Sport Psychology and Olympism: How research on learning transferable life skills through sport can help the Olympic ideal become a reality

Abstract

The philosophy of Olympism – the original idea behind the Games –is that sport has the ability to make a significant positive impact on the psychosocial development of young people across the globe. This article highlights how this same idea underpins research on transferable life skills through sport and therefore argues that this more recent area of personal excellence sport psychology research has much to offer the practical implementation of the Olympic ideals. A brief review of the life skills literature reveals that we are only now beginning to answer the question of what factors facilitate development, and subsequent transfer into other life domains, of the more positive skills and behaviours that can be learnt through sport.