Sports play an important role in one’s life no doubt In most countries it is an integral part of student life. But to be a true sportsman, one needs to have the quality of sportsmanship. How exactly can we define sportsmanship? It is the true spirit of taking part in sports without expectations of reward or fear of failure. It also means that a sportsman should never use unfair means for personal gains.
In reality, the vast majority of individuals play by the rules and will do nothing to harm their sport, livelihood and integrity. But it only takes one bad apple whose susceptibility has been leveraged to raise doubt and sink the image of a sport. The pressure on sports executives to have a transparent and independent approach to managing integrity is real and will only grow. Without a proactive strategy to combat integrity issues, leagues, federations and governing bodies risk damaging their reputations due to one person or incident.
Despite such frequent occurrences of dishonesty in today’s sports, there are real-life heroes who have followed the true spirits of sportsmanship. Such heroes last forever in our hearts even long after they retire from active sports life. Look at some cricketing greats who always walked from the wicket without waiting for the umpire's decision. Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar have been honest. Even Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge have walked. But in this day and age, it has become a rarity. Such display of honesty shows the courage of the heart, respect and devotion towards the game. Above all, It shows that individual records don't matter much, but playing the game in the right spirit does.
It is the selfish, cunning and timid people who stand their grounds because they want to score more for themselves. But they don't realize that in this process of not conducting oneself with dignity, they are be titling themselves in the eyes of their fans. This has made sports more a monotony. Otherwise, why are there so many cameras and microphones, super slow-motion and snick meter etc?
As negative headlines abound and the reputation of professional sports teams become increasingly tarnished, the importance of personal responsibility and ethical behaviour in organized sports cannot be underestimated. The sports industry is experiencing rapid growth, now estimated to generate revenue of 1.6 trillion dollars globally according to media reports. Those in positions of leadership or influence who lack a strong sense of ethics can have far-reaching negative effects, impacting entire franchises. The sports industry is defined by competitive balance, equal funding across the board, and generous opportunities for all athletes. At its worst, it’s a prohibitive atmosphere that sees a disparity in success levels and participation opportunities among athletes.
One University is using a religious approach to tackle the issue of a lack of integrity in sports. To ensure Liberty University graduates contribute to the success and integrity of the entire sports industry when they enter the workforce, biblical principles are being integrated into every class.
“Integrity is one, the Christian worldview, the lens, the ethics of how we’re going to handle things,” said Chris Amos, M.S.. assistant professor and program director of Sport Management Undergraduate Studies at Liberty University.
“In the coaching realm, we talk a lot about sin and dysfunction; how sin can be passed down from generation to generation and how, as coaches, we can step in and potentially break that cycle. We can be the light to these student-athletes who may not have light in their lives, who may have broken homes, and who might be going through really difficult situations.”
Students also participate in exercises where they learn to think through ethically ambiguous scenarios, enabling them to hone their decision-making skills. In every class — from finance and communication to sports marketing — students are taught how the principles of ethics and integrity apply to every area of life. In our country, this could well be a useful approach at the student-athlete level and even at the elite level. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is already including some of it at its Under 15 elite programme where young footballers are being trained and thought about honesty and good values in the game and players are educated about integrity in sport and the negative effects of match-fixing and performance-enhancing substances ahead of CONCACAF competitions.
“Within our undergraduate program, we have ethics built into every single one of our classes, so in each course that you take, you’re going to get a component of ethics in there," added Amos.
“We really try to focus on how we can have an impact, even in just our office setting, even in a cubicle,” he said. “How can I let my light shine so that people ask me, ‘Hey, there’s something different about you — what is it?" Amos added. This approach is something worth thinking of for all of us in the local sporting industry.
Editor's Note:
Shaun Fuentes is the head of TTFA Media. He is a former FIFA Media Officer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He is also currently a CONCACAF Competitions Media Officer and has travelled extensively, experiencing and learning from different cultures and lifestyles because of sport and media over the past 20 years.
