The Athlete

Athletes are looked upon by their fans as many things. Idols, inspiration, family. But one thing many people view them as is dumb and arrogant. There is a stereotype that athletes can't do anything besides play their sport. You are either athletic or smart. You either can hold a conversation on intelligent subjects or you talk about sports all the time. It is also a common view that athletes only get into good schools because they can play sports well and when they get to that school, they get all the help possible from administrators in order to be able to stay in that school. Cardale Jones added to this stereotype perfectly when he tweeted about only being in college to play football and nothing else. He could care less about getting an education. Football is all he cares about and this is what most people believe all athletes are like.

Many athletes are also seen as arrogant "meatheads" that only care about sports and nothing else. Athletes are always in the gym or at practice and when they aren't, they're talking about them or getting ready for the next time they're on the field. They see themselves as higher than everyone else and don't worry about who knows that. Professional athletes have a right to do believe that. They get paid to play their sport because they are the best of the best, but some people believe that they shouldn't see themselves that way and need to lower their views of themselves. Professional athletes aren't any better than us. They are people too. Professional athletes give off a persona that they think they are better than most people by the way they carry themselves and interact with fans, the celebrations they have after scoring or winning a big game, and things they say in the media.

 Athletes don't help themselves get over this stereotype when they say stupid things in the media constantly. They don't think before they talk. This also adds to the idea that athletes are dumb. They say dumb things and don't think about the consequences. They make fools of themselves and only deal with the problems after they have already been created.

Another perception of athletes is the physical attributes that are expected to come of an athlete. They are supposed to be attractive people that are super fit and are in the best shape possible. If someone is a little bit overweight or doesn't have the right muscle build, there is no way they can be athletic at all. They need to be attractive people that everyone idolizes and want to look like.

Something that people don't consider when they stereotype athletes as "dumb jocks" is that they are expected to keep their grades up and academics are an important part of their life as athletes. Many teams have mandatory study halls where they are expected to do their school work and study for their classes. Grades must meet a certain requirement for an athlete to be able to play their sport. Athletes must meet college requirements that other students do in order to get into the school. Once they are in college, the NCAA expects and pushes education more than sports. They know that the chance of athletes making it big after college are very slim, so they need a back up plan. The only thing they will have to fall back on is their college education. Many athletes are going into very hard fields of study and still are able to maintain high GPA's while playing sports. Athletes aren't always just the dumb jock.

Yes, sometimes athletes can be very cocky people, but athletes also are some of the most selfless people. They care about their fans and want to interact with them and give back to them. It is a common occurrence that they will reply to fan tweets or do giveaways for a lucky fan. You always see athletes signing autographs and taking pictures and interacting with fans before and after games. That isn't something they have to do. They could keep their arrogant ways and not say anything to their fans.

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Athletes are family, even if they play on opposing teams. They put aside their differences to help each other and be friends. There have been many examples of this. One of the most notable was a team carrying an opposing player around the bases after she hit a home run but broke a bone and wasn't able to run the bases. If all athletes were arrogant, this wouldn't happen because they would want the run not to count in order to help their outcome of the game.

 

Not all athletes fit the mold that society has set for how an athlete should look. People come in all shapes and sizes. You don't have to play a sport professionally to be an athlete. Just trying to work out and be athletic and enjoying yourself makes you an athlete. Even some professional athletes don't match the stereotype. Take Amanda Bingson for example.

If you saw her walking down the street, you might not think she was an athlete or even athletic at all. But she happens to be an Olympian. Just because you don't fit into the mold society has set for athletes doesn't mean that you aren't one. Many people that don't fit the mold enjoy being active and having a good time playing sports.

Anyone can be an athlete and just because you don't fit the stereotypes that society has set for them doesn't mean that you aren't.