Comment: The role of sport and physical education when democracy is challenged

We live in a time characterized by sensational and person-focused politics – where it is all about hitting the enemy. When this is combined with distractions, misinformation, and quick analyses of who are the good and who are the bad, it puts our democracy under pressure. Therefore, it is time to focus on what is at stake. In our Western culture, we must ensure that democracy lives and survives – and here sports, as the largest cultural area, has a particularly important role to play.

In sports, there is a tremendous focus on individual performance. Many hold the perception that the individual must constantly improve to avoid falling behind. Social media portrays a life where you are either a winner or a loser – there is no middle ground. Simultaneously, one can observe how sports can instill terrible personality traits such as egoism and brutality. It typically goes wrong when there are large capital interests at stake and when the goal is to win at any cost. 

The challenge for us who work with sports and PE is that all these bad seeds from the world of sports, are multiplied by our performance society, so it easily affects children, young and adults experiences and well-being in and outside sport.

Central to this challenge is fundamentally about democracy. A complex challenge where there is no quick fix. But here it is important to understand that sport can affect our democracy in a really negative way - but at the same time also have the potential to improve and promote democracy. Therefore, as enthusiasts of sports and PE, we must challenge ourselves and each other to reflect about how sports can contribute to promoting and strengthening our democracy - and take action!

In sports, one can learn to interact with people we disagree with in civilized ways. We can learn that we need each other before, during, and after our battles, whether they are physical or verbal. Sports hold great potential to teach this in a concrete and physical way. Children and young people can learn what is admirable and what is unacceptable when they compete in sports. 

It is also about valuing the competition as opportunities for the exchange of resources and sharpening the understanding that we are mutually connected and dependent on each other when we compete.

It is insufficient if children in sports learn to battle side by side in parallel and individual tracks. They must also learn to struggle together. In this way, there are essential common features between the battles in sports and the political battles that manifest in a democracy. Whether the battles are physical or political, they are not solely built on either conflict or consensus, but on a continuous tension between the two (Korsgaard, 2007).

The German sociologist Jan-Werner Müller believes that when our democracy is challenged, we must seek back to the fundamental principles of democracy to overcome these challenges. Müller argues that democracy, besides being based on freedom and equality, also has uncertainty as a cornerstone. 

Just like in a fairplayed match in sport, it is the uncertainty that creates dynamism and excitement. We, as adults who are working pedagogically with sports and PE, must ensure that the uncertainty manifests in a positive way. The uncertainty in sports competitions can be compared to dynamite, which also can also be used in a positive or destructive way. Dynamite can be used in war, but it can also be used to blast a way through mountains and connect us as people.

On a societal level and in relation to our democracy, uncertainty is preferable. Authoritarian regimes are typically characterized by maintaining power by eliminating uncertainty. In these regimes, any opposition and counterparts are perceived as threats and enemies.

Especially when it comes to elections, but also when it comes to open discussions of values (Müller, 2021). A nearby example of this is Donald Trump's lack of recognition of established legal institutions and the free press, as well as his incitement to storm Capitol Hill in 2021. Another example is Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, brutal attack on all forms of opposition and dissidents, as well as his close friendship with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-un. 

The solution to democratic challenges is not to remove competition and contest from sports; in that case, it will quickly lose excitement and appeal. But part of the solution is to recognize that sports, like our democracy, is a value-based activity where we treat each other with mutual respect and recognition in an atmosphere of diversity, fairplay, and generosity. 

Martin Sækmose Lykkegaard, Teacher
Gerlev FolkHigh school