Abstract:

Values and their education have been a research subject in versatile fields of science for ages. Their significance was mentioned in the times of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato. Values can be considered as some specific axes, by following which, people make choices and assess their behaviour. Thus, behaviour – be it positive or negative is inseparable from the attitude to a value and the formation of values and their application in a daily life. However, contemporary sports is described as ‘a world in the world”, where usual restrictions of a daily life are left aside in order to overpass the traditional structure, enabling the compliance with constant moral standards. Such an approach contradicts a classical understanding of sports based on morale that has been vivid since the first Olympic Games.

Recently, with the view of multiple attention paid to the education of values in sports, contemporary sports are experiencing a cultural development from playful voluntary activities to corporate ones, the principles of which are based on commercialism and the provision of entertainment. In the contemporary sports, the revealed positive sportsmen’s characteristics such as persistence and leadership are still an aspiration beyond the boundaries of the playground. An increasing problem of aggressiveness among youth in sports and those not in sports, especially after they have become professionals, is turning into an urgent scientific issue. The researchers frequently emphasize the stereotypes of negative and aggressive behaviour, occurring in modern sports, which might be transferred beyond the boundaries of social standards of behaviour. As a result, at the end of the 20th century, the idea invoking tailored educational programmes, based on physical activities was raised, i.e. educational programmes have to be designed in such a way that they fostered a positive socialisation of a personality and served as an aspirational priority.

The paper aims at analysing the concept of values in sports and the experience of the education of values through sports following the analysis and review of the scientific literature, related to integral education of values in sports. The objectives embrace the discussion on the concept of sports values and review of the experience of the education of them through sports based on the analysis of the foreign and Lithuanian scientific sources.

Following the literature review of 36 scientific articles leads to the conclusion that sports values are an integral blend of values in life and sports. This phenomenon manifests itself under the educational principles of morale, honesty and the Olympic values, which foster an honourable behaviour in sports, based on social and ethical standards, facilitating conscious acceptance of social standards, attitudes and values, mostly complying with material, cultural and spiritual needs of a personality.

In accordance with the literature review, it may be pointed out that the authors’ studies are related to the development of the educational programmes of values in different ways. The majority of studies research the sports values among children and the youth in physical training lessons; however, there is felt a lack of publications on the integral education of values in the field of sports. The conclusion may be drawn that there are highlighted mostly moral virtues and the Olympic values.

Keywords:

sports values, education of sports values, sport