Does sport build character?

Justification for competitive sport for youth Physical fitness and health Emotional development Social adjustment Discipline, team work, respect for authority Delinquency prevention Competition BUT WHAT IS THE ACTUAL EVIDENCE? AND WHAT IS MISSING FROM THIS LIST?

Many famous people have believed that sport builds character “THERE IS A CASE TO USE SPORT AND LEISURE AS A SOCIAL WELFARE TOOL TO SWEEP KIDS OF THE STREETS AND OUT OF UNATTENDED HOUSES” Sir Ron Scott, 1993

“The difference between mischief and jail is often no more than the local rugby league team” John Banks, ODT 2/7/93

“Only aggressive sports can create the brawn, the spirit, the self confidence, and quickness of men essential for the existence of a strong nation”. President Theodore Roosevelt

The history of the ‘myth’ Stemmed from English public schools Sport was believed to help discipline unruly boys and shape them into muscular Christians “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton” Barron Pierre de Coubertin envied the English and wished to use sport to toughen up French boys.

Does school sport develop unity? Many schools use sport to promote their image to the public A winning team is believed to be reflective of good values in the school.

The promotion of the importance of sport in schools has an impact on boys: “Boys would rather fail in the classroom than on the sporting field” (Darren Treasure, 1990) Being an athlete is still the foremost criterion for male popularity in schools. Sport is valued more by non-white males, those who are younger, and parents less educated

If the real message students are receiving is that high school sport is more important than education – this is a problem The popularity of sports in schools creates different social groups and power relations: E.g. Cool guys, jocks, nerds, geeks… Incidents of severe bullying are at times linked to sport e.g. Taradale broomstick incident,

Foley stated that sexual and drinking exploits are a common part of the athlete image e.g. ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’ Athletes, because they are viewed as good people – have had more lee-way in getting away with deviant behaviour e.g. Rex Thomson’s PhD on North American rugby Foley “players learn to use public conformity to hide private non-conformity”

Pasifika youth sport study NZ Medical Journal 2012 surveyed 974 Pacific students aged 13 to per cent of students identified as binge drinkers, The study found that those teens who participated in sports teams or were connected to a sports club were more at risk of binge-drinking. Some parents did not want their children joining sports clubs because of the drinking

Studying whether sport builds character Difficult to study using scientific method (e.g. control groups) Also chicken and egg problem: youth who play sport need certain characteristics – but did they gain these in sport or already have them?

Sport and personality Some evidence that sportspeople are: High in need for achievement Respect for authority Self control Trust Low in anxiety But also conflicting study results

Longitudinal study Military cadets at West Point – all do sport for four years Results: the non-athletes did not develop the same ‘personalities’ as the athlete group Conclusion: little evidence that participation in sport has any effect on character

Some evidence that sport teaches ‘bad’ character Hockey players in Canada: The longer a youth is involved in sport the greater they accept: Cheating That violence is legitimate Greater self-interest

The finding that sport can teach ‘bad’ character also suggests that if sports are coached in a certain way – that good outcomes could occur.

“Positive deviance” overconformity to athletic norms (physical strength, machismo, competitiveness, and winning) may be responsible for some athletes behaving in socially unacceptable ways. E.g. if it is ‘good’ to train hard then overconformity to this principle can encourage some to train obsessively. Or train in pain.

Overemphasis on winning can be a contributing factor to: Violence on and off the field Exploitation Drop out syndrome Cheating drugs

Sexual assaults/violence Male student-athletes, when compared to the rest of the male student population, were involved in a significantly higher percentage of sexual assaults (Crosset et al., 1995). A survey of North American university sportsmen found that a belief in the value of toughness in sport is related to violent acts off the sports field (Nixon, 1997).

In 2002, Waikato Chiefs Super 12 player Keith Robinson was involved in a New Years Eve fight with Motor Camp owner, Michael Savage. The fight occurred when Savage attempted to evict Robinson after Robinson had fallen on a tent containing two children. Savage was then punched in the head by Robinson and subsequently hospitalised for one week with a cerebral blood clot. Although no police charges have been laid, Chief rugby officials reported that they had reprimanded Robinson, who “regretted” the incident (Wycherley, 2002).

In 2001, Super 12 Hurricanes rookie Riki Flutey, while on tour in Argentina with the Wellington rugby academy, was formally charged with committing grievous bodily harm after local youth, Gabriel Capotosti, was punched and subsequently hospitalised with a broken nose and eye socket. Flutey was returning from a late night party when Capotosti allegedly taunted him outside a local shop.

This evidence of sportsmen being disproportionately involved in violence – is not evidence that sport causes bad character. As there are many impt cultural and ideological factors related to sexual assault and violence

No scientific evidence to support idea that: Sport prevents delinquency Sport participation prevents drug abuse Evidence however shows a correlation between sport success and academic achievement But no evidence to suggest that sport makes people smarter

Why do we people believe the myth? Halo effect Parents see children trying hard in sport and displaying skill – but don’t necessarily see this elsewhere Sports people appear knowledgeable and confident