Dr. David Schary: Rock Hill’s Stephon Gilmore Shows What it Takes to be a Good Role Model

About two weeks ago, Stephon Gilmore held his first football camp in Rock Hill. Gilmore, now a professional football player for the Buffalo Bills, was a standout player at South Pointe High School and the University of South Carolina. His camp gave kids from Rock Hill access to elite football players.

He told Herald reporter Bret McCormick, “I always said if I made it to the NFL I would come back and do some camps for some kids and help motivate them to get where I’m at.”

As beneficial as it was, I do not want to talk about his camp.

Instead, I want to talk about how Gilmore is a role model. There are many definitions of role models, but I like Merriam-Webster’s definition that simply states a role model is “someone who another person admires and tries to be like.” Role models are important in the success of young athletes because they model acceptable behavior.

For athletes, good role models are hard to find. A young athlete needs someone to model three aspects- positive physical, mental, and social behaviors. This is a lot to put on anyone, let alone professional athletes who must always be aware of their on-the-field performance and off-the-field behavior with today’s constant media presence. I feel that Gilmore fulfills all three aspects; he serves as an example of a good role model.

The first aspect, physical behavior, is the easiest to fulfill. All you have to do is watch any college or professional game to see that there are a lot of talented professional athletes that make amazing plays on the field every week. It is obvious that Gilmore is striving for the pinnacle of his position, as some are predicting him to have a breakout NFL season in Buffalo.

Physically gifted athletes are not always the best role models for kids.

Sometimes innate ability will make an athlete lazy, slacking off on practice because he or she does not believe it is important. No role model should believe that hard work is below them because of talent or ability. Gilmore works hard. He understands that the physical gifts one is given will only take you so far. At his camp, Gilmore even talked to players about how hard you have to work to make it to the elite level.

Having positive mental behavior can be seen in a variety of ways. For Gilmore, it can be seen in his desire to learn. He is a student of the game, and many indicate that his football intelligence is very high. Just like his physical skills, understanding the game came from a lot of hard work. In addition, he has overcome the psychological barriers of coming back from injury to play at a high level. Any good role athletic model should emphasize the importance of mental preparation, treating it with the same level of attention as physical preparation.

The hardest aspect to fulfill as a role model is showing positive social behaviors, or an athlete’s “off-the-field” behavior. This particular aspect is hard to find but not because a lot of athletes make poor off-the-field choices, rather they just do not say anything about what they do off the field.

Gilmore provides a good example of how an athlete can encourage young kids outside of the sport. For example, he has a reputation as someone who cared about school. South Pointe football coach Strait Herron said, “he [Gilmore] worked really hard with football, and in the classroom.”

Athletes are powerful role models because they hold significant influence over their fans. Modeling these three positive aspects can influence kids to make better decisions, especially if they come from a similar background as the athletes. While parents, teachers, and coaches can say the same pieces of advice it over and over again, to be able to see what it takes to succeed from a local athlete is priceless.

It is important to note that role models do not need to be professional athletes. In fact, some of the best role models for young athletes are parents, teachers, and coaches. Anyone who encourages young people to develop positive physical, mental, and social skills is a great role model. Being a role model is a rewarding experience that can leave a lasting, and often permanent, impression. We should learn from Gilmore - strive to be a role model and encourage others to do the same.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Dr. David Schary: Rock Hill’s Stephon Gilmore Shows What it Takes to be a Good Role Model."