Sport, Education, and Pedagogical Concepts: Definitions and Challenges

The Polysemic Nature of Sport

Sport is a polysemic concept. Since its inception in 19th-century English society (often viewed as a “school of life”), it has evolved into today's forms: recreational sport, professional sport, and school sport. These forms share common elements:

• Exercise
• Game
• Agonism (Competition)

Characteristics of Modern Sport

Modern sport often exhibits the following traits:

• Specialization
• Organization
• Machining (Mechanization/Standardization)
• Productivity
• High Technology
• Economic Performance
• Promotion

Challenges in Professional Sport

Professional sport, especially when influencing children, presents several challenges:

1. Mimicry and Results Orientation

Professional sports often prioritize mimicry chasing results. While children naturally imitate, the influence of older individuals and parents, coupled with the pressure of professional sport, can introduce limitations and problems for the child.

2. Excessive Competitive Focus

There is a predominant orientation towards competition. The competitive spirit is beneficial to some extent, but it should not be the sole component, as the element of fun is also crucial. Excessive focus on achieving a prize (ultra-competition) causes the competitive logic to eliminate the fun component and the benefits of inclusive practice that should reach everyone.

3. Tendency Towards Selection

There is a tendency towards sports selection, where only the best succeed. This selectivity is driven by the search for results. Sport should be accessible to all, but this approach often leads to abandonment, turning participants into mere spectators.

4. Early Specialization

This involves early specialization without the necessary training and multilateral development, which is highly important during specific developmental ages.

Foundational Concepts of Education

Etymology of Education

Etymologically, the word EDUCATION comes from the Latin educare, meaning "to guide, lead," and educere, meaning "to bring to light or to the surface." Therefore, the etymological meaning of education is the act of guiding a person and exposing their knowledge so they can fully develop as an individual.

Heteroeducation and Self-Education

These are part of the same process: the formation of a person through outside influence or encouragement (Heteroeducation). If successful, this influence awakens in the individual a desire for self-development (Self-education).

Significant Learning

Significant learning means that an individual incorporates new concepts or knowledge by relating them to existing knowledge they have already acquired.

Social Function of Education

The primary social function of education is the transmission of social norms, ensuring continuous development and subsistence.

Educability (Human Capacity for Development)

Educability is the human capacity for training or personal development.

Educat (Educating Capacity)

Educat is a concept of a purely pedagogical nature. It refers to the active capacity held by the individual as a student.

Ages of Life Classification

• Children (0–12 years):
  • First Childhood (0–7 months)
  • Second Childhood (7 months to 7 years)
  • Childhood Proper (7–12 years)
• Youth (12–30 years):
  • Adolescents (12–20 years)

Ideal Conditions for Teaching (Nasif, 1987)

Nasif (1987) presents three ideal conditions for effective teaching:

1. Adaptation of the subjectivities to the teachable moment of the student (Educando).
2. Knowledge and fitness for the content to be transmitted.
3. Love for teaching.

Operational Objective

An operational objective is the planned final behavior, observable and measurable, resulting from a specific activity.