INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

team sports. One wonders what we would lose if we adopted the
Athenian idea of individual sports with very little team sport activity.
A. Hypotheses as to advantages of team sports
Democracy implies teamwork and equality, better learned through
team sports. The competitors learn to a greater extent under team play,
to disregard economic, social, racial, and religious differences.
Inequalities tend to be balanced out when all work for a group
purpose. Group dynamic work when individuals strive for a common
goal. They learn to work and sacrifice for the good of the group.
Leadership and followership cooperation are both learned. Individuals
learn to tolerate each other’s weaknesses, appreciate each other’s
strengths. They develop a we-feeling, a feeling of belongingness, and
conformity to group-approved ways; that is, they develop group
morale. Note also that student body enthusiasms tend more toward the
team games.
B. Hypotheses favouring individual sport emphasis
There seem to be greater later-life recreational values from
individual sports, more opportunity to play them, and greater
possibility of participation during later adult years.
This individual-sport man is on his own so there is perhaps more
precise self-evaluation in skill and in self-control. There is more stress
on individual responsibility and on skill realization.
The Pro and Con
Group morale and toleration of others may be less if there are only
individual sports. Moreover individual sports have less appeal to the
masses as a spectator experience. However, one has more opportunity
after school years are over to participate in individual sports. It seems
that we should have a balance of both, but team sports must be learned
when students or club members are young, strong, and vigorous, and
are together a great amount of the time. Individual sports do not
require such close affiliation with school or club, and can even be
learned after school days are over.
In all, sports reflect the culture in which they exist and take a form
consistent with that culture. As the culture changes, so do sports
programmes change. Many factors in the society culture impinge upon
- 56 -