Hannah GreyFollow

Date

6-2018

Department

School of Education

Degree

Master of Science in Sport Management (MS)

Chair

Kevin Heisey

Keywords

Beauty, Classical Education, Team Sports, Truth, Virtue

Disciplines

Life Sciences | Sports Studies

Abstract

Antoine de Saint-Exupery once noted if you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea (“A quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery,” n.d.). This quote embodies the goal of classical education, but it also parallels the values taught in sport. There has been a resurgence of classical education in recent years, and these new schools are focusing on instilling in students a love for learning, a passion for truth and beauty, and a simultaneous prudent understanding of and appreciation for the world around them (Caldecott, 2012). Is there a place, in classical, Christian education, for learning these virtues through sport? Strong academics should always be the driving force behind any secondary school, and research shows that children who are in involved in sports in adolescence reap physical benefits and make strides in the areas of morality and virtue (Ball, Bice, & Parry, 2016; Schmid, 2012). The purpose of this study is to answer the question: do team sports reinforce the values emphasized in classical, Christian education? The researcher used a qualitative method of study through an opinion-based online questionnaire that featured open-ended questions. Athletic directors from over 20 classical, Christian schools sent out the survey to their alumni, and 47 responses were received. The responses were overwhelmingly in favor of sports reinforcing the virtues taught in an academic setting, therefore the conclusion drawn is that sports play a vital role in supporting the focus of academics in a classical, Christian school.

Download

Share

COinS