SPORT development for the purpose of this article is taken to be the upstream and downstream decisions and actions that may lead to the formulation of a policy framework and programmes for the purpose of a fruitful sports experiences in society. Usually, this development process is expected to bring about improvement in sports practices and pre-determined outcomes. A development framework is expected to be based on certain value systems, ideology on which systematic policy implementation produces desired results.
Sports is often referred to as a socio-cultural activity and experience which is also expected to be of great value to the individual and society. The sports experience which comes in the mode of physical activities is field based. Hence, thoughts about sports activities are usually about the sports field, the athletes and performances. It is thus observed that matters that deal with sports development attract practitioners who have taken part in sports as that is the group referred to as retired athletes, those that report about sports e.g. sports journalists, politicians who take interest in sports and those that are categorized as sports administrators and sports scientists.
In a roundtable designed for conversations that focus on sports development, these are the gentlemen and ladies that most likely make up the contributors of ideas and insights about sports development for Nigeria, most of the time. Whereas these configurations of constituent experts in their own rights are eligible to be on a round-table designed for formulation of a sports development framework, what may have been missing on this round-table is the sports philosopher or someone or group of persons whose specific province of making meaning is through the philosophical perspective. In the same vein, the same philosophical lacuna in terms of representation of personnel is observable when the Nigeria team is going out for a sports competition or implementation of a sports development blueprint.
Society consequently suffers from a sports culture that is deficit in philosophical nourishment. This is particularly a crushing blow as every sporting process, decisions and actions are ideologically and value driven. The ideological and value components amongst others are philosophical derivatives.
What does philosophy bring to the sports development process? It is really not possible within the space allowable for this article to fully discuss the entire gamut of the role of philosophy in sports development. An attempt would be made, however to highlight important aspects of this subject matter, some of which have already been implied in earlier paragraphs of this article, to perhaps trigger further inquiries for greater understanding and insights for the sake of institutionalization of sports philosophy in Nigeria sports development process for richer and more beneficial sports culture in Nigeria.
The writer’s entry into the study of philosophy was through the philosophy of education and through the masterpiece of a book titled “The Realms of Meaning” by Philip Phoenix. This author examines philosophy as the quest for meaning, which brings better understanding of phenomenal. Philosophy leads the individual to gain clearer understanding of the nature of sports, its values, ethics, knowledge structure, aesthetics and meta-physics as well as ideological orientation of sports. The application of these philosophical perspectives to sports development has capacity to elevate sports culture to a more productive and beneficial pedestal. It saves sports from over-mechanization of sports humanity and its defamation as well. Sports runs into trouble due to its failure to enculturate in its developmental framework, enduring human values.
Arising from this observation, does it surprise you that gold medals are won but aided by doping, all forms of cheating in the competition process, unethical officiating? Does it surprise you that sports organisations are riddled with nepotism, ethnicity and religious bigotry in sports leadership?
A sports culture enthroned by sound sports philosophies has the potential to eliminate or minimize these mundane practices that diminish the value of sports in society.
The sports philosopher is as important as the sports administrator, sports scientist, sports coach etc. in the sporting process. The sports philosopher is a key member of the sports development process, from conceptualization, design, policy formulation and its implementation, and competitions. It is an amputating omission to block it out for lack of knowledge while the system and society suffers adverse consequences.
It is expected that the thoughts in this brief article would trigger greater reflections about the significant role of philosophy in the sports development process in all ramifications.
Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta.
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