INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

tools and resources they need to teach Olympic Education. In fact,
they said that they made it a point to send representatives in the
various activities organised annually by the IOA. It was also
interesting to note that, for example, the Pan American Sports
Organisation organises continental seminars on NOAs. Such regular
sessions give the opportunity to people with common values and goals
to share their experiences and learn from one another.
The importance of an ongoing agenda
Continuation is of great importance in this regard as when a NOA
decides to initiate a school programme it is important that it sets clear
targets and a realistic time frame. For example, in 2002, the Barbados
NOC had a person, from the Commonwealth Sports Development
Programme (CSDP), visiting primary schools (ages 7-11). Top
athletes also attended these sessions to demonstrate and talk about
their sport. However, this programme was discontinued following the
CSDP’s representative departure from the country. Such an episode is
a clear example of the great need for the ongoing development in
Olympic Education.
The interest shown by students towards Olympic Education
Realistically, today’s students seem to avert the true Olympic
motto as for them winning is more important than participating. This
trend may be even clearer in small island states as such countries are
drastically deprived of enjoying national success at the Olympic
Games. Emulating a national Olympic hero as an idol is seen as a very
remote possibility. So far, only six small island states (refer to table 3)
have managed to win a medal or more in the 104-year-old history of
the modern Olympic Games with Bahamas having the distinction of
being the only nation to clinch gold.
Asked upon the interest shown by students in Olympic Education,
some NOAs stated that the media plays a very influential role in this
area as today’s secondary school students are constantly bombarded
with a lot of information via different types of media. In the Maldives,
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