By Laurence Halsted, former Olympic fencer, current Performance Director at Danish Fencing, and Co-Director of The True Athlete Project's Mentoring Program. (Read Part 1 and Part 2 of Laurence's 3-Part Series) Sport in 2018 is not coming close to delivering its potential; not for the participants nor for society as a whole. From grassroots all the way up to the Olympic and elite level, there are valid concerns with how sport is organised and how athletes are trained and treated. Where sport should be an unequivocably positive force for individual physical and mental health, as well as a boon for communities and society in general, it is in fact rife with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, bullying, discrimination, corruption...The list goes on. Sport has lost its way. It has lost the connection to its true meaning and value. Sportsmanship, fair-play and honour have been demoted in importance by a win-at-all-cost attitude. The driving force is now a cynical business-model approach where the bottom line is results, and we are quick to justify or excuse almost any means to that end. My pet grudge and a clear example of the downgrading of traditional sporting values in the quest for winning is the ubiquity of diving in football. There is no question that this ‘simulation’ that we have been forced to accept as standard practice is plainly and simply, cheating. Cheating that is, at best, tolerated by clubs and fans, and at worst, encouraged by them if it helps the team to win. Any club or coach could easily eradicate this pernicious behaviour from their team if they wanted. Equally, players could decide to live and play by a higher code and refrain. As I see it, those that do refrain achieve something far greater than a free kick or penalty; they win greater respect from the people watching and those playing with them. |
Laurence Halsted is the co-director of The True Athlete Project's mentoring program. He was a foil fencer who won a silver medallist in the 2008 European Championships and represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He is the director of performance at Danish Fencing and has written for The Guardian and The Nation on athlete activism. Read one of Laurence's latest articles here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/06/trump-lebron-james-nba-star-true-role-model |
The energy on the past sessions doubled up on the fifth session. We can definitely see that everyone had a great time staying under the sun. Actually, they didn't care getting dark skin simply because they are enjoying all the activities that were given on that day. Well, if I was there and was able to enroll myself, I would definitely feel the same thing; not to care about my skin color because the fun is too much to miss! Next year, I will try to join with my colleagues too!
Thanks for a great blog. I was able to get the information that I had been looking for. Thanks once again!
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll give it a try.
Thanks to the author for writing the post, it was quite necessary for me and liked it. I wrote a note on the site about this. I will be happy if you read it and accept it. Thank you for your concern.
This is an Excellent & great post. I LOVE this article! It’s such a beneficial for all visitors. Contact us on WHATSAPP for quick response. You can also start a LIVE CHAT session to place an order without any hassle. We recommend you to contact us even after placing the order using our forms.
You can also get some professional help with Income Verification from this team via WhatsApp, Email, phone number. And please visit our site.
LiveChat:https://tawk.to/chat/5b056f7bd0f6723da57ecd06/default/?$_tawk_popout=true
Call / Message on WhatsApp : +1 914 274 8666
Contact: (+1) 914 302 9443
Email: quickpapersfix@gmail.com
Website: http://bankstatementediting.com
I really like your take on the issue. I now have a clear idea on what this matter is all about..
I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work.
Your writing is always thought-provoking. You challenge my assumptions and make me think about things in new ways. And if you're looking for Shoes that's both stylish and eco-friendly, All Black Nike Shoes For Women available at Tops and Bottoms USA is the best option. They are made from sustainable materials and are sure to make a positive impact.
Leave a Reply.
Author
Insightful contributions by our expert team and guest contributors!
Archives
July 2020
April 2020
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
April 2017
March 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016