The Sport Ethic

According to Hughes & Coakley, the sport ethic "refers to what many participants in sport have come to use as the criteria for defining what it means to be a real athlete" (Hughes & Coakley, 308). The sport ethic consists of four beliefs: 1) Being an athlete requires sacrifices for The Game, 2) Being an athlete involves striving for distinction, 3) Being an athlete involves accepting risks and playing through pain, and 4) Being an athlete involves refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities (Hughes & Coakley, 310). I think that athletes conform to these ideals because being an athlete involves striving to be "the best" that one can be, as well as striving to be a role model for others. I think all athletes (myself included) strive for distinction either individually or as a team. This is partly due to the fan culture. No professional athlete or professional team wants to disappoint their fans, and they want to be regarded as the best.