This week there has been much talk, in the news, about "fallen" sports figures. Words like deception, lies, drug use, scam, doping, cancer and death have been floating around leaving many people with lots and lots of questions. Everyone is asking why two highly successful, highly visible athletes would lie to and deceive their "fans" like they have. Children, as well as adults, idolize these people and if they don't "idolize" them, they certainly follow them closely, follow their tweets, and admire their athletic ability. Whether the person rides a bicycle, plays football, plays basketball, soccer, runs, etc....... doesn't really matter. Everyone has their opinions of why people, specifically professional athletes, "mess up." You guessed........I've got my opinion, too.
As you know, I have three sons. They have all participated in various sports and have excelled at different ones at different points in their lives. For instance, one year basketball might go really well and then the next year football gets the focus. Then, all of a sudden, they might decide that they don't want to play a certain sport at all. They are "burned out," sick of it, it's no fun anymore, and the reasons go on and on. I want to make clear right now that I am not an athlete. Never have been. I don't like to sweat, don't like to have my side hurt from running too much, and don't understand those that do. But, I am a mom to three athletes so I am writing from that point of view.
I think that there are many many reasons why all of us, as human beings, fall into traps involving lying, deception, etc.... But for young athletes it seems different to me. Men like Lance Armstrong possibly fall into a different category......maybe. I'm still undecided. As I'm writing this I'm still not sure, so bear with me. The pressure that is placed on athletes at a young age is tremendous. It starts at a young age. Go to a youth league game sometime and see for yourself. Sadly, I think I was in the middle of it just a few years ago. Yelling like a crazy woman, chewing on my jaw everytime my kid got up to bat, or feeling like I might throw up when my son stepped up to the free throw line. You want them to do well and succeed but a certain amount of pride creeps in when you're kid makes the winning basket, touchdown or homerun. I think that is a normal reaction and probably something that is out of our control. But, the abnormal thing is when we and everyone around expects the same result every time. Do we really think that "Little Johnny" is capable of being the "game winner" every time? Do we really think that he has the ability, the focus and that fate grants him that responsibility on a regular basis? Well, yes, we really do. Especially when they are young and we are young parents and we haven't quite been in the rat race long enough yet. We put pressure on little kids to "be the star" night in and night out at all kinds of sporting events. Now, fast forward a few years and they are in Middle School and High School. Many have dropped out for the reasons I listed earlier and many have dropped out because the pressure became too great. The very very talented athletes usually stick with what they are good at and more and more pressure builds. Everyone wants to know who is recruiting who. Where the top recruits are going. ESPN sends out "alerts" so that you can be the first to know all of the up to the minute recruiting information.
Fast forward to college age. Many of these really gifted athletes are now depending on their athletic talent to pay their way through college. Not only that, but they are now looked at as being "super human." Who can put on the most weight while maintaining their running time? How much can they squat or bench? They put in long hours of difficult practice while going to class. The stress on their mind and the pain in their young bodies is a daily grind that they must deal with. As a parent you hope and pray that there are coaches, trainers, teachers, friends, someone on campus who will care for them just because they do. Not because of what they "bring to the team." Gag......just writing that makes my stomach hurt. This is the reason I have watched quietly as Notre Dame deals with the Manti Te'o story..........
I have no idea what the real story is. Did he get scammed? Did he know that the cyber girlfriend really didn't exist? Did he get "catfished?" Did he really meet her face to face or just have an online relationship? It all sounds beyond ridiculous. I'm actually typing this thinking to myself how absolutely crazy it all sounds, but the bottom line is I could care less about the fake girlfriend. What I see when I look at his picture is a very young man who is put on a pedestal, daily. He reports to a practice facility for many hours every day in all kinds of weather. He very likely got no family time during the Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays. He puts his body through rigorous workouts so we can all be entertained. Did he lie? I don't know. Did he deceive? I don't know. Should he be held accountable for his actions? Absolutely. Does it seem that he has people at Notre Dame who are trying to help him and standing with him? Yes. This makes me happy and it gives me faith that there are adults who are trying to protect and help our college athletes when they face a situation of this magnitude. Adults who care about the person and who want to help them find their way.
I hope that we are all raising our boys to be the right kind of men. To be honest and to do the right thing, even when the right thing is difficult. I hope that we are teaching them how to develop their character not just their athletic abilities. I also pray that there will be men who will rise up and support the younger ones who get into trouble, who have trouble handling the pressure, and who will "live" what is right and not just talk about it. "Suffering produces perserverance, and perserverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4
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