Children idolize athletes more than any other group of people in the world. The job of being a role model is a difficult one. The job is so difficult that it should belong solely to parents. Shaping the future of society is a job that each and every parent is accountable for.
Children monitor every action of their immediate family members.
The happenings that children see in their households each and every day influence them more than any athlete ever will. If a child witnesses his father abusing his mother, his own father will influence him to believe that this behavior is acceptable. If the same child sees an athlete on television being taken to jail for abuse, the child will understand that this behavior in unacceptable and punishable. The child does not understand that this behavior is wrong, until the athlete whom he admires is punished. The pressure of being in the spotlight of the national media is tough.