Since 1995, the Slovenian Olympic Academy and the Institute for Fair Play and Tolerance in Sport, Sportikus, have set up workshops and seminars aimed at sports coaches and teachers. Tests, information stands, a fair play protocol and the implementation of an Olympic Day are part of this programme. Objectives
• To promote the ideas of Olympism, fair play, tolerance and the social value of sportApproach
• To train people to study sports ethics and to communicate efficiently with the Olympic Movement on an international level
• To teach through sport the social values that garantee security, democracy and peaceful cohabitation within society
• Informal education and youth empowerment for active participation in social dialogue
• Social animation and ethical sensibilization through moral dilemmas in sport.
• Education for tolerant and nonviolent communication
• Focusing on positive sports values
• Restoration of the value balance between the competitive outcome (result) and spirit of the sport
• Promotion of proper fan culture, sport without doping and other drugs
• Inclusion of PE teachers, coaches, and parents as multipliers of social values
The programme especially encourages:
• Active involvement of young people in social dialogue
• Making people aware of ethical issues
• Educating people to be tolerant and to communicate in a non-violent way
• Promoting an appropriate culture and attitude among sports fans
• Refusing doping in sport
To this end, a modular programme called Fair Play School has been developed since 2001. It provides sports coaches, teachers and youth with workshops and seminars based on the values of sport and on the Olympic ideals.
Multiculturalism, tolerance, social integration, conflict management, peaceful dialogue in situations where there are opposing interests, group dynamics and a balance between competitiveness and sporting spirit, are among the concepts which are particularly studied during these meetings.
The Fair Play School programme also comprises other activities implemented during the year for a broader audience. These include the Olympic Day, which helps to disseminate knowledge about the Olympic Movement, a fair play protocol aimed at stimulating the sporting spirit before competitions, and information stands.
A fair play kit has been published, aimed at young people, physical education teachers, coaches and parents, as have bilingual manuals entitled "The Right Word in the Right Place" and "Doping? No thanks!" Results (Suggestions how to run a Fair play school workshop)
Checklist 1: "To bring along"
• expert team from the field of sport ethics
• experiences and examples from sport
• attractive powerpoint presentation (photos, clips – funny, horrible)
• interesting guest (famous athlete from the region or school if possible)
Checklist 2: "Keep in mind" do not moralize (children don’t like it and it’s not efficient)
• dialogue is the key issue
• let them come to the conclusions; direct them, don’t push them
Checklist 3: "To Do"
• network with schools and people
• learn from the best (keep personal archive of best cases)
• trust is everything (do not sell the moral values)
• Include PE teachers, coaches, parents and athletes as multipliers of social values in sport.
• When running a fair play workshop support your arguments on real life experiences of the audience
• In some cases you will need to discuss different moral norms in different cultures. Be very sensitive for particular context of the case or a scenario, and if needed, build a context in order to lead towards ethically sound decision.
• Avoid black and white cases and make a distinction of the character of the person, and an isolated act of the person – this two not always correspond the expected moral response.
• Build a context from narrow picture of sport to larger picture of global life. Try to make them think how the ethical position may vary depending on our standpoint.