Sport and Leisure: Bright Light or Dark Force = Sport and Leisure: Bright Light or Dark Force

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Sport and leisure have the power to unite, to be inclusive, to spread constructive lessons for its participants, and to be a positive force in people’s lives. Several studies demonstrate how sport and leisure play an important function in the physical, psychological, social, and healthy development of children and youth, adults, older adults, and special populations (cf. Allender, Cowburn, & Foster, 2006; Fraser-Thomas, Cote, & Deakin, 2005; Janssen & LeBlanc, 2010; Nelson et al., 2007; Tudor-Locke et al., 2011). As such, sport and leisure can be a ‘bright light’ for many participants. It is important to remember however, that sport and leisure can also divide, exclude, and represent negative experiences for some participants. For my presentation, I address the challenges facing sport and leisure and I underscore the need for greater consideration of the importance for us all, as leaders, to be great stewards of sport and leisure. In the context of this presentation, the term ‘steward’ is defined as a person (or persons) or agency (or agencies) assigned to serve and protect the best interests of sport and leisure; in other words, the keeper or guardian of sport and leisure to ensure that sport and leisure remain positive for all of its participants and for society in general. Examples of sport as a ‘dark force’ include: drugs, doping, and cheating in sport; corruption and match fixing; hooliganism and spectator violence; questionable decisions favouring personal profits; and commercial interests taking precedence over athletes’ and participants’ welfare. We have also recently witnessed several high profile athletes and sport team members who have been featured in the media because they took part in immoral and/or illegal activities. Examples include Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, Lance Armstrong, Maria Sharapova, Oscar Pistorius, and the more than 40 football players who were banned for life from the K-League and the Korean Football Association for match fixing issues in 2011 (Kelso, 2013). It is not only athletes who are involved in illegal, immoral, and corrupt activities in sport. Leaders, coaches, and officials have also been active in questionable practices leading to the decay of international sport, for example, Sepp Blatter and a number of his peers through Federation Internationale de Football Association’s bidding process; Union Cycliste Internationale’s role in concealing doping scandal of their star athlete, Lance Armstrong; Russian doping officials ensuring ‘clean’ doping results of their athletes by substituting samples through deceitful practices; and a recent case involving K-League referees occurred in the Fall of 2015 where past president from Gyeongnam FC, Ahn Jong-Buk, allegedly paid referees to ensure favourable outcomes for the team (Reuters, 2015). There are so many more cases in sport . it is surprising the extent to which leaders within sport and leisure organizations are facing questionable practices, unethical behaviours, and illegal activities. We do not have to simply rely on the headlines from sport news to understand that there are also other issues in sport and leisure that are ‘closer’ to home. Local community sport and leisure are sometimes rife with problems, for example, increasing costs and fees of participating in sport and leisure activities; limited active play time on the field; non-transparent/biased team selection process; abuse of athletes and participants by some coaches, officials, and administrators; parental pressure; early specialization; and the endangerment of athletes’ and participants’ health (e.g., concussions, overuse injuries, eating disorder). With the overwhelming cases showcasing ‘dark forces’ in sport, how can we, as stewards, make sure sport and leisure remain positive, constructive, inclusive, and beneficial for all? What solutions can we propose to cure sport and leisure of issues and problems? These are difficult questions to answer and even more difficult problems to solve but as stewards of sport and leisure, we have a responsibility to train students (our future leaders) to fully understanding ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’ of sport and leisure and to emphasize the need to protect sport and leisure as the ‘bright light’ for all participants. Working with all stakeholders in sport and leisure including athletes and participants is essential to address the issues. Involving athletes and participants in the decisions and in the policies that directly affect the quality of their participation in sport and leisure may certainly contribute to enhance their experiences.