Ethics in Sport

Ethics in Sport

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you should be able to describe the definitions and key features of: 

Amateurism, 

The Olympic oath, 

Sportsmanship, 

Gamesmanship, and 

The win ethic.

What do you already know about the ethics in sport?

History and concept of Amateurism

Amateurism originated in the Victorian era:

Promoting fair play and sportsmanship without financial gain,

Creating a higher status for amateur athletes.

The Olympic Oath and its relevance

The Olympic Oath, crafted by Baron de Coubertin, 

represents a commitment to fair play and clean sport, 

although its relevance is challenged by instances of doping and win-at-all-costs behavior.

The concept of Sportsmanship and challenges in modern sports

Sportsmanship is about playing with fairness and respect, but is increasingly under pressure due to the importance of winning.

Understanding Gamesmanship

Gamesmanship involves bending the rules to win without outright cheating, which can be seen as either clever play or unsportsmanlike behavior.

The Win Ethic and its implications

The Win Ethic, or Lombardian ethic, prioritizes winning above all else, as exemplified by Vince Lombardi's philosophy.

Positive and Negative Deviance in sports

Positive deviance involves:

Over-adherence to the norms, such as over-training.

Negative deviance includes actions like:

Doping and match-fixing, which go against the norms and are harmful to sport.

Definitions

Amateurism: 

Participation in sport for the love of it, receiving no financial gain; 

it is based on the concept of athleticism (i.e. physical endeavor with moral integrity). 

Olympic Oath: A promise made by athletes and judges at the Olympics to compete without doping and in the spirit of sportsmanship. 

 Sportsmanship: Conforming to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of a sport. 

 Gamesmanship: Bending the rules and stretching them to their absolute limit without getting caught; using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired result. 

Definitions

 Win Ethic: A dominant sporting ethic that emphasizes winning as the ultimate goal, often associated with the phrase 'win at all costs.' 

 Positive Deviance: Behaviour which is outside the norms of society but with no intent to harm or break the rules, involving over-adherence to the norms or expectations of society. 

 Negative Deviance: Behaviour that goes against the norms and has a detrimental effect on individuals and society in general.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.