Republic of the Philippines

Cagayan State University

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COLLEGE of HUMAN KINETICS

Lesson 4- Sporting Behaviour

Introduction
All societies in the world are governed by a set of rules that have been
decided upon by the society as a whole, their elected representatives, or the
rulers of that society. These rules, known as the laws of the land, are
necessary so that anarchy does not take hold.

In many instances, sport serves as a microcosm of society. It is necessary to

have guidelines, rules, or regulations of the way a sport is to be played.
These rules are pliable but become less flexible as sport moves from
recreational physical activity to formal structures, such as sports leagues. It
is essential that all teams involved at similar levels play by the same set of
regulations. Even at the elite or professional level, however, opportunities
must be available to change the rules of sport, whether by popular demand,
for safety reasons, or for spectator and participant appeal.

The rules of sport, like the rules of society, are meant to satisfy the needs of
the participants and spectators, and must be seen to be fair, equitable, and
judicious; that is, they must include a set of consequences/penalties for a
hierarchy of transgressions or deviant behaviour.

Learning objectives
At the end of the lesson the student must be able to:

a. Analyze sporting behaviours that may be positive and/or negative.

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b. To understand that all athletes have the potential to be perceived as
role models.

c. To learn the different drugs uses in sports

Discussion
Sporting behaviour is the term used to reflect sportsmanship, as it
pertains to ethical behaviour, fair play, and respect for the sport, the
participants, and the spectators. Elite athletes have become societal
role models, whether or not they wish to carry this burden. In recent
years, because of increased and instantaneous media attention, the
behaviour of these athletes has come under society’s microscope, off
as well as on the playing field, for every aspect of their lives. As a
result, elite athletes seriously influence the moral and ethical
development of children and youth of many societies.

Sport can also build character and personal qualities, such as courage,
integrity, and the capacity to commit to a goal or purpose, as well as
values such as a sense of responsibility to others, respect for others,
self-discipline, a sense of fair play and fair dealing, and honesty.

For these reasons it is important that parents and particularly coaches

have a good understanding of the positive values that the sporting
experience is able to promote. Pointing out and rewarding the positive
behaviours while discussing and discouraging the negative ones is
every adult’s responsibility. Coaches and parents are role models too.

Cheating - behavior aimed at getting around the rules or simply breaking

them

Why do athletes engage in cheating?

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1. The win-at-all-costs mentality

2. Cheating results from the sport ethic

The Sport Ethic

 A cluster of norms that describe what it means to be a successful

athlete

 Four specific norms make up the sport ethic

The Athlete as Role Model

Many positive role models can be found in sport. As a class, discuss

athletes who contribute to the improvement of our society and are
living examples of the best qualities of our society. Have students
respond to guiding questions such as the following:

a. What qualities do these athletes represent?

b. What other athletes come to mind when we use the term “role
model”?

Examples of role models in sport are Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes,

Steve Nash, Todd MacCulloch, Terry Fox, and Rick Hansen.

The Marketable Athlete

Have each student reflect on “marketable” athletes by responding to

the following questions:

c. Identify a Canadian athlete who advertises products in the media.

d. What products does this athlete advertise?

e. Why did the company selling the product connect this athlete to it?

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f. Think about the sports you watch on television. What other kinds of
products do you see advertised by athletes during television
commercials or in print media?

g. What traits make an athlete “highly marketable”? Why?

h. What sort of image does an athlete bring to products? Give examples

of positive and negative sports images or sports figures.

i. Do these athletes have an impact on the consumer relative to

personal values?

An Athlete’s Creed

Have students create a creed (statement of belief) that reflects their

personal views on sport participation. Students could also develop a
creed for a local sporting event in the school or in the community and
post it, where applicable. Have students compare and discuss the
importance of their creed in the context of their own sport experience.

The Olympic Creed, for

T H E O LY M P I C C R E E D
example, is meant to spur “The most important thing in the Olympic
Games is not to win but to take part, just as the
athletes to embrace the most important thing in life is not the triumph
but the struggle. The essential thing is not to
Olympic spirit and to perform to
have conquered but to have fought well”
the best of their abilities. The (Canadian Olympic Committee).

words for this creed are

attributed to Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic
Games, who got the idea for this phrase from a speech given by Bishop
Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908
Olympic Games (Athens Info Guide; Canadian Olympic Committee).

Background Information

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Character versus Sport Ethic

More often than not, the assumption is made that having good
character also represents the dominant sport ethic. In other words, the
athletes’ behaviours are consistent with the behaviour norms that are
applauded and praised by the sporting culture. Individual character
and the prevailing sport ethic may, however, counter each other.
Athletes who demonstrate and endorse the sport ethic are rewarded,
while those who rebel find it difficult to be a part of the accepted
society.

When athletes are exposed to various ethical dilemmas in sport over a

period of time, they may eventually adopt unethical behaviours that
are expected of them (e.g., hockey players may be expected to fight or
to take penalties for their team). The behaviours are often reinforced
and appreciated by the fans and media. Although the behaviours are
accepted within the insular world of sport, they are often not
acceptable in the world outside of sport. The newspapers and
television are full of examples of athletes who have difficulty keeping
the line clearly drawn between the world of sport and the world outside
of sport.

The World of Sport

Have students find in the media (or create) two positive or negative
examples of ethical issues in sport. These examples may pertain to
issues related to gender fairness, violence, cheating, fair play, foul
language, use of performance-enhancing drugs, being forced to play
while injured, and so on.

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The following are some examples of what students may find when they
look at how athletes’ behaviours are consistent with the behaviour
norms that are applauded and praised by the sporting culture but are
not necessarily considered good character.

EXAMPLES
Athletes’ behaviours may be consistent with behaviour norms of sporting culture but may
not reflect good character when they
 strive for excellence by cheating (e.g., using drugs, making
dishonest line
calls, tampering with equipment)
 strive for excellence by training to exhaustion and playing in pain
 show love and respect for the game by gloating (e.g., after a touchdown, hockey
goal,slam dunk)
 demonstrate being a team player by risk-taking or demonstrating violence and
aggression (e.g., fighting, “beanballing,” stick
smashing)

Deviant Behaviour in Sport

The term deviant behaviour describes actions or behaviours that take

place in sport that are outside expected or acceptable limits. This
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definition helps distinguish between behaviours that are governed
within the rules of the sport and those that may be questioned,
reviewed, or acted upon by the parent sport organization (e.g.,
National Hockey League) or by the judicial system.

Deviant behaviour in sport may include the following:

j. Rule breaking: When rules are broken unintentionally during

competition, or when rules are broken intentionally but the results are
not severe, game officials make a ruling. Organizational or judicial
intervention may become necessary when the rules are broken
intentionally or result in great harm. The penalties or sanctions levied
against the perpetrators range from heavy fines to lifetime bans in the
sport, and, in some cases, result in criminal charges.

k. Emotional involvement: Different levels of emotional involvement

could also be considered deviant behaviour. In many countries,
sporting events have evolved into avenues for emotional release and
relief. Generally, the more important the event is, the greater the
emotional expression becomes, whether it be joy, anger, wonderment,
or sadness. Often the emotions are irrational and, in many instances,
lead to violence, usually between opposing team spectators, but
sometimes between opponents, athletes, and spectators, or even
game officials. In any case, these actions are immature and antisocial,
and are definitely not acceptable.

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Off-Field Violence in Sport

Sports that involve body contact of any kind also involve violent acts. It
has been suggested, although not substantiated, that watching or being
involved in violent acts in sport may lead to deviant behaviour outside the
sport venue. Is it possible that people who use physical intimidation and
violence in sport are likely to exhibit these behaviours when faced with
situations of conflict outside of sport? Consider the case of Tonya Harding
(Olympic figure skater), who was involved with the attack on fellow skater
Nancy Kerrigan

Develop statements related to violent behaviour for students to

debate. Using the Opinion Corners learning strategy (see Appendix E),
students take a position on an issue by going to the corner that most
accurately depicts their viewpoint: strongly agree, agree, strongly
disagree, or disagree.

The following are examples of statements that could be debated by the

class:

l. An athlete who feels that his or her character is being challenged will
often respond with physical force.

m. Male athletes (e.g., O. J. Simpson, Chris Benoit, Mike Tyson) are more
frequently involved in violent acts against women than are male non-
athletes.

n. Sport serves as a way to release aggression in an acceptable way and

actually reduces violent tendencies in athletes and/or fans.

o. Parents promote violent behaviour of their children.

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Performance Enhancement

Although performance-enhancing substances have been used for

hundreds of years, this issue is becoming more prevalent in sport today.
Athletes use many substances such as anabolic steroids, stimulants, over-
the-counter drugs, vitamins, amino-acid supplements, health foods, and
natural herbs to gain an advantage over their competitors. Not all
substances are illegal, but many are.

Performance-Enhancing Drugs

1. To gain a winning edge

2. Just to stay competitive

e.g., Ben Johnson tragedy

IOC considers certain performance-enhancing drugs illegal because:

1. They give one an unfair advantage

2. They have serious health side-effects

Athletes must be counselled to stay drug-free

Different drugs and it’s effect

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Athletes’ Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Have students work in groups of three to discuss questions regarding

athletes’ use of performance-enhancing substances. Ask each student in a
group to take one of the following letters: A, B, or C. For the first round, A
is the recorder, B asks C questions, and C answers the questions. B does
not speak other than to ask the questions. C has one minute to answer
questions. After the first round, have students rotate until each student
has had an opportunity to be a recorder, ask the questions, and respond
to the questions.

Sport Gambling

What are the issues/problems with betting on sporting events? There are
strict rules against players, coaches, and game officials being involved in
gambling on the outcomes of sporting events in which they are involved.
Gambling in sport has long been an issue, however. It is estimated that
billions of dollars are spent around the world in illegal wagering in sport.

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In Manitoba, it appears that gambling is a concern not only for adults, but
also for youth:

Based on the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s 2001 Youth Survey,

close to 50% of students surveyed had gambled or bet on something
during the past year. Gambling activities played by these youth include:
scratch tickets (29.7%), bingo (18.2%), lottery tickets (16.6%), Sports
Select games (14%), VLTs (11.3%), and slot machines (10.3%). (MAAW,
“Wanna Bet . . . Fast Facts on Gambling”)

Does Sport Build Character?

The term character refers to a person acting in accordance with his or her
own morals and beliefs. How a person is socialized as a child determines,
to a large extent, what the person values, and this includes the elements
of trustworthiness, honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring.
When athletes behave in a manner that is inconsistent with the way they
normally behave it is said that they are acting “out of character.” Why are
there so many examples of athletes acting “out of character”?

Sample questions could include the following:

p. Name three athletes who have recently been caught using

performance-enhancing substances.

q. What should be the penalty for such actions?

r. Why do athletes take performance-enhancing substances?

Enrichment activities
Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _______________
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Year and section: _______________________________ Score: ______________

Self-Assessment Question
Identify each of the behaviours described in the scenarios below as one
of the following if the answer is C put the answer in first blank if P put
in second blank:

C – Cheating
P – Part of the Game
Be prepared to support your choices.

Scenarios C
1. To get a needed time out, a coach instructs a soccer player to fake an injury.

2. After every score, a basketball player taunts the defender in an effort to “psyche him
or her out.”
3. To gain an edge, a golfer illegally alters equipment.

4. A baseball coach instructs a pitcher to throw the ball at the other team’s best batter’s
head to brush the batter back from the plate.
5. To motivate players, a coach uses foul language and insults.

6. In basketball, a player commits a deliberate foul to stop the clock in the final minute
of play.
7. In soccer, a coach teaches players to grab and hold shirts illegally without being
detected.
8. In volleyball, a player says nothing after a referee erroneously says the player never
touched the ball.
9. To set a new scoring record, a football team facing a badly overmatched opponent
runs up the score to 96-7.
10. In baseball, a fielder traps the ball against the ground, but tries to convince the
umpire that he or she caught it cleanly.
11. A wrestling coach instructs an athlete to attack a recent injury of the opponent.

12. In ice hockey, a coach sends in a player to instigate a fight with the other team’s top
scorer.
13. In a close tennis match, the referee calls a sideline shot you have made “in.” You
know it was out but don’t say anything.

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14. You are fouled in a close basketball game with the time running out. The coach calls
you and another teammate over and instructs the other player to go to the shooting
line in your place.
15. Other

Essay: read the questions and place the answer in space provided

a. Name three athletes who have recently been caught using performance-
enhancing substances.

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b. What should be the penalty for such actions?

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___________________________________________________________________________
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c. Why do athletes take performance-enhancing substances?

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d. How does sport build or reveal the positive or negative character of an

individual? How is character “learned”?

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e. How do athletes serve as role models for young sport competitors?

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___________________________________________________________________________
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f. What is the difference between sporting behaviour and deviant behaviour

in sport?

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Note: Enrichment activity and self assessment question, Follow this outline
write the questions and answer in a short bond paper write eligibly deduction
in score if not. Take a clear photo of it and submit it to me!

Reference

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b. Bloom, Michael, Michael Grant, and Douglas Watt. ( 2005) “Chapter 6:
Skills Impacts.” Strengthening Canada: The Socio-economic Benefits of
Sport Participation in Canada—Report August 2005. Ottawa, ON: The
Conference Board of Canada.

c. Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week (MAAW) Committee. (2007) “Wanna

Bet . . . Fast Facts on Gambling.” Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week:
Resource Kit. Winnipeg, MB: MAAW Committee. 2.4.8 Gambling

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