With Obama’s success, more than the ball is in kids’ court
Posted by: Baller-in-Chief in Articles(From Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press for USA Today Online)
As of noon Tuesday, the man who holds that honor plays basketball and golf, but only recreationally.
Now that’s dramatic change.
Athletes aren’t off the hook as role models to predominantly young black men now that Barack Obama sits in the Oval Office. They’ll remain the most accessible examples of deliverance from childhood economic hardships because they’ll remain the most familiar.
But at least now there’s genuine competition for that attention.
“I’m coming across more kids now who tell me that they want to be Barack Obama,” said Chris Paul, star point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.
“A year ago, they would’ve wanted to be Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or the hottest rapper of the day. It’s all based on what you’re exposed to the most. And now, they’re getting exposed to something different that’s positive.”
There’s a natural tendency for oversimplification at historical epochs such as these. The complexion of the new president certainly smashed the glass ceiling at its highest possible level for African Americans. But the opportunities for young men and women to best maximize their intellectual capacities have been available for some time.
They were just too often and easily ignored.
Sports became an excuse for justifying largely self-imposed limitations.
If there will indeed be an “Obama Effect” on the next wave of African-American teenagers, it will hopefully inspire them to look beyond the confines of a basketball court or a football field when evaluating their individual self-worth.
They can now see a man who still dearly loves his basketball, but found other intellectual interests and competitive outlets.
It’s the same message they’ve heard ad nauseam much of their lives, but now there’s a living, breathing point of reference that speaks much louder than any sermon.
The lesson of Obama isn’t merely that anybody can become the leader of the free world if they’re so inclined. It’s that nobody has to settle for a life based on preordained restrictions.
It’s that life doesn’t end whenever that once-sweet shooting stroke sours, whether it’s in eighth grade or the eighth year of an NBA career.
“You tell kids that there’s got to be more to their lives than just basketball,” Paul said.
“You can talk about it all you want, but they need to see it for themselves. And they can definitely see that now. This is nothing short of incredible what we’re seeing. You can’t find a better example of showing people that anything is possible.”
The NBA pretty much stopped at noon Tuesday. Many practices were either delayed or interrupted so players and coaches could witness the swearing-in and the new president’s first address.
It’s a new day, but it brings an old message.
The televised saturation Tuesday included various images of young African-American students from urban schools watching the inauguration from their classroom. But they were largely exceptional students who’ve likely already charted a life path independent of sports.
The real Obama impact will come should the constant exposure surrounding America’s first black president sell the importance of understanding a history book as much as a playbook.
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