(S20) - PT2 - Role Model

[TomHanks]

SHL PT

[SwagSloth]

Growing up, I was a huge basketball fan and looked up to Michael Jordan. This was back in the late 80s and early 90s when Jordan was at the top of his game. He was considered by many at the time to be the best player in the league and many still feel that he is the greatest of all time (and certainly in that conversation even if you disagree). Michael had a charismatic presence that, when combined with his unbelievable talent on the court, made him an absolute superstar. I did not necessary know a lot about the man behind the scenes, but as a child, I was inspired by his consistent excellence and the image he presented to the public. This is more of a knock on my own reasoning than Michael as a person because I have only heard good things about him, but as a child, my main criteria for liking him was that he was a great player and he was accepted by others. He was the person that I wanted to be because those were the things I wanted for myself.

These days, I look more at the whole picture. Perhaps this is a result of the transparency created by the rise of the internet, but I try to support players that not only excel at their sport, but also whom I resonate with as individuals. As an adult, I try to carry myself ethically and with credibility and I believe this is something I would impart on younger children in seeking out role models. I still believe that Michael was a great childhood role model, but there are lessons to be learned in WHY we chose our role models, not just WHO we choose.

290 Words

[Wombat]

PBE PT

[Tomasnz]

SHL affiliate
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php...2274#pid2772274

[JaytheGreat]

SHL PT

[SemiCharmedMike]

Kobe Bryant’s passing affected millions of people around the world. He was a fantastic basketball player, a caring father and an overall awesome dude. While I wasn’t one of the millions of people affected by his death, it did remind me of someone who I looked up to that had passed away.

While I was growing up there was a man that I considered a role model: Robin Williams. What Kobe was to basketball and sports fans, Robin was to comedy and movies. He had a personality that could draw you in and the humor to keep you engaged. When I was little, he filled my head with imagination and filled my lungs with laughter. Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji were three movies that defined my younger years. I wanted to be as funny as the Genie, as brave as Alan Parrish and as creative as Euphegenia Doubtfire. Robin in these films helped sculpt me into the man I would later become. The way he was willing to do anything for his children in Mrs. Doubtfire resonates with me to this day as I’d be willing to do anything for my kids.

As I got older, films such as Dead Poets Society, Jack and What Dreams May Come challenged the way I looked at life. Jack marketed itself as a comedy but it dealt with the challenges of being different and the importance of loving who you are. What Dreams May Come tackled death and what may come after. It helped me look at the world around me and value what I have. It also gave me an opportunity to look at religion and decide for myself what I wanted to believe in.

When Robin Williams died. I was heartbroken. I had never met him but in some ways he grew up with me. He influenced and shaped my life to become a better man. I owe him a lot and I still watch his movies when I can. He is missed.

[MrStennett]

SHL PT Affiliation

[pazuzu]

PBE PT

[Ryan0413]

PBE PT

[SabaDonutMan]

Like every child growing up, Saba Donut used to love watching NSFL with his dad. From the second he turned on the television and watched the NSFL he knew that he wanted to be a wide receiver. He also knew who he wanted to play like. Meet Bradley Westfield. One of the best wide receivers of his time if not at all time. He has a footing in every single wide receiver record possible. He is currently second in all time receiving yards with 13457, second in all time receiving touchdowns with 109, and fourth in all time receptions with 776. As a child Saba idolized Westfield. He owned his jersey, frequently talked about him, had posters of him in his room, and even once wrote him a letter telling him how much of a fan he was. This is also one of the reasons Saba became a wide receiver. He always pretended to be Westfield was playing with his friends. That being said, as Saba became older and Westfield became younger there was another wide receiver who caught Saba’s eye, Vinny Valentine. One of the main things that made Saba so interesting in Valentine was his boldness on and off the field. He would make it known that he was the best and Saba wanted to be just like that. You can imagine his excitement when he found out that he would be able to play with Valentine on Arizona.