Sportingly + aims to highlight positive sport values

Sport teaches us values such as fairness, team building, equality, discipline, inclusion, perseverance, and respect. Sport has the power to provide a universal framework for learning values.

Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will, and mind.

Blending sport with culture, education, and international cooperation, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of a good example, social responsibility, and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. 

The three values of Olympism or Olympic values are excellence, respect and friendship. I also like to mention the four Paralympic values - determination, inspiration, courage and equality.

While imparting the Olympic Values Education Program (OVEP) in Bhubaneshwar, India as a trainer, I asked my trainees this question: What is the importance of values in society?

One of the trainees came up with a beautiful story, which truly sums up the need for value education in society. 

The story goes like this ... 

Once upon a time, there was an artist who used to create beautiful paintings for a living. One day, he saw a handsome little boy who looked very obedient, innocent, and full of joy, eating an apple.

The painter instantly got a very positive vibe and painted a picture of the boy eating an apple. The painting was incredible, a true masterpiece.

After painting this picture, the artist got recognition from around the globe and became very famous. He kept making magic with his paintings for many, many years and became a legend in the world of fine art. 

All his paintings were very colorful, positive, and happy. So one day, he decided to paint something monochromatic, negative, and scary. He was not sure what to paint. So a friend of his suggested that he visit the central jail, where he would see the deadliest prisoners. He decided to take his friend's idea.

He visited the central jail, and after taking a few rounds of the prison, he found one inmate to be horrifying with a blood-curdling expression. The painter decided to paint that prisoner. The new scary painting turned out to be a masterpiece as well.

After the painter finished the painting, the prisoner wanted to talk with him, and the painter agreed to a small chat as he too was grateful to the prisoner for being the subject of his painting. 

The prisoner asked the painter if he still had that painting of the little boy eating an apple. The painter replied that he did have that painting and would never give it away since the painting was very precious and too close to his heart. 

The painter then asked him how he knew about the painting. The painter got a shocking surprised when the prisoner said that the little boy with the apple was no one but him. That handsome, obedient, innocent, and joyful little boy turned out to be a dangerous criminal.

Something went missing in those years when the little boy was growing up. He missed out on the right values. These values could have made him a law-abiding good citizen of this world.

All of us, especially children, have an automatic liking for sport. So when it comes to teaching values or spreading the right message, sport is the best tool to do so.

In the current geopolitical and socio-cultural landscape with so much violence, hate, and intolerance, the world is finding it hard to be peaceful. The fundamental principles of Olympism and the importance of learning Olympic values are required now more than ever before.

In the following episodes of Sportingly +, we will bring publish a series of stories from the world of sport - be it the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, or other sporting events highlighting the values which we learn from the playing field. 

If you happen to have a sports story or know about a story that can highlight the values of sports, send us an email at [email protected], and we will share your story.