Ron Artest - A Great Example for Your Young Athlete

We should endeavor to teach our boys the character of a man.  Professional athletes often give us great examples for this instruction.  Yesterday, Ron Artest provided one such “gem”.  If you haven't seen the video (in which he elbowed James Harden in the head) take a look at it and then read on.

Artest Elbows Harden Video

You might consider using this with your 10 to 18 year old like this.  Show him the clip and then ask him what he thinks about it.  What is important to teach is that this elbow was:

1.      Not incidental

2.      Not during the struggle of a rebound or a play

3.      Intended to make contact with Harden

4.      Wound up to deliver a significant impact

Boys do not naturally develop an understanding of how to be both “tough” and restrained within the same game.  Likewise, they often do not know how to be both “tough” and restrained in the course of life.  The character of “toughness” and restraint in sports should be taught just like the virtues of courage and emotional restraint (temperance) were taught to Greek Warriors 2,500 years ago.  These men were tough by any measure; just ask the Romans, Egyptians and Persians.  But they also valued temperance, prudence and justice.  This stands in great contrast to Ron Artest who demonstrated that he lacks the tools of a man of character.  And, unlike the Greek Warrior, he operates from a dangerous, unpredictable core that is hard to differentiate from a child. 

Artest is a great athlete who has done well for himself despite being suspended 13 times, at least 3 of which were egregious, vicious responses to circumstances where a man of developed courage and restraint would have responded significantly differently.  I say this because although an opinion might be that Artest has been successful despite his lack of operative virtue, the reality is that he has squandered his potential as an athlete, teammate, role model and even earning power because he never developed the male characteristics that sustain families, communities and civilizations… and yes, winning teams.

Raising Boys of Classical Courage

I'm not saying that an athlete should be tentative, I profess the exact opposite.  Were Artest to have elbowed Harden in the course of a rebound while clearing his rightful space, I would commend him.  In the same way, I would argue disdain for the young man who uses his strength to beat up someone to prove his “toughness”, while I would commend a young man who uses his strength to viciously defend a woman, a child or an elderly man from the wrong use of strength of another man.  The man of courage can be both viciously dangerous and restrained in pressure situations because he has trained himself to distinguish the right application of both.

Take the time to teach this virtue to your young athletes.  Don’t allow them to argue with referees, coaches and other players.  Do not allow them to extend contact past the play, but encourage them to play with absolute, “dangerous”, fearless and right physical contact from “whistle to whistle”.

Remember, how your boy plays on the “fields of friendly strife” will be how he fights the greatest battles of his life.