The role of sport in education has long been underestimated by educators because most of students’ achievements are measured by their intellectual skills and abilities. In fact, physical education is as important as such discipline as mathematics, physics, biology, or literature. During the courses, my attention was attracted by Ken Robinson’s lecture on the role of kinesiology in shaping and developing students’ creativity.
More importantly, there are a variety of sport activities that made both human body and mind interact to gain new knowledge and experience. Being a former professional bicyclist, I admit that professional sport is both about physical fitness and about intelligence because there are many theoretical frameworks, as well as practical experiences that contribute to significant achievements in sports.
Other disciplines, such as dancing or gymnastics, also provide a solid foundation for developing memory of movements, as well as for improving physical and psychological wellbeing through workout programs.
Aside from educational purposes, professional sport also implies legal and ethical concerns that are controlled by such international organization as the World Health Organization. While examining social history of sports, I have learned important information about gender considerations, as well as legal and financial challenges surrounding them.
Apart from the regulations controlling fair and objective judgment of games and competitions, sport is closely associated with personal ethics and morale that make people much stronger and morally responsible. Specifically, I am convinced that people involved in professional sport activities are highly appraise honor and respect.
I am also supporter of fair, equal, and objective competition, in which talents, hard work, and experience should rather than political influence should be encouraged. I also insist that real sporting activities should be free from false stereotypes and prejudices that specifically refer to gender, ethnicity, and disabled people.
Moral stance is an important component of sport competition because winning at all costs does not justify the ends. Winning at all costs should be excluded from educational theories because it distorts students’ perception about actual goals in physical education. In fact, my personal experience proves that sport should bring in pleasure and health, as well as provide valuable knowledge about the techniques for harmonizing body and mind.
Indeed, participation in sport should be aimed at building stronger character rather than at achieving the highest results. It also focuses on the strong will and respectful attitude to rivals. Lack of awareness of these intentions can lead to a number of challenges. In particular, many parents strive to see their children on the top in football, basketball, or other kinds of sport.
In fact, this belief is mistaken because it does not only contradict the purpose of physical education, but also does harm to children’s individual perception of sport. Children who see sports as a means of proving its superiority often experience psychological pressure on the part of their educators and parents.
Changing perceptions in physical education should be a priority for children. Moreover, educators should introduce new concepts and paradigms in sport to produce positive influence on students’ physical and psychological welfare.
While conducting personal workouts, children should understand that sport shapes our way of life; it must be regarded as a science in which certain knowledge, skills, and experience could be gained that could later be used for professional growth and personal development.
Professional sport and physical education should premise on deep philosophical and ideological concepts. While studying the premises of kinesiology, my perception of sport activities has also been changed. So far, I used to identify sport with discipline, strength, and independence. In fact, this course has taught me that sport directly relates to creativity and widens my opportunities in intellectually driven spheres.
In fact, employing creativity in sports has allowed me to go beyond standards and discover new options for self-determination. Despite the fact that strict rules and discipline are prioritized, human mind is a multi-faceted entity that explores alternative paths in perceiving and cognizing the world.
Most of the theoretical and practical perspectives during the course have expanded my outlook on the role of sport in my life, as well as how it can enhance my professional fulfillment.
Philosophy on Physical Activity
Have you ever thought why people are so concerned with professional fulfillment? Probably, some of them are concerned with monetary reward whereas others strive for recognition in professional field. In my opinion, career development should not be a priority for people unless it brings in pleasure and satisfaction.
No doubt, interest can be regarded as the best teacher because lack of ambition and inspiration will turn people’s professional activities into subconscious, mindless, mechanical actions directed as earning money or promoting career. Many people fail to think over the actual ends in their life.
Will they still enjoy their profession as soon as they achieve what they want? My firm belief and the leading philosophy of life is that people should adhere to the favorite sports, and career development process should not be regarded as a monotonous routine, a duty that should be overcome. Rather, people should get pleasure from sport and believe in dreams coming true.
Being a former professional cyclist, I experienced both pleasure of victory and bitterness of defeat. Despite these hardship, I remained faithful to what I loved most of all – bike cycling. In my childhood and adolescents, I was keen on bicycling because it filled me with happiness and freedom.
Races always fascinated me and they do now, and I could not imagine my life without this sport. I joined the sport club and started mastering my physical skills to meet the requirements of professional sport. Despite the stereotypes that existed in China concerning sport as a professional occupation, I was determined to fulfill myself in this sphere. These recollections were the happiest ones in my life.
I have never been afraid of challenges, hard work, and constant training because it contributed to my experiences and professional advancement. As my career was developing, I joined the professional cycling team and later my popularity among other professional athletes increased. Newspaper and magazines on sport and cycling wrote my about me, and my professional club also recognized me as an outstanding and accomplished cyclist.
However, recognition and popularity were not among my prerogatives. I immediately understood that I forgot about the pleasant and exciting experience I enjoyed in my childhood when racing and feeling the spirit of freedom and independence. I did not have to prove my superiority over other cyclists or meet certain standards and requirements. Nevertheless, this professional sport was an important stance for me to master my skills in future.
Despite my passion for cycling, I decided to end my sport career and leave China to study abroad. In fact, China failed to provide me with the opportunities for continuing my sports career because of existing stereotypes and prejudices. While studying in the United States, my outlook on physical education has been changed dramatically. I have realized that sport is more than just physical fitness; rather, it is a new philosophical approach to life.
No matter how old you are and how many years have been spent on building professional career, sport will always be part of my life because it allows me to feel myself as a full-fledged and accomplished personality. Certainly, I could have proceeded with my career and China and I would have achieved good results, but it would contradict my actual objectives. I believe that sport activities should be associated with happiness, pleasure, and freedom.
Harmony of soul and body, as well as focus on creativity being part of physical education, is also among my priorities. I also agree with the idea that doing physical exercises should not be associated with routine workouts. Rather, it should be aimed at liberating my mind and advancing my personal spirituality and creativity.
In conclusion, despite the negative memories, I had to sacrifice my professional sports career to shape my personal philosophy of physical activity. While studying abroad, I have realized that interest, creativity, and enthusiasm should be guiding principles in mastering my skills and gaining experience in sports.
I have also understood that sport should not be underestimated in education because it also contributes to intellectual development. I am still fond of cycling because it provides me with spiritual freedom.