Sport Ethic

Norms accepted as the dominant criteria for defining an athlete

• An athlete makes sacrifices for the game
  • Proper attitude, unwavering commitment, live up to expectations of coaches and fellow athletes, make sacrifices to stay in the game
  • Coaches’ pep talks and locker room banners
  • Sacrifices are made out of love for the game and not out of money

• An athlete strives for distinction
  • Constantly seeking improvement and perfection
  • Winning symbolises improvement and establishes distinction
  • Citius, Altius, Fortius (swifter, higher, stronger)
  • Somebody pushes the envelope and others follow

• An athlete accepts risks and plays through pain
  • Athletes do not give into the pressure, pain or fear
  • Acceptance of the risk of injury and the challenge of competition
  • Don’t back down from challenges, challenges involve moral and physical courage
  • Injured players set an example of overconformity to others

• An athlete accepts no limits in the pursuit of possibilities
  • An athlete does not accept a situation without trying to change it, overcome it, or beat the odds.
  • Ignore external limits
  • Driven by what they must do as athletes
  • Buddy Lazier-Indy 500 driver trained and drove in the race with a broken back, surgery took place after the race.

Deviance occurs when the norms of the sport ethic are accepted uncritically, without question and are followed without limits. Players that are not willing to strive for distinction and play through the pain do not last long in high-performance sports. The media and spectators glorify overconformity Praise athletes that play with broken bones and torn ligaments, have surgery after surgery, etc. Heroes play while injured.