The purpose of amateur sport and the meaning of competition in social formation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/neqvqs86Keywords:
amateur sports, sports events, quality of life, social formationAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Amateur sport has historically been conceived as a space for holistic development, aimed at fostering values, social skills, and healthy lifestyle habits. However, the increasing centrality of results and competitive logic has generated tensions that affect its educational function. PURPOSE: To reflect on the purpose of amateur sport and the meaning of competition in social formation processes, analyzing its dual role as a formative tool or a potential source of distortion. METHODOLOGY: A conceptual analysis was conducted based on theoretical contributions and studies mainly from sport psychology, sociology of education, and the Positive Youth Development approach. RESULTS: The analysis identifies competition as a central device of socialization whose formative nature depends on the interaction among coaching practices, the structure of competitive systems, institutional culture, and the pedagogical conditions in which sport participation takes place. CONCLUSION: Competition should neither be eliminated nor reduced in amateur sport, but rather reoriented and redefined from a systemic perspective that integrates these factors and fosters the holistic development of young people.
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