everything great that comes with hard work and perseverance, is still very present in all of our minds, but not for conquering cancer. No, it's his use of erythropoietin, his being stripped of his medals, and his very public denial even while he was being convicted that captured the focus of the cameras. Let's not forget all of the foul play in sports. The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 and the 1933 Tripoli Grand Prix are the best known gambling scandals, but they've come very recently and in droves. The list is nearly endless, and it covers every sport you can think of.[5] Whether we're talking about Steven Lee deliberately missing shots in snooker, referee Tim Donaghy betting on games he officiated in in the NBA, Damien Oliver's betting on another horse he was up against, or Hansie Cronje's numerous match fixing convictions in cricket, the big picture is that it's pervasive and it makes the concept of fair play look dim. But it's not just about the physical. Our perception of sports can be tainted in other ways. John McEnroe was an artist with a tennis racquet. His volley game was second to none. He won 7 grand slam titles, and 10 more in doubles. However, this wasn't the focus of any news story where he was featured. Instead, what we were treated to was his myriad antics and histrionics. http://www.youtube.com... That's what he's known for - cursing at judges, breaking rackets, and generally unsportsman-like conduct. Not exactly the example he should be setting. What's worse, it created a thirst for more. Fans started decrying Pete Sampras" lack of personality on the court. Apparently, a mastery of his sport and 14 grand slam titles weren"t enough. McEnroe fundamentally altered what was viewed as prized among athletes in tennis, perverting it to something that shouldn't be prized at all. These are the people who make headlines, the ones we hear about constantly because we just can't stop watching. I've posted several videos of these supposedly great role models. These are the ones who get to speak to children the most, and therefore have the most influence. Why would anyone want that for their child? 1. http://www.humankinetics.com... 2. http://news.discovery.com... 3, http://www.huffingtonpost.com... 4. http://bleacherreport.com... 5. http://www.couriermail.com.au...