My son is 9, and he LOOOOOVES to watch ANY sport on tv.  He plays travel soccer and baseball.  He’s 5 feet tall, and over 100 pounds.  At 9-years old.  I have people already asking to see his birth certificate.  And I am one proud Mama.  He takes after his dad’s athletic ability, so he makes almost everything look easy.  There’s just one item he struggles with…his attitude.  Unfortunately, he got a double dose of competitive nature from his Dad, and a double dose of negative self talk from his Mom.  So if he messes up at the beginning of a game, he is ruined for the rest of that game.  Or if his team loses, it doesn’t matter how well he played, he cries.  We sit and watch sports as a family in the evenings and on the weekends.  I try to give him people to model his behavior after like Carson Wentz, Derek Carr, and Russell Wilson.  Men who are vocal about their faith, and their demeanor on the field supports their talk.  But I have such a hard time finding the few positive role models out there in sports anymore.  At what age do we move from giving boys participation trophies for EVERYONE and their MOM, to practically enabling any kind of behavior as long as someone has talent?

In every sport, there are several athletes each week that are suspended for illegal substances.  Some of these are athletes that try to cheat to get ahead of their competitors (like Ryan Braun or Aaron Rodriguez), and some are simply athletes that can’t stay away from drugs (like Le’veon Bell and his weed).  Whatever the case, these athletes are never given more than a slap on the wrist.  They come back from their suspensions to have long careers, and they’re paid even more money, even when suspended multiple times for the same infraction (like Alex Rodriguez).

Or you have Deflategate, and teams recording other teams sideline calls.  And yet, because they’re the Patriots, no one would ever THINK of taking a Superbowl away from them, like they did vacating the Tour De France for those that were doping.  They simply suspended Tom Brady for 4 insignificant games at the beginning of the season 2 YEARS AFTER the original offense.  The team ended up in the playoffs again that year because the backups kept their team in the running,  What did Brady and the Patriots learn from their consequences.  That the cheating was worth it, because it helped them win a Super Bowl, and there were no real consequences.

Then there are the violent athletes.  The ones that think that just because they get to be aggressive on the field that they can treat their loved ones with the same aggression.  From Adrian Peterson to Ray Rice, they think they can make everyone around them to behave how they want them to.  Then there’s Josh Brown, the kicker for the Giants.  He went around BRAGGING about beating on his wife.  His punishment?  He wasn’t allowed to travel to London that week with his team (Are you kidding me, NFL?)

How am I supposed to teach my boy how to treat women, if this is what he sees his favorite players doing?

Then there are the athletes are constantly doing something stupid, and they have people follow them around to make it all go away.  Cam Newton was accused of being paid in college.  His punishment?  A multi-million dollar contract with the NFL.  Jameis Winston had at least 3 counts of nuisance behavior that were swept under the rug because he had “true talent.”  His punishment?  A multi-million dollar contract with the NFL  And then most recently, there’s Baker Mayfield.  Beating his opponent wasn’t enough.  He had to go over and taunt the fans of the opposing team by grabbing his crotch and yelling obscene things.

His punishment?  A Heisman trophy.  And by April or June of next year, a multi-million dollar contract with the NFL.

What do I tell my son about being a leader on his team and leading by example when these are the men, (excuse me, BOYS), who get the most publicity?  And yet when I come down on my kid for throwing a fit in the dugout, I’m told that I should just let him be.  He’s just competitive and passionate, and most parents wish their kids were more like mine!

While I love his passion and competitive nature, these boys above make it evident that it is IMPERATIVE to correct this behavior NOW.  I’m raising my boy to be better than that.  I want him to be one that cheers for his team, even when he’s hurt.  I want him to be one who leads by example, and one who always brings the best and most out of each of his teammates.  I want him to love and fear God first and foremost, and for his relationship with God to dictate all of his interactions.  I’m on my knees every day.  It’ll take a miracle, as well as many positive role models, to show Koleson how to go against the grain in such a media-driven, anything-goes society.