Part 2: "Positive" Benefits of Participation in Sport

• “Positive” Benefits of Participation in Sport

  • CHARACTER - moral development *
  • Justice and fair play 
  • Have a moral compass
  • Fair Play
  • Following the rules
  • Plating to spirit of the rules
  • Sportspersonship
  • Self-discipline, autonomy
  • Self-concept, self-esteem
  • Positive benefits assumed to just happen from sport participation
• 2 General Questions in Sport Psych 

  • How psychological factors affect performance?
  • How does participation influence psych development/well-being?
  • Such as character
• Examples: Sport Builds ‘Character’ - Negative

  • Someone stomp on someone's back during a sports game
  • Verbal abuse towards referees 
  • Linesman shoved by parent 
  • Soccer ref died was punched by a teen player 
  • Fights & Brawls in games
  • Racial taunts from spectators & opposition 
  • Head budding a referee 
  • Bounty: payed players to deliberately injury the opposition 
  • Doping 
  • Aggression
• Sport Builds ‘Character’ - Negative

  • Want it to but sometimes it doesn’t 
  • Need research, so isn’t an assumption 
  • Can build character, not automatic 
  • Can also build negative character
• Examples: Sport Builds ‘Character’ - Positive

  • Help injured opposition (sportsmanship)
  • Friendships built
  • Growing good people: teach rugby, but providing life skills & tools 
  • Compassion beyond sportsmanship: hit home run to win the game, but injured self at first base, so opposition carried her round touching each base, but ref didn’t allow it, so opposition forfeited