THE MEANING OF SPORT Workshop linked to the Comenius Project “Sport as means of integration” School Year

Presentation  In the Comenius Project context, teachers and pupils have worked on the subject “The meaning of sport”. · Pointing out the values of sport through activities and projects has been the aim of the project. · Here are the main targets: 1. being aware that practising a sport means working hard to better oneself; 2. trying one’s strengths means surpassing one’s limits; 3. sport means education to life so it must be a model; 4. sport and social integration must be considered synonymous; 5. the real personal growth and the cultural improvement lie in accepting the differences;

School Survey  · Which sport is most practised among your friends of the same age (11-15 years)?  ·Who has chosen that sport for them (parents, friends, teachers…)?  · If you had to choose a sport different from the one you are practising, which one would you choose? Why?

Survey results  1. Most of the boys (about 78%) practise football because their friends do it or because their parents advised to do it;  2. 12% practises swimming;  3. 10% practises various activities. The girls usually practise volleyball or swimming. 35% of them doesn’t practise any sport because they prefer dancing or music.

Do you know Do you know that sport often satisfies some psychological aspects? The most important are: Ø leadership, competition and aggressiveness; Ø self-accomplishment; Ø socialization; Ø narcissism, exhibitionism. People choose a sport according to different motivation which vary from person to person.

Leadership, competition, aggressiveness  Those aspects are particularly evident in athletics whose aim is to predominate on the opponents.  In the athletics aggressiveness is sublimated in order to win.

Self-accomplishment  Practising a sport is a way to know oneself and one’s limit, to acquire more self-control and self- confidence.  Practising a sport moreover, can also be a way to compensate one’s inferiority complex.

Socialization  Sport, especially the team one, allows contact among people. In this way communication, cooperation and mutual exchange are encouraged.

Narcissism and exhibitionism  In some sports activities such as gymnastics, body building and diving, visual aspect is very important.  The performance becomes a real show when the athletes exhibit not only their abilities but also their bodies.  Clothes and costumes the athletes wear are specially made to show off their well-shaped figures

Social and economic aspects of sport  Prestige and money are also important aspects an athlete takes into consideration when choosing a sport.  Nowadays sex isn’t a discriminant any more for choosing a sport as it was in the past.  Cultural and ideological believes can affect the choice of a sport.  Ecologists for example prefer open-air sports activities (sailing, trekking, climbing, underwater…).  Non-violent people prefer low aggressiveness sports such as track and field and gymnastics.

Particular features in sport  Sports can be divided into categories according to their features:  § Individual sports in which the winner is the one who beats the opponent (boxing);  § Territory conquest sports: the teams compete for the supremacy. You win when the ball is in the net for football, and in the basket for basketball;  § Endurance sports: they are sports requiring a long lasting effort endurance and ability to husband the forces. Some examples of these sports are: running, marching, skiing, swimming, cycling.

Particular features in sport  § Aestethics supremacy sports: gymnastics,skating,diving  § Physical supremacy sports. The aim is to demonstrate the superiority of an athlete over another one through physical performances linked to a particular bodily activity. Examples:100 metres, high jumping, long jumping, weight- lifting.  Destiny challenge sports. They are characterized by a high level of risk and danger. Examples: car racing and motor racing.  Nature sports in which nature plays an important role.  Examples:canoeing,sailing,horse riding, climbing.  performances linked to a particular bodily ability.