The Sport Ethic

Sport ethic is the criteria for defining what it means to be a true athlete. Being committed to the goals athletes set forth in the sport they participate in. One word that describes sport ethic the best is ‘dedication.’ It takes hard work, hours on hours in the gym, proper eating habits and a mind dedicated to achieving the goals set as an athlete. The article talked about coaches' messages such as “pay the price” and “shoot for the top” which are all linked back to dedication.   

There are four dimensions to the concept of ‘sport ethic.’ Athletes must make sacrifices for The Game. Real athletes play their sport because that’s what they love to do. This involves giving up things that they would rather be doing to train harder, get faster and improve their overall performance. Athletes must strive for distinction. Not everyone can be a winner. Athlete strive to improve themselves everyday to make it harder for their opponent to beat them. By training harder than their competitor, athletes become closer to perfection and getting the big W. Accepting the risks and playing through pain is the third dimension of sport ethic. Sports take a physical toll on the body. Dedicated athletes play through the pain of injury. They accept the risk of injury yet still play as if there is no risk at all. After all of this, athletes refuse to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities. They push their bodies and minds so far that they create something new, something for someone else to try and one-up. Sports progress everyday and without pushing the limits, athletes will be left in the dust. 

Athletes conform to this set of beliefs because ‘sport’ is their lives. They wake up in the morning thinking about how they can better different aspects of their game. Then, they go train. When they go to bed they’re still thinking about how they can be better. Without sport, athletes don’t know who they are or what they’re supposed to do. Their lives revolve around bettering themselves to beat their competitor. 

I played multiple sports in High School that all revolved around the four dimensions of sport ethic. Football and Basketball were physically demanding sports that revolved around dedication. Waking up at 5am to condition before school, then practicing after school, putting hours in the weight room and eating things I didn’t find the best tasting were all sacrifices I made to better myself and the team. Senior year of High School I broke my foot at the beginning of the basketball season during a conditioning session. I stayed with the team, worked out what I could and eight weeks later was back on the court. I accepted the risks of the sport and after injury still came back to continue my season. Sport ethic is about passion. It’s about being hungry. If it’s a team sport, it’s about the bond you have with your teammates. It’s not just a set of rules, it’s a lifestyle.