Where there is noble competition, there is victory — Aristotle
Twenty-five hundred years ago this great philosopher redefined victory to fit his vision of the good life. Unfortunately, contem-porary sportspersons — if at all they are aware of the great man’s utterances — have scant regard for this lifestyle observation. Today, on play fields and sports arenas, victory tends to be defined in a much more limited way. More like “the first one to cross the finish line”. I would like to take Aristotle’s observation off the shelf, dust it, and see whether it can be adapted and revitalised to make sense in today’s world of sport.
What does ‘noble competition’ mean to contemporary athletes, coaches, parents and sport administrators? I suspect that if you were to ask for a definition, almost everyone, young and old alike, would assume that it refers to maintaining high standards of sportsmanship. There is no doubt that good sportsmanship is at least one part of the meaning of noble competition. However, I believe it would be helpful to take the definition beyond this limited meaning.
By considering the wisdom and time-honoured truths that philosophers of ancient Greece advanced, we are offered the possibility of utilising Aristotle’s observation to discover a new order to shape our children’s sports programmes, to make them richer and more beneficial to athletes, coaches, families and communities. The ancient Greeks offered perceptive insights into the human condition, that offer great promise for modern times. I would like to examine a few of their reflections with the idea of redefining the concept of victory, which might benefit our lives in the 21st century.
I believe that victory is achieved when the wisdom of the ages guides the conduct of today’s sports activities. Specifically, I am proposing that victory can be celebrated when parents, athletes, coaches and sports leaders:
Exercise restraint. Competition is noble when competitors show restraint: when coaches refrain from browbeating athletes, sportspersons refrain from taunting one another, and parents refrain from challenging the decisions of officials or the coach. Thus restraint, especially after a victory is important. If a winning team or athlete jeers and taunts their opponents, it’s a poor display of noble competition.
Engage in dialogue. Competition is noble when it is guided by traditions that have emerged out of civil and respectful dialogue among athletes, coaches, sports leaders and parents. This attitude to decision making is seldom employed in contemporary sports programmes. It runs against the currently popular “command and control” style of leadership in sports, with parents and athletes seldom given any voice in formulating team policies and practices. Competition ceases to be noble if any stakeholder in sports education displays excessive aggression or authoritarianism.
Are uplifted and renewed by their experiences. Competition is noble when it can renew the human spirit; that is, when it is joyful rather than contentious and anxiety ridden. If a losing team can leave the field with a sense of having played a good match, it is an excellent example of noble competition.
Engage in right conduct. Competition is noble when parents, athletes, coaches and sports leaders are continuously learning to improve their behaviour in the bleachers, on the sidelines, on the playing field, by adopting universal values such as respect, civility, responsibility, and community spirit.
Stretch their minds. Competition is noble when it is guided by positive images — those that give direction to the inherent beauty of every sport, rather than by images of the victory stand, or destination.
Exercise citizenship rights and responsibilities. Competition is noble when it is governed by the understanding that parents and athletes are expected to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizens in their team communities, rather than simply to be assigned the role of clients served by sports ‘experts’.
When parents and athletes are able to experience participation rather than follow instructions or be mute spectators, then competition becomes noble.
Pursue their vision of healthy sports. Competition is noble when it is the result of the combined effort of parents, athletes, coaches and sports leaders to re-shape their sports experiences according to traditional values, rather than the popular mainstream ‘in-your-face’ attitudes that celebrate contentious and edgy competition.
Parents would do well to reflect on the wisdom imparted to us by some of the most gifted minds in human history, from the early Greek philosophers to today’s seekers of truth. As competition in sports gets more aggressive and unethical, the nobility and values enunciated by them should shape and mould the character of today’s youth.
(Dr. George Selleck is a California-based sports psychologist and advisor to Sportz Village, Bangalore)