Chapter 10 Sporting Behavior 11 Sporting Behavior Chapter 10 Sporting Behavior

Chapter Outline Sporting behavior at different levels of sport Youth attitudes Development of moral values Moral values applied to sport (continued)

Chapter Outline (continued) Moral values taught through sport Strategies for good sporting behavior Chapter summary

Sporting Behavior Newer term (replacing sportsmanship) to remove gender bias Interchangeable with sportsmanship in this book

Sporting Behavior Ethical behavior involves the following: Participation for the pleasure of a hard- fought contest Refusal to take unfair advantage Courtesy toward one’s opponent Graciousness in both winning and losing

Sporting Behavior at Different Levels Professional athletes are role models who influence youth athletes. Media and coaches tend to emphasize winning and competition. Athletes need to be taught fair play, moral development, and character. Participation sport tends to be more balanced.

High School Athlete Survey Girls more committed to honesty, fair play Baseball, football, and basketball players more inclined to bad behavior Poor coach behavior reported by 25% to 33% Hazing, stealing, cheating okay with majority Inflicting pain okay with 60% of males

Development of Moral Values Some theorists hold that behavior is based on moral development. Kohlberg proposed an age-related progression of stages.

Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Development Preconventional 1. Punishment and obedience 2. Pleasure or pain Conventional 3. Good boy or girl 4. Law and order Postconventional 5. Social contract 6. Principled conscience For age range and focus of each stage, see table 11.1.

Discussion What stage of moral development would you say that Meghan Vogel demonstrated? Explain your reasoning.

Barriers to Good Sporting Behavior Emphasis on winning – By coaches – By parents – In traditions and customs Lack of the necessary intellectual understanding for advanced moral reasoning

Sport as Builder of Character and Morals Values can be learned through sport socialization. Factors related to sporting behavior include the following: Sport type Performance level Position played

High School Sport and Moral Development Athletes have lower moral development than nonathletes. Female athletes score higher than male athletes, but their scores decline every three years. Intervention programs can positively affect moral reasoning.

Key Point Cause and effect cannot be determined, because athletes may already have key positive or negative traits before participating in sport.

Discussion Does sport build character or characters?

Two Types of Character Social—teamwork, loyalty, work ethic, perseverance Moral—honesty, fairness, integrity, responsibility

Discussion What should be the role of a coach in the moral development of a youth sport athlete?

Existing High-Performance Sport Ethic per Coakley Striving for excellence Competing to win Sacrifice Love of the game Commitment to team Playing with pain and adversity (continued)

Existing High-Performance Sport Ethic per Coakley (continued) Is this a positive or a negative ethic? If it is negative, can we change it? If it is positive, why is it positive?

Sporting Behavior and Mental Toughness Emotional control may lead to better sporting behavior. We must both learn the rules and understand the spirit of the rules.

Strategies for Good Sporting Behavior Parents teach values to kids at a young age. Coaches and officials prohibit play if rules are not followed. Parents and coaches model good behavior. (continued)

Strategies for Good Sporting Behavior (continued) Fans decrease rowdiness and alcohol use. Professional athletes and organizations serve actively as positive role models. We all reward good behavior!

Discussion What strategies do you think could be used to promote good sporting behavior? Discuss the possibilities for success of campaigns such as the Colorado High School Activities Association’s guide to good sporting behavior.