Conditioning the mind: sports

[Skyhaven]

Core values in sports:


My value is based on how well I perform.

My value is expressed in money, gold, silver, etc.

I submit myself to a man-made system of rules. If I don't follow them I will be punished.

I will submit myself to an authoritative figure or hierarchy.

I submit myself to the team. If I don't perform in accordance I will be punished psychologically by the team.

I will perform as a representative of my country or local area, if I succeed I will be honored otherwise I deserve shame.

My feelings do not matter unless I perform well.


and I could go on..

Is it merely entertainment/recreation/healthy? In my opinion sports are carefully crafted by the authorities to mold peoples mind into enslavement.

[Matt P]

I agree, with qualifiers. ;) I view major college and professional sports like this, with the rare exception being the occasional coach/owner that gets the bigger picture. Youth sports, however, I think are a very different animal. Or, I should say, is much better.
I personally would rather see kids playing sports than sitting on their computers and staring at their "smart" phones. And not just because the US is becoming a country of fat, lazy people. The problem is always finding coaches and organizations that understand there's a lot more to sports than just winning. I see this in every youth sport and every club. A majority of coaches and club administrators are ego driven and over zealous. Many are abusive in their drive to achieving glory. I have had to remove my kids from teams with abusive coaches, which is what all parents should do (but most are too timid or ignorant to do so).
I have tried for over 10 years to set an example of the opposite. I encourage creativity and individual expression. I teach that I expect mistakes because it shows the player is having fun and experimenting and that it's more important what you do after the mistake than the mistake itself. I never have "starters" or "benchwarmers." All my players contribute equally and share in the satisfaction that comes from working together towards a common goal, win or lose. Winning is never the goal but a hoped for consequence of playing the game the right way, with integrity and sportsmanship and great effort. All my players get to experience the most important moments of the game, not just my "best" players. I have been a pain in the ass to administrators and always been honest with coaches I see harming the game. There are other coaches like me. Maybe not enough but the success we achieve and the experiences our players and families have (that are so much different and better) help spread the word of a better way to go about this. I have found that coaching this way creates more long term success than coaching just to win in the short term. I have some absolutely incredible examples I could share. It's a tough sell sometimes but it is possible. Just yesterday I got an email from a former coaching director of mine saying that even though I disagreed with him frequently, he knew my passion was for my players and I could come back any time I ever wanted. So, some get it when they are exposed to it. If you want sports to be better, you have to stand up for it and be persistent, just like anything else.
But, yeah, major college and then pro sports have really gotten off track because of the money interests. All that being said, it IS still possible to create a positive life experience with sports but individuals and families have to be very proactive to find coaches that "get it" which is hard but possible.

Matt

[Skyhaven]

I agree, with qualifiers. ;) I view major college and professional sports like this, with the rare exception being the occasional coach/owner that gets the bigger picture. Youth sports, however, I think are a very different animal. Or, I should say, is much better.
I personally would rather see kids playing sports than sitting on their computers and staring at their "smart" phones. And not just because the US is becoming a country of fat, lazy people. The problem is always finding coaches and organizations that understand there's a lot more to sports than just winning. I see this in every youth sport and every club. A majority of coaches and club administrators are ego driven and over zealous. Many are abusive in their drive to achieving glory. I have had to remove my kids from teams with abusive coaches, which is what all parents should do (but most are too timid or ignorant to do so).
I have tried for over 10 years to set an example of the opposite. I encourage creativity and individual expression. I teach that I expect mistakes because it shows the player is having fun and experimenting and that it's more important what you do after the mistake than the mistake itself. I never have "starters" or "benchwarmers." All my players contribute equally and share in the satisfaction that comes from working together towards a common goal, win or lose. Winning is never the goal but a hoped for consequence of playing the game the right way, with integrity and sportsmanship and great effort. All my players get to experience the most important moments of the game, not just my "best" players. I have been a pain in the ass to administrators and always been honest with coaches I see harming the game. There are other coaches like me. Maybe not enough but the success we achieve and the experiences our players and families have (that are so much different and better) help spread the word of a better way to go about this. I have found that coaching this way creates more long term success than coaching just to win in the short term. I have some absolutely incredible examples I could share. It's a tough sell sometimes but it is possible. Just yesterday I got an email from a former coaching director of mine saying that even though I disagreed with him frequently, he knew my passion was for my players and I could come back any time I ever wanted. So, some get it when they are exposed to it. If you want sports to be better, you have to stand up for it and be persistent, just like anything else.
But, yeah, major college and then pro sports have really gotten off track because of the money interests. All that being said, it IS still possible to create a positive life experience with sports but individuals and families have to be very proactive to find coaches that "get it" which is hard but possible.

Matt

Hey Matt, I respect all the values you teach and promote, but I don't believe you can break the implied values mentioned earlier by explicitly saying or teaching that they don't matter. These kids know and feel these fundamental truths of sport. On a deeper level they know it is about winning, even though you say it's not, or it is less important. Over the years as these truths sink in more you will see they will act according to them more and more. Look at the professionals who 'succeeded', they fully identify with this conditioning.

[kirolak]

I agree - the easiest way to control a group is to have all people shouting in support of their "team"; celebrating the same things (holidays included!) - everybody being of one "ex-clusive" mindset.

[donk]

Perhaps more subtle than some of the ways it does...it conditions the mind by implying that intra-species competition is a good thing, empowering to humans. I believe this to be a lie, and one that limits us.

[PathWalker]

Interesting observation.
As kid I never liked the group ball games, but was good in athletics.
Later in life 20's I enjoyed group ball games.
I wonder what it means about me.

Any how, I think the same rules you suggest on sport apply to being a patriot citizen.

[Matt P]

Skyhaven, I do absolutely agree with you, I just understand that, as with most other things, there are always exceptions. I could say lawyers are bloodsuckers and, generally, that might be true. I can say sports are destructive but it is possible to be the exception. I always try to carve out my own little reality and do things in ways I think are better. I have followed and stayed close with many of my players and their families through high school and into college and I can say that it IS possible to influence a change in how they see sports and act. My impact is small in the greater scheme of things but, hey, we try to free one mind at a time. ;-)

Matt

[Mark]

Guess I'm old school.

Sports as a youth, baseball, football, basketball. High school, varsity basketball, JV football, track. College, track; Military, basketball. Had old school coaches, yelling, screaming, even hitting, victory, team, win!

Sports are primal. Elemental. Emotional.

How can the crowd get into it if the players don't? I didn't mind the hardcore coaches because I was hardcore as well. The athletes must be in order to be successful. It is competition. A symbolic stand-in for combat. War.

Wasn't about lookin' pretty or even bein' popular. It was a game, but it is not a game. It is skill and precision and lockstep interaction with team members. Knowing your team like you know yourself. Sports teams are like platoons in the Military, you do what you gotta do for your teammates. Same mentality.

If you're talkin bout intramural ports for fun or exercise, I guess that is a different topic. For a school or another large organization though, not so much.

[Ultima Thule]

I would say that if you actually interview and evaluate succesfull athletes, you will find the opposite to be true. Your generalizations may be so when perceiving superficially at some of the more visible disciplines - tip of the iceberg if you will.
A great part of sports and athletes don't much differ from anyone who is on a spiritual path - in fact many have adopted the opposite of your perspective to be succesfull.

This is very well established in sports psychology - value is much broader subject than how you see it, personal growth being very much part of it.

UT

[Bluegreen]

Sports conditioning the mind...

The union of MillerCoors and the National Football League may be the Unholiest Alliance of them all. These poor brainwashed saps are conditioned to open a beer at kickoff, or before, and like Pavlov's dogs, they do. If the SHTF it might be on a late Sunday afternoon when half of America's programmed unfortunates are under the influence. Having some familiarity with "soccer hooligans" and the character of Onslow on "Keeping Up Appearances" it seems Britain is much the same...

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