ABSTRACT
For centuries, those interested in character have often sought to enlist sport as an ally. As far back as Plato, sports have been seen as a test of a competitor’s moral ber. When Pierre de Coubertin resurrected the Olympics Games in the 1890s, he was inspired by the Greeks, and was convinced that through sport, better people would be created. When the modern social sciences began to ourish around the same time as the modern Olympics, many in the emerging eld of physical education sought to promote sports in schools for their supposed character-building properties. In the U.S., this belief carried forward a legacy from 19th-century British boarding schools where sports had been embraced as a means to promote character. Today, numerous educational leaders continue to reaf rm the belief that sports promote positive values. However, survey research (e.g., Shields, Bredemeier, LaVoi, & Power, 2005) also highlights numerous ethical problems attending sports. What is the truth about sports and character?
