The Responsibilities of an Athlete During competition, athletes are often cheered on by fans, and in return those athletes do their best to win. But when an athlete is not competing, does he or she still have a responsibility to fans? Some say that athletes are public figures that others look up to, and therefore their behavior needs to be upstanding at all times. Others argue that athletes should be allowed to enjoy private lives outside of their sport. What do you think?

Write an essay to defend your stance on this issue. Include examples that support your viewpoint about an athlete's responsibility to fans.

As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you:

develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your thesis to the audience.
support your thesis with meaningful reasons and sufficient details.
address the readers' concerns, opposing viewpoint, or counterarguments.
organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience.
edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English.
Use any of the tools available to you, such as the Checklist, Spellchecker, or Graphic Organizer.

1