Sports and Conflict

Young people can learn many valuable life lessons through participation in organized sport. Perhaps the most important things learned are teamwork, cooperation and conflict resolution. Children left to organize themselves in nonstructured activity are usually able to make their own rules, stick with them and censure peers who stray. Conflict in organized sports occurs when adults become too demanding of their children or charges and winning overshadows having fun.

  1. Competition Not Conflict

    • The University of Oregon has a program in place to encourage healthy competition in sport and to reduce harmful conflict. Don McPherson, former all-American quarterback, explains the goals of Competition Not Conflict (CNC): "No game is won or lost on game day. Sustained success in sports comes from understanding that life is a process and the skills we learn from participating in competitive sports inform that process. CNC understands this process and focuses on promoting positive alternatives to conflict that surface in competitive sports at all levels."

    University of Alberta Study

    • Nick Holt and his research team from the Department of Physical Education at the University of Alberta followed two competitive girls' soccer teams for a year to study how the girls dealt with conflict. The researchers were surprised to discover that the parents and coaches were unaware of any conflict because the teen girls handled disputes on their own. New girls were welcomed to the team and made to feel they belonged. The girls recognized the negative impact of conflict on team performance and independently settled any disputes that arose.

    The Olympic Example

    • After a series of bloody wars among the city-states of ancient Greece, the people decided there had to be a better way to channel aggression without bloodshed. The result was the ancient Olympic Games. Competition replaced conflict, and young men trained to compete rather than to kill. The modern Olympic Games continue this tradition, as countries worldwide come together every four years to showcase the home country, foster understanding among nations and peacefully compete for Olympic glory.

    Negative Influences

    • Sport is not without its negative influences. Parents of kids participating in recreational sports sometimes lose sight of the positive aspects of playing cooperatively on a sports team and seek individual glory for their children over the greater good of the team as a whole. The lure of a lucrative professional contract clouds the issue, and the joy of playing is often lost.

    The Importance of Sports

    • The process of play is an integral part of a person's physical, mental and social growth and development. Sport encourages cooperative play and instills the values of tolerance, communication and teamwork in its participants. Sport played correctly counteracts the development of aggression, fear and hate among participants and spectators alike. Sport establishes a framework through which young people can learn to respect one another and grow into responsible, participating adults in a peaceful society of their own making.