Debunking a Myth

Debunking a Myth One of the more tenacious Anglo-American myths holds that athletics build character. Competition on the playing field, so the theory goes, breeds the kind of citizens required by a competitive society: physically tough, brave, aggressive and disciplined. That thesis has lost much currency in recent years, partly because of the semiprivate life of Swinger Joe Namath and the locker-room exposes of such ex-jock authors as Jim Bouton and Dave Meggyesy.

Two California psychologists now offer empirical evidence that faith in the value of competitive sports is simply not valid. Writing in the current issue of Psychology Today, Professors Bruce Ogilvie and Thomas Tutko of San Diego State College contend that "the personality of the ideal athlete is not the result of any molding process but comes out of the ruthless selection process that occurs at all levels of sport." The authors further argue that "athletic competition has no more beneficial effects than intense endeavor in any other field."

Eight years in the making, the Ogilvie-Tutko study is based on a survey of 15,000 athletes. The researchers found that successful athletes, while highly organized and respectful of authority, had a "low need to take care of others" and a "low need for affiliation." The authors found many athletes who were so anxious to succeed that they displayed "severe emotional reactions to stress"; indeed, they conclude that "competition doesn't seem to build character, and it is possible that competition doesn't even require much more than a minimally integrated personality."

Part of the present problem, in the age of the self-searching athlete, lies with the coach, who generally believes that "a truly good athlete is also a redblooded, clean-living, truth-telling, prepared patriot." Those who still embrace this simplistic view, the psychologists conclude, "undoubtedly believe that the wars of England were indeed won on the playing fields of Eton."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.