I'm not sure that an athlete is prepared to be a role model. He has a lot of attention paid to him that he shouldn't have, and then the athletes tend to think of themselves as better than they are.
Interpretation
Athletes may not be ready to handle the role of a role model due to the undue attention they receive.
Bobby Knight's quote reflects on the complexities of athlete celebrity and the expectations placed upon them as role models. He suggests that the extreme attention given to athletes can distort their self-perception, leading them to potentially overestimate their own significance and influence. This raises questions about the appropriateness of defining athletes as role models when their professional achievements may not necessarily correlate with character or moral leadership.
In practice
Use this quote in a discussion about athlete responsibilities in schools.
My dad was a very quiet person, and unbelievably tough. But my grandmother gave me my first look at negative thinking to bring about positive results. When I was just a little guy, anytime I came to my grandmother and said I wish for this or that, Grandma would say, 'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.'
Your biggest opponent isn't the other guy. It's human nature.
People want national championship banners. People want to talk about Indiana being competitive. How do we get there? We don't get there with milk and cookies.
When we're playing a good scoring center, we tell our team that it is not our defensive man's job to stop the center. It's the responsibility of our perimeter people to stop the ball from going inside.
Failure, to me, is not having the desire to try. Having the desire to try is in it own way success.
A coach should never be afraid to ask questions of anyone he could learn from.
I just think you ought to talk straight with your people.
If people work for me over the years, I expect them to be paid what they're owed, but I don't expect them to be paid more than they earn.
In the absence of a great dream pettiness prevails. Shred visions foster risk taking, courage and innovation. Keeping the end in mind creates the confidence to make decisions even in moments of crisis.
I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.
I don't have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It's always the people who make things happen.
The cardinal responsibility of leadership is to identify the dominant contradiction at each point of the historical process and to work out a central line to resolve it.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.