Great expectations of sports stars

Former All Black and problem player Norm Hewitt says sports stars are not only role models, they have a responsibility to lead people down the right path in life.

Hewitt, famous for his brush with alcohol when a player before repairing his image and his life, was commenting on the recent rash of problems involving top sports stars with alcohol, violence and designer drugs.

Hewitt lost the captaincy of his Hawke's Bay side because of a hotel incident, was involved in a street scuffle with an England player in 1998 and the following year was forced to apologise after another alcohol-fuelled incident in Queenstown.

Sports stars and misbehaviour continue to polarise us. Some say sports stars are role models and should be held to higher standards. Others say sportspeople are just ordinary folk, as prone to making mistakes as the rest of the world.

But sports stars are not normal, by virtue of the extraordinary talents they possess. Like it or not, that gift of talent comes with sacrifice. That is the view of Hewitt, who sees sports stars as having the ability to help others.

"That excuse of 'I'm only a normal person' doesn't cut the mustard with me because they miss the point," he said.

"Our sports stars have a massive social responsibility. For many Maori and Pacific Islanders, sport is their way toward opportunity and the sporting body is at the heart of communities. Binge drinking is also a major part of our communities which is causing our crime stats to be massive, especially domestic violence.

"It's not a single issue. It's the responsibility of all of us and is not totally theirs. But what example do we want to set and who can set those examples? It's the people we value that can do it.

"I remember when I was a young rugby player; my teachers were the elder statesmen in the team. Once they presented me with a dozen Tui and told me to drink them before the end of the bus trip we were on - so I did. After all, these were the people I valued and respected."

While Hewitt represents at-risk communities, the problem is New Zealand-wide. Sports stars can lead society in this country because they are just about the biggest celebrities we have and celebrities have the power to influence.

Business, especially in the professional era, is well aware of this. Why else are sponsors clambering over each other to align their products with a particular athlete or sporting body?

National Bank sports sponsorship manager and former Black Cap Gavin Larsen said: "The bank is extremely conscious of the impression the New Zealand team and players leave with our public. Sponsoring sporting individuals or teams carries with it reputation risk. The Black Caps recognise, like it or not, that the role model label comes with the job.

"Doing a smart job for the sponsor is important. Presenting a top-quality image to the public is critical. Simply, it's a win-win concept."

So with sponsors' dollars at stake, you can understand why players sign contracts with their sport's controlling body which includes clauses for termination should the player bring the sport or organisation into disrepute. Tevita Latu got a life ban for punching a woman and the Warriors recently terminated a young player's contract for alcohol-related misconduct. Why would an organisation pour bucketloads of money into a sport that identifies them with negative issues?

However, there is another side. Some argue there is a point where excellence and viewer appeal supersedes misbehaviour. Former Radio Sport host Graeme Hill has spent hours discussing such matters on air.

"Sports people are ill-equipped to set ethical examples for others. Don't pick them for a job they're not cut out for. They are in a position of public scrutiny outside of sport by default.

"We should expect the same variations in sportspeople's characters as we see in real life and I don't think there are really any saints. And what's a good role model? It depends on your perspective of what 'good' means.

"It really annoys me that the most common role models quoted are usually monumentally boring. Give me George Best over some PR-manicured personality any day."

Hill is right that sportspeople are in positions of public scrutiny and are role models by default. He's also right that they have the same character flaws as people in everyday life. But whether we tolerate those flaws is another matter entirely.

Sport in this country is a way of life. It is at the heart of our identity and so, by association, our sports stars become life role models.

Our sports stars should not reflect society, they should help lead it. In a society where many see crime and binge drinking as problems, a little leadership goes a long way.

It's a challenge Gilbert Enoka, mental skills mentor for many sporting stars and now in charge of team support for the All Blacks, has an even view on: "We are trying to ensure our boys know what they stand for. People who know where and who they are can put in place an expectation. If you don't know what you stand for, it is harder to be consistent in your behaviour and mistakes will happen.

"Accountability is not attached to unreal expectations and we are asking 22-year-olds to have the maturity of a 40-year-old. If you look way back to the original ethos of sport, it was about building character. Sport builds and develops character. Sport builds better people. Unfortunately that notion has been infected by the concept of instant gratification."

Big money and kudos are certainly gratifying but big pay cheques seldom come free. Pressure to perform is compounded by the pressure to uphold ideals and standards.

Model behaviour need not be starved of enjoyment, life and the odd beer but those who find themselves at the top of the sporting chain surely need to accept that they have the power to influence.