There’s been so much said about the Australian Cricket Team cheating incident, I’m loathe to jump on the bandwagon and add my two cents worth. So instead of talking about cheating, I’d like to talk about role models. And our own expectations.

It makes perfect sense to me that we might look at someone who can hit a ball really well, and use them as a role model for how to hit a ball really well. But we shouldn’t confuse that sort of role model, with the kind of role model we have for how to live a life.

Hitting a ball, catching a ball, throwing a ball… none of that is living a life.

You can have a very successful business person as a mentor who has been divorced five times. Take business advice from them, by all means, but we probably know better than to take relationship advice from them. (Unless it’s what not to do.)

Likewise, you can have a relationship mentor who can tell you how to be happy in relationship, but that doesn’t mean you would necessarily take investment advice from them. Two very different things.

So let’s not confuse sporting role models, with life role models. Or any other kind for that matter. For the record, I also won’t be looking to Davie Warner for advice on how to cook, dance, sing, fly an aircraft or pretty much anything else other than bat, field and possibly fight.

People who are good at sport, are where they are because they are good at sport. Not because they are smart, although they may be. Not because they are kind or generous, although they may be that also. And not because they are honest or moral or have integrity, although they probably should be. They’re where they are because they can kick or catch or throw or pedal or swim or run or whatever else it is they do for their particular sport, and because they do that really well.

It’s OK to look at someone who cheated and say “I’d like to bat or bowl like they do”. Making a mistake, or being a cheat, does not make them less skilled at batting or bowling. It also doesn’t necessarily make then a bad human, just reminds us that for all their sporting prowess, they are in fact still human. And more than capable of fucking up. Sometimes spectacularly.

And we shouldn’t be quite so disappointed when people who are good at those things, turn out to be not so good at other things. Like being smart or honest or kind.

Much like anyone in the public eye, they almost never ask to be role models. They’re just trying to make a living doing what they do. They get paid to bat and bowl and do sporty things. Or sing or act or write or paint or whatever.

It’s us who bestows on them the role model status, and we really shouldn’t. It makes no sense. And ironically, it’s not fair.

Choose your role models wisely.

Be awesome to each other. Do awesome things.

 

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