by Bobby Coles

Created on: March 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 11, 2012

Drugs are ruining many of the sporting heroes that a generation of children are idolizing. If not drugs, then infidelity, murder charges, and the list unfortunately goes on and on. When your child has a hero that suddenly is thrust into the spotlight for their off-field endeavours, it is of the utmost importance that you explain the athlete's behaviour as best that you possibly can.

Children are impressionable, and they worship professional sports figures, not only for their athletic accomplishments, but for their enormous salaries. Sporting figures are among the most highly paid people roaming the planet. Children need to be taught that this fame comes with a price tag that is extremely high.

Parents can talk to their children about the pressures placed upon athletes to perform on a daily basis, amidst a hail of paparazzi, and with contracts and age weighing heavily on their minds twenty four hours a day. Many athletes take drugs in an effort to gain an edge.

This may be hard to understand for a child that is being taught the value of physical education in school, and the harmful effects of drug use while in health classes.

It is the job of the parent to explain to their children all of the nasty and unfortuante events that transpire in the world in which they live. Athlete's are not super-human. They are just as flawed as the rest of the world, only they have more money in their bank accounts. Heroic figures like Tiger Woods even plummet to the earth on occasion.

Children tend to look up to professional athletes as superhuman, with otherworldly ability. When they are removed from their pedestal because of their own recalcitrant behaviour, your child may need help in understanding the severity of the situation. Your child may seem as though their whole world has been shattered because of the exploits of their hero.

You need to deal with this situation in a tactful manner. An athlete that takes drugs has broken some laws, and should be punished. This concept may be difficult to explain to your kids, depending on their age.

Telling your child that their hero has become a zero is not an easy task. You need to tenderly explain to them that the athlete must have had some problems that they were trying to escape from, and that they had a moment of poor judgement. It is also good to point out that there are consequences for our actions.

Athletes take on added responsibility as role models, and if they exercise poor judgement, it is done on national television and

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