According to Hughes and Coakley the sport ethic is, "The criteria for defining what it means to be a real athlete." It is the value system that athletes unquestionably commit to and accept in order to become "real athletes". There are believed to be four dimensions of the sport ethic-value system.
The first aspect of the sport ethic is being willing to make sacrifices for the game or sport being played. Athletes must put their sport first and before anything else. They are expected to give up their other interests and be totally committed the sport they play. As Coakley states, "Athletes are dedicated to the game above all other things" (163). The second is that athletes should always be looking to better their best and better everyone elses best as well. As Hughes and Coakley said, "come closer to perfection". Winning is what matters and to set yourself apart from others you must win. The third aspect of the sport ethic is that risks and pain must be accepted, even welcomed at times. A "real athlete" does not let pain or fear get in the way of their goals. This shows dedication and courage. And lastly, athletes should never accept defeat. Athletes believe anything is possible and will do whatever it takes to get the task at hand done.
Athletes conform to these beliefs because they are praised for it by coaches, peers, parents, and others. In addition to that, they realize that in order for them to reach the highest level and their highest potential this is something they must do.
Being a three sport athlete in high school I think I experienced all four dimensions of the sport ethic. There were plenty of times I had practice on weekends or over holiday breaks while my classmates were going on vacation or doing other activities like snowboarding or skiing that I could not do. So I definitely had to make some sacrifices for sports in the past.
References:
Hughes, Robert; Coakley, Jay. Positive Deviance Among Athletes: The Implications of Overconformity to the Sport Ethic. Sociology of Sport Journal. 1991
Coakley, Jay. Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, Tenth Edition. New York City: McGrawHill, 2009. Print.
You mention that there are several sources of pressure to conform to the Sport Ethic...e.g., coaches, peers, parents, and others - I would add even the self...in your experience did one of these sources exhort more pressure than the others? Which one? Why do you think?
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