Bad behaviour in sport

It is truly amazing that sportspeople are seen to be drunken louts who stagger between games, binges, antisocial behaviour and championship performances on a seasonal basis.

Were you to watch a Frontrunners, Convicts rugby, Wett Ones swimming, Spokes cycling, Sydney Oars, Sydney Tennis, Same-Sex Dance, Flying Bats or Sydney Rangers soccer club event (the list is not exhaustive) you would be entertained by the physicality, poise, speed, and interaction between individuals and teams.

The true entertainers -“ the players -“ are mostly disciplined in their lifestyle, allowing them the best possible opportunity for sporting success. Different sports, levels of competition (social participation and elite sport), individual talent and skill provide great variation between players and sports.

You could be forgiven if you thought that the whole of the Australian swimming team was a bunch of thugs who binge-drank their way into fights and antisocial behaviour.

The reality is somewhat different. If an athlete is to succeed to the best of their ability, regardless of the level and quality of the competition, they will not do so without a degree of discipline.

Diet, drugs, and fluid intakes have a marked effect on training schedules and physical workload. An inability to train to peak performance will never lead to world record performance or personal best performance. Sleep patterns, stresses of adulthood, physical or psychological injury and relationships are visible to coaches and trainers because of the impact they have on an athlete’s performance.

In itself this keeps most athletes on an active and healthy path as they strive to better themselves. A small percentage of sportspeople (estimated at less than 3% by some commentators) are crucified by the general sports media in a such a manner that society at large may be forgiven if it assumes sportspeople train hard, play hard and socialise a little harder still.

It would be nice to have the same low level of antisocial behaviour in the general community -“ or for that matter amongst the ardent lounge room critics.

Isn’t it time you got involved with the most welcoming sporting teams in Sydney? Find out who they are and what they do, then join in their activities: www.teamsydney.org.au.