Role Models & Sport (Jordan Garretson)

I think almost all professional athletes that are visible in the media are role models, but whether they are "good" or "bad" role models is another story. My definition of role model is someone you look up to — they are an example of how you/want to act.
Whether Barkley admits it or not, I'm sure there were plenty of kids that looked up to him when he was in the prime of his playing career. That doesn't necessarily mean thy acted just like he did, but they still may have picked up on certain mannerisms or other aspects of Barkley's character.
Does the fact that every athlete is a role a model mean that they have to do everything perfect? No. Honestly, it comes down to an athlete being a good person anyways. If they have enough character to be a good role model, they probably don't have to *try* to be a role model. If they don't have the character, they will probably never be a good role model. In my opinion, being a role model is not something you conscientiously do, necessarily.
I do agree with Barkley as far as parents go. All parents should be their children's primary role models, it's as simple as that. But very, very few people have only one or two role models, and often times a kid is going to look up to a professional athlete, in addition to their mother or father.