Role Models – Jacob Skender

Health Assessment – Role Models and Identity

Part 1-

My House of Values

My Main Values

Loyalty

Loyalty is a value which is extremely important to me. The reason being is because loyalty is what any true relationship or friendship requires, and in order for me to have the many friendships that I have, I have to be loyal to them and never leave them out or talk behind their back. An example of loyalty that I have in my daily life is when I have to choose groups for my various classes. I always have to include my friends and the people I am loyal to, and in the process they are loyal to me. This helps have a great understanding and relationship with people, allowing myself to have numerous friendships. Another example of loyalty is family. You must be loyal with family. Whether it is arranging party’s, or other gatherings, you must always dedicate time with your family, to increase your bond with them. By doing this, you become more loyal with each family member, allowing you to discuss topics you otherwise wouldn’t be able to discuss if you weren’t close. This occurs in my daily life, since my family are all very connected with each other, and we can ask them for help if need be. The final way that loyalty impacts my life is in sport. In sport you have to have a good relationship with your teammates, and one way of doing so is being loyal. You cannot ditch your teammates for a new team just because you feel like it or want to switch up the game pace, as it ruins the relationship with your team, creating distance between you and them. This results in less understanding of each other, which then affects how you play and it can likely let your team down.

Respect

Respect is another key value which I aspire to. The main reason being because you must respect people in order to connect with them and understand them. When you go to have a conversation with somebody, you need to respect their beliefs and opinions, otherwise you will be likely offended by peoples choices. It is important to always have an open mind and understand that not everyone thinks like me. Therefore, respect means being open to other views and ways of life. An example of this would be discussing political voting. Many people do not share the same opinion as others, so if you were constantly offended by people who voted for the Liberal Party, you would likely have social issues with many people due to their own personal choice. Another example would be sporting opinions. Then again, many people have different beliefs on which team is better in a selected sport, so you need to respect their opinions, as you may have issues with many if you impose your beliefs heavily on others. This is another reason I value respect, since I have a different opinion on who the best NBA team is. Respect is needed across life, in order to communicate effectively, to create relationships with people and to take a humble approach to dealing with people. I respect the people I communicate with when I speak, and their opinions.

Courage

Courage is another important value. It allows us to be willing to achieve things. For example, if you wanted to play basketball, you would need to be willing to actually dribble and shoot, and you would need courage to do so in front of others. When I first started basketball, I was extremely scared and nervous, so I always passed whenever I had the ball. This led to me never being able to develop into a good player, until recently. I began to have the courage to hold and utilize moves with the basketball, which allowed me to become quite good at basketball. Courage doesn’t just involve sports, however. When I was younger, I was often too scared to approach people and communicate and have a conversation. This was because I didn’t feel confident in myself. I later realised that I needed to overcome my fear in order to succeed in life, and I eventually developed the courage to communicate in public with people, for example, talking to people I came across while shopping or eating out. Courage allows us to step outside our boundaries and push our limits. Without courage in my life, and everyone else’s, we would never be able to trust that we can truly achieve our dreams.

Part 2 –

Healthy and Unhealthy Role Models

Healthy Role Model – Giannis Antetokounmpo

What behaviours does this person demonstrate to show that they are healthy?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a very healthy role model. He is extremely healthy and has a very healthy body. He is very muscular and fit, and his diet (like many athletes) is almost perfectly clean, since he needs to have his body in superb condition in order to perform well. A healthy behaviour which Giannis Antetokounmpo displays is kindness. He maintains a healthy relationship with his competitors and teammates, allowing them to have a deep and true connection and friendship with one another. Giannis and his brothers also founded a charity called the AntetokounBros Academy, which allows poor children from Athens to get involved in sports, as Giannis was not so lucky in his childhood. He grew up in poverty, and by donating money to help others, and being a good and nice person in general, he demonstrates a very healthy behaviour.

What do they look like? Are they healthy? How do you know?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is extremely fit, and has a very built physique. He has displayed to the world in numerous performances that he is very agile and nimble. His fitness and excellent court performance make him a leading world athlete. He is a very healthy person. Along with this, his vertical jump which displays his leaping ability is tremendous. With a 40 inch high standing jump, he shows the world his elite athlete and healthy status even more. He takes great care of his body. He has no tattoos and he has never taken any performance enhancing drugs. We know this because Giannis has undergone multiple drug tests, and he has always been found clean.

What message does this person promote? Why is it inspiring and healthy?

Giannis began life in a poor Greek family. His parents barely could afford the living expenses for him and his brothers, but despite that great challenge, he still managed to make it to the NBA. His story portrays to the world that you can do anything you set your mind to. It allows us to understand that anything is possible if you put in the work, and he is a true example of that. Giannis uses his status and health to promote sport and is an amazing role model to young people. He has a perfect body, which allows people all around the world to picture what a healthy and fit body is, so people have something to aspire to.

Why should young people look up to this person as a role model?

Young people should look up to Giannis because he is a true example that you can do anything you put your mind to. He lived his childhood in poverty, and he once couldn’t afford a taxi to one of his games because he transferred all his money to his parents so they could escape poverty. This shows the young people in the world, that even with nothing, you can still achieve greatness. His health and kindness both on and off the court also demonstrate an ideal life, allowing him to be considered a healthy role model.

Thinking back to your House of Values activity, what values does this person demonstrate?

Giannis demonstrates 3 core values. Courage, Trust, and Love. Giannis displayed immense courage in his journey to the NBA. He had the courage to push past the people saying he would never make it, and he trained and trained until he finally did. He had the courage to risk his career just to play basketball. He risked being in poverty forever if he didn’t succeed, but he had the courage to do so. It is not everyday somebody risks everything they have just for something which likely won’t be granted, but Giannis had the courage to do so. Trust is another core and key value. Giannis trusts his teammates to constantly do the best for him, as he seeks to do the best for them in return. He has a deep trust level with them, allowing them to constantly achieve greatness. Love. Giannis loves the game of basketball. He loves the opportunity that he has, he loves competing in front of millions, and he most of all loves helping those unfortunate like he was. He also clearly loves his family and his used his wealth to support them. He is a gentle giant, and he is always willing to do the best by people, so they can live an easier and happier life.

Unhealthy Role Model- Justin Bieber

What behaviours does this person demonstrate to show that they are unhealthy?

Justin Bieber has been known amongst his life to have used drugs. He announced that he abused drugs in his early stages of his Pop-Star career, which clearly demonstrates how unhealthy his choices were. He was also accused by his ex-girlfriend Selina Gomez of emotionally abusing her with harsh and unhealthy words. Justin has also been captured on film spitting on fans who adore him, displaying what a self-centred brat he is. Not only that, but Justin Bieber has also been accused of assault. He was once accused of attacking a Paparazzi member, after just a small altercation with them. Police were then called on the scene to intervene, and this incident proves he is clearly is an unhealthy role model.

What do they look like? Do they look unhealthy? How do you know?

Justin Bieber has numerous tattoos, and often covers himself in designer clothing just to look “cool”. He can often be seen in public exposing tattoos covering his entire body, wearing the expensive clothing to assert “wealth” in front of the less fortunate. He has publicly admitted drug and alcohol misuse and although he is slim, his body does not look particularly healthy. While he may look cool, his drug and alcohol use may mean that he has very unhealthy habits.

What message does this celebrity promote? Why is it unhealthy?

Justin Bieber promotes to his fanbase a very unhealthy message. His behaviour influences others to have large tattoos, and to constantly “flex” to people about wealth. With no regard for people, and a selfish attitude, young people must stay clear of this type of influence. Not only that, but Justin has used his young age to get him out of trouble. Regarding the police matter above, Justin avoided almost all charges from the altercations because of his “young age” excuse. This promotes for other young people to believe these excuses, causing them to use them for themselves. He has also condoned drug and alcohol misuse making it acceptable in pop culture. Justin’s behaviours exemplify an unhealthy approach to life and he is a bad role model for young people. He does not encourage a healthy lifestyle for the young people who try to be like him. His behaviours make young people wrongly believe that they can easily do the wrong thing, without proper punishment. Ultimately, he is a bad role model with an unhealthy attitude and lifestyle.

Do you think young people should look up to this person as a role model? Why or why not?

Young people certainly shouldn’t look up to Justin Bieber. He promotes violence and arrogance, and he sends a horrible message to kids. With all the excuses he constantly uses to evade punishment, any young fan will likely have a harsh time in life if they pick up his traits. The tattoos, alcohol and drug use should also not be looked up to, and many kids may be lead down the wrong path and break the law if they aspire to be like him.

Is everything you hear, read or see in the media true? Discuss.

No. Not everything can be assumed true in the media because of all the fake news, clickbait and alterations made to the headlines to attract more viewers. News corporations are money hungry organisations who profit from scandal and controversy. They are there to make money and keep their business alive. Nowadays a simple car accident can be changed and manipulated by News corporations in order to create a single headline. However, Justin Bieber has been captured on film behaving extremely badly. He has also admitted that he’s done the wrong thing. Hard evidence cannot be argued against but not everything we read is true. Regarding other celebrities, you cannot fully believe headlines about them. We know that people are fascinated by celebrities and media companies often create catching, interesting stories but not necessarily with truth. You should always seek to find hard evidence, and aim to avoid spreading false rumours. An example of this is the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate. Many people argue whether Michael or LeBron is the greater all-time basketball player, yet people have twisted posts/opinions from both of these players. One example is the popular online post where Michael Jordan said he was greater than LeBron by far. This post was seen by almost everybody in the basketball community, yet it turned out to be fake. The media had manipulated and edited Michael’s post, and framed him for saying something he didn’t ever mention. It goes to show how even in sports, the media twists whatever they can get their hands on. On the other hand, accusations on social media platforms regarding anything have to be carefully looked into before believing them, as anybody can say anything they want on these platforms without the repercussion of punishment. You can almost never trust social media as they are not a reliable source of truth.