In Hong Kong where sports are promoted and invested in, it is worthwhile stepping back and thinking about some of the moral issues raised by competing in sports. This part offers a chance for this. The essays “Should hunting be allowed?” and “The Fight against Drugs in Sports” in the unit “Sports Writing” can also be used for discussion.
Learning Activity 1 Speaking
Implement a “Think, Pair, Share” structure for students to follow in answering the questions. The aim of this activity is to provide an opportunity for students to think more deeply about sports so teachers should encourage students to express their personal views as much as possible.
Suggested answers:
1. What are the reasons for participating in sports?
health, pleasure, relaxation, peer pressure, image 2. What do you personally get from sports?
sense of achievement, friendship, relief from stress, excitement 3. What gains do individuals in general get from sports?
discipline, team spirit, knowledge of controlled competition, a feeling for obeying rules, fame, money, glory, sex appeal
4. Are sports character-building? If so, in what way?
yes, they encourage virtues such as discipline, team spirit, fairness, sportsmanship and perseverence
OR no, they make people too competitive, encouraging blind group loyalty, and are far too commercial; football hooliganism, cheating, fouling and drug taking are all part of the sports world and sports players are often very poor role models
5. Do particular sports have different effects on people?
team sports are likely to produce different effects than individual sports; some sports have a far more aggressive image than others (motor racing vs. ping pong), some are safer and healthier than others
6. Do some sports suit particular types of people?
the lone thinker may like distance running, the body-conscious weight training, the cooperator football, the aggressive rugby, and so on
7. Does watching sport have the same sort of effects as participating in one?
it certainly is not as healthy and is more commercialised 8. What value does being a sports fan have?
fun, group membership, loyalty
Think, Pair, Share
Students must first think quietly about the question. Then, they should turn to one classmate and the pair should orally exchange their responses. Finally, teachers can invite pairs to share their ideas with the class.
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Speaking
Although this activity is intended to introduce Learning Activity 3, it may be used as an extension of Learning Activity 1. If it is used without Learning Activity 1, teachers could set the mood by giving an example of unacceptable behaviour in sports (e.g. threatening your opponent, screaming at the referee, and throwing your racquet down because your ball hit the net) and ask if and why the students find it unacceptable. Pairs cooperate by brainstorming and recording their ideas on the mind map.
Learning Activity 3 Writing
In groups, students can turn their mind map ideas into clear sentences. Students of ability should be able to perform the task well with the teacher asking questions (e.g. “How should you treat game officials?”, “What should you call them?”, or “When you lose what should you say to the winners?”) and prompting where needed. Other groups of students can be told they need only write two points under each heading.
Go over the grammar of advice-giving before students do their writing. Teachers can decide which language structure the students should use in their work.
The sample players’ code of conduct on the next page, which has used imperatives among the other language structures, can be given out to students after they have finished their writing. Students can check if the one they have written is in any way similar and discuss which of the requirements set out in the example they should have included in their own.
Web Help
Here are some links where rules for sports can be found:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art26699.asp
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=2223&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION
=201.html
http://www.zunis.org/sports_philosophy.htm
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/cheat/news/story?id=2960455 http://www.liv.ac.uk/footballindustry/hooligan.html
Catering for Learner Diversity
As explained, you can make use of the activities which suit the students and offer varying degrees of support.
The writing task can be made familiar by introducing a role-playing element: You are a committee drawing up a code of behaviour for members of sports teams in your school. You need to mention things you expect the members to do, and things you do not want them to do. You might like to consider the following topics: behaviour towards the people you are playing against, behavior to officials, etc.
For less advanced students:
Instead of writing a Players’ Code, you can ask them to write five to eight rules on behaving properly when playing a sport they are familiar with.
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Sample Players’ Code of Conduct
Players’ Code of Conduct Spirit of sports
We play sports to keep our bodies healthy, to have good fun with our friends, to enjoy fair competition against others and to use our energy productively. Anything that goes against any of these aims is not part of good sportsmanship.
Behaviour towards opponents
Treat opponents with respect and courtesy.
When they are visitors treat them as honoured guests and be ready to help them.
Never use aggressive or impolite language towards them.
Never do anything that might risk injuring an opponent.
Never cheat or foul an opponent.
Never seek revenge for any act of an opponent. Do not allow someone else’s bad behaviour to lower your own personal standards.
Behaviour towards officials
Treat game officials with great respect.
Address officials formally (Sir, Ma’am, Referee).
Do not argue with officials.
Accept the decisions of officials.
Behaviour towards own team
Be a positive and enthusiastic member of the team.
Show respect for your team by being punctual and cooperative.
Encourage and help your teammates.
Do not criticise your teammates.
Keep yourself as fit as possible.
Speak out against any improper behaviour by the team.
Behaviour towards school
Represent the school in a way that will make the school proud of you.
Maintain the school’s good image by appropriate dress, personal grooming and behaviour.
Be a good role model for younger members of the school.
Behaviour towards self Respect your body.
Avoid any behaviour or substances which might harm it.
Behaviour when winning
Be modest and do not celebrate too noisily or dramatically.
Enjoy your victory only if it was won by skill and hard work and not in any underhand way.
Behaviour when losing
Do not show excessive disappointment.
Congratulate the winners.
Shake your opponents’ hands.
Give three cheers for your opponents.
Remember losing well after a good game is no disgrace at all.
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