Gareth Southgate wants role models to offer a different path from toxic influencers. Do those in sport have the will to do so?
Amid all the pressing problems of the day, one crisis has cut through: the acute need for greater support, care and steady role models for young men, addressed powerfully through the Netflix series Adolescence, explored in the Centre for Social Justice paper Lost Boys and discussed in parliament. Then came the BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture by the former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, reinforcing the importance of belief and resilience for young people in a challenging world.
Southgate continues to embody how sport and society can connect in a new way. The question now is whether the rest of sport – its leaders, coaches, athletes, volunteers and fans – stands ready to take up the cause and whether sport has the collective vision, will and competence to do so effectively.
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