Sports Hydrant

Values in Sport

shakeNaked you won't last long – no values, no sport. Just like the credit crunch where if there is no capital there is no business, in sport we are facing a values crunch. If we don’t arrest the decline in values then there will be no sport as we know or want it. If you value values in sport then help us ensure they are not just words but have some meaning in the lives of all who are involved in sport.

At a past meeting of the Sports Advocacy Group the audience was vague about how it would handle certain sporting situations. Do you follow Adam Gilchrst and walk when caught behind? Do you dive in the penalty area? In theory we support doing the right thing in situations like these but when put to the test do our actions match our values?

Under pressure some value judgements are difficult to uphold. We want to help develop a robust regulatory framework around values in sport and to help provide the right technology and support for officials to police the system effectively. Together with a strong education about values in sport, we're working to help ensure that when you're right on the boundary’s edge you make the right decision based on your values.

Our Values in Sport Challenges

To define sporting values

  • To encourage clear, well-defined regulatory frameworks within which sport operates
  • To promote and support the role of the officials in enforcing the regulations
  • To educate participants about the values of sport
  • To demonstrate why values are so important

What other challenges do you think we need to address?

Nathan Hauritz - to walk or not to walk?

Learn more about Values in Sport from around the Web

Some examples from Australia and around the world.

Promoting Values in Sports Forum

Rugby Union Australia runs TryRugby. The Promoting Values in Sport Forum is an TryRugby program that aims to encourage students to think about the importance of values in sport and life.

Ethics in Sport - Newsletters

Archived journals published by the Australian Sports Commission since 2003.

MCC Spirit of Cricket

Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC) is committed to encouraging young people - particularly schoolchildren - to get involved in cricket.

Phylosophy Now – Ethics in Sport

An interview with Myles Brand the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States.

Canadian Centre For Ethics in Sport

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport serves to elevate the conscience of sport. The CCES operates at the intersection of individual values, the shared values of society and the values of sport.

The Values of Sport

An article written by Robert Scott, President of the Adelphi University.