Sport Ethics and the Values of Sport from the Point Of View of Athletes and Future Sports Area Employees

Abstract

The present work focuses on the aspects of sport values of professional athletes and future sports area employees. After analyzing the fundamental values of sports values and the pursuit of victorious results, negative interrelation was observed. Thus, the researches of sport values of professional athletes and future sports area employees, remains relevant. The purpose of the research is to expose the aspects of ethics and values of professional athletes and future sports area employees. The objects of the research are as follows: 1) to determine the peculiarities of sport ethics of professional athletes and future sports area employees; 2) to adjust the standpoint of the professional athletes and future area employees’ to instrumental and terminal values. The research hypothesis: 1) professional athletes will distinguish lower evaluation of autonomy ethics than future sports area employees; 2) professional athletes will estimate the obstinacy and leadership more than future sports area employees. The survey was conducted including 151 sport community members (90 men and 61 women). Participants’ age ranged from 16 to 43. They were divided into two groups: professional athletes and future specialists. 53 team sport professional athletes took part in the research (35 men and 18 women). Their age ranged from 16 to 36 years. There were 98 future specialists of the study programme of Sports Management and Training system (55 men and 43 women). Their age ranged from 19 to 43 years. The article is based on two techniques of an empiric research. The questionnaire of Sport ethics, prepared by the professors of Gdansk’s university of Physical Education and Sports, was used in order to achieve the research. The questionnaire was used in order to access the differences of ethics of professional athletes and future sports area employees. The questionnaire includes 52 statements which the participants had to evaluate using 7 point system (from -3 to 3). The statements were grouped into 5 scales: autonomy, collectivism, common good, dignity and productivity. The modified M. Rokeach methodology of valued orientation was used in order to evaluate professional athletes and future specialists’ approach to instrumental and terminal values. There were five terminal values provided to the participants (winning / victory, delight of sports games, sincere communication, the teams’ co-ordination and abilities) and eight instrumental values (perseverance, responsibility, diligence, optimism, courage, leadership, obedience, goodwill). The participants had to evaluate the values in 8 point system by importance. The results of the research showed that the professional athletes distinguished lower evaluation of autonomy ethics than future sports area employees (p < 0,05); the professional athletes differ in expressing perseverance and leadership (p < 0,05), and future sports area employees distinguished by statistically significant responsibility and obedience (p < 0,05). The limitations of the study are that the research results are based on the data of questionnaire. Supposedly, the further researches could be made in on the topic of the professional athletes’ different appreciation to the criterion of the ethics of autonomy during the games and in non-sporting environment. Keywords: sports ethics, instrumental and terminal values, philosophy of sport. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/sm.2016.15