In American Sports Culture, there is a stereotype that all if not most pro athletes do it all for the money and fame. The world creates an image of pro athletes suggesting they're out partying if they're not on the field or court. This can be true however this ideology is more false. Just like any other person, pro athletes go out and have a good time. More attention is drawn toward them in society which is why people only focus on the news and the paparazzi of these people. Yes, athletes make too much money and yes with this money, they can do and have lots of things. However, the fact of the matter is the ideology that athletes don't take their sport as serious as they should and rather focus on the popularity and money is false.
Peyton Manning of the NFL, Jonathan Toews of the NHL, and Kevin Durant of the NBA are three of the many great examples of athletes who don't follow this stereotype. These men contribute to making this assumption false. Peyton Manning is a man all about business. Many NFL players take the cocky and full of themselves path, but Peyton is a man of class. He shows up to practice and film in a suit and tie and he is a professional at success and avoiding distraction. He has a film room in his house where he spends countless hours watching his games. Jonathan Toews is the highest paid player in the NHL now yet he acts like he's out to prove something each and every day. His work ethic and his focus help him avoid becoming a person who doesn't care a lot about their job. A humble athlete like him can prove to society that there's more to pro athletes behind the scenes than what media says. Kevin Durant is an example of someone who can be drawn to fans and having a good time more than getting the job done. It would be easy for him to slack off and just be content with the incredible amount of money he makes. Durant doesn't do any of this. His main goals are winning a championship and being the best he can be on the court.
Again, these are a few of the plethora amount of athletes that take it very serious. Society goes by what they hear and see and automatically makes assumptions. They think that all these rich and big time athletes only spoil themselves with big houses and accessories. This can be true for some but for most of these players it's not the case. The word pro and the word money don't make these people that much different in society. They still have to work hard, show up to work with class, provide for their family, and be about business. In the athlete industry, there is a time for seriousness and a time for going out and having a good time just like any other person. The dominant ideology that professional athletes are only about the money and the exposure is more false than true. They are just any other people but their profession involves more attention. For most of these pros that attention doesn't distract them from reaching goals and being a leader.
In this photo, Jonathan Toews is pictured at a hospital taking pictures and signing autographs for young patients. Professional athletes are leading by example a lot more than they are creating bad images.
Professional athletes can make such a big influence if they try to do good in the community. Although there are some pro athletes who do spend a lot of time and effort volunteering and helping the community, there are many other athletes who could learn to be better people from them. I agree with you that stereotypes about pro athletes are harmful, and that athletes make too much money, but the problem with stereotypes is the only one we can directly fix.
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