INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

sportive’ (1901) which included the comment, “the psychological side
has remained in the shadows. Far be it from me to shed on so
sensitive a subject”.
One definition of sport psychology is, “The application of
psychological knowledge to enhance personal development and
performance of individuals within sport” (Hardy, Jones and Gould,
1996). Sport psychology theory and practice, as it relates to personal
development, can therefore be seen as a way to conceive and facilitate
the process of learning the personal Olympic ideals from sports
participation.
Flow is a concept employed by Csikszentmihalyi (1992) to
describe the immersion and pleasured involvement in a task that is
intrinsically rewarding and provides an example of how sport
psychology can inform Olympism. This link will be described in the
section below. Furthermore, one personal case study, describing my
own research on student-athletes, will also illustrate some ways of
implementing psychological insights to Olympic pedagogy and the
research that still needs to be done.
Example: Flow - The Psychology of Happiness
In discussing flow in sport, Jackson and Csikszentmihalyi (2001)
state that flow is, “a state of consciousness where one becomes totally
absorbed in what one is doing to the exclusion of all other thoughts
and emotions… it is a harmonious experience where mind and body
are working together effortlessly… So flow is also about enjoyment”
(p.5). It is interesting to note the parallels between this description and
the definition of Olympism from the Olympic Charter. Therefore any
person who is able to let flow states into their life will go some way to
embodying Olympism.
Jackson and Csikszentmihalyi (2001) identify nine prerequisites or
components of flow, including finding a challenge-skills balance,
merging action and awareness, having clear goals, obtaining
unambiguous feedback, concentrating on the task at hand, and
choosing an autotelic experience (i.e. one that is done for its own
sake). Interestingly, the structures of competitive sport provide an
ideal natural environment for flow states. Perhaps this explains why, if
planned appropriately, physical education often enables people to
experience those qualities espoused by the Olympic Charter. Sport is
therefore seen as an opportunity to actualise our potential by
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