When somebody thinks about the greatest athletes of all-time they think about the championships, the hardware and the personal stats that the player has achieved throughout their career. But what about those boys and girls who don’t get the same opportunity to go out there and imagine that they are their favourite players out there?
That is when the real role models come into play. This is the time when the athletes come out and lend a hand to all of those in need from their respected communities; whether or not they have the stats to back up their name. All around the world, no matter what league it may be, you always have the stars of the league as well as the little guys, giving back to not only the major charities, but to their local charities and kid’s foundations as well. A lot of these athletes give back to the communities because they are thankful to be in the situation that they are in. Some of them realize how blessed they are to have the life that they do so they take the time giving back to those who are not as fortunate. Most of them realize where they would be without this God-given talent and a lot of them realize that as sports icons and role models to kids around the world you end with a lot of sets of eyes on you at all times so you always have to be in the brighter half of the spotlight.
You always hear the commentator’s say things like “if they score on this power-play then they will donate X-amount of dollars to this cause” or “for every three-pointer scored, they will donate X-amount to a charity” but a lot of people don’t really think about what they are saying because they are caught up in the action. Most athletes in the world of sports have realized how much of an impact they have on society and the community around them, strictly because of the support given to them by the fans so they realize what it means to give back to the community who has treated them so well to this point. A lot of elementary schools are constantly being visited by professional athletes on their spare time, as well as foundations like the Salvation Army and countries who have been hit with war, diseases or by a natural cause – such as Haiti.
The NBA is the one league you can count on having the athletes give back in. Each month of the year a player in the NBA wins the Community Assist Award and the NBA donates money to the charity of the athlete’s choice. They also have a foundation called Read to Achieve, which inspires children to read more and more to brighten their minds. The players don’t stick to their own backyards though, they go world-wide to build homes and play with kids who have disabilities, as well as those who are not fortunate enough to afford the cost of a kid’s league. They go school-to-school giving kids pointers and tips on not only how to play the game, but how to be a better person in life and to be able to get to where they want. They go to the countries who can’t afford food or clothes and give them what they need. They go to communities where they can’t afford to celebrate Christmas and bring them all presents to cheer up their holidays and lives.
The one beauty about athletes who give back is the fact that they are so appreciative to be where they are in life. They realize how good they have it and how lucky they are to live the good life where they can do what they want and get what they want. They also realize their impact on society. Children grow up idolizing athletes around the world. They can’t look to politicians for an honest influence and a lot are too young to understand the art of music. However, when they see their favourite player go out there and score the game winner in overtime or score that final shot at the buzzer; it changes their lives. It gives them the ability to dream, the confidence to do whatever they want to do and the drive to go out there and succeed just like their heroes. These athletes wake up and do something they love every single day. They get to do the same thing they were doing when they were young and now they want to give every child the chance to follow in their footsteps.
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