INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

Olympic movement engages, alone or in cooperation with
other organizations and within the limits of its means, in
actions to promote peace.”
Fundamental Principle 6 (p 9) further explains that:
“The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to
building a peaceful and better world by educating youth
through sports practised without discrimination of any kind and
in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding
with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”
To most people “Olympism”, is associated with the Olympic
Games. Some could even visualize images of the great moments in the
Sydney Olympic Games or any previous Games. However, to sports
experts, winning Gold medals is just one aspect of the Olympic
movement, an important one but not the only one! The message of
Olympism or Olympic Education is of paramount importance
compared to the medals. It should embrace ideals and sentiments that
go far beyond the realm of elitism. For the Olympic Games, which
come once in four years, is nothing more than a spectacular festival of
sports for youths representing their countries.
Olympism or Olympic Education is a philosophy of sports and its
related life-style as developed by Coubertin. The practice of this
philosophy is targeted at not only the elite athletes, but every one; not
for just a short truce period, but for the whole of life; not just
competition and winning; but also the values of participation and cooperation;
not just sports as an activity, but also as a formative and
developmental influence contributing to desirable characteristics of
individual personality and social life (Parry, 1998). In addition,
Olympic Education is a social philosophy that emphasizes the role of
sport in world development, international understanding, peaceful coexistence,
and social education.
It is important to note that Coubertin was not just an armchair
sportsman. He was in fact a practising sportsman, which allowed him
to feel and to understand what sport could provide in the way of an
individual’s development, leading him to resolutely decide in favour
of competitive and inspirational sport.
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