What is "Success" in Competitive Sports?
Examining Values and the Problem of Abuse
Where:
Online via Zoom.
When:
By reservation. The workshop consists of three 2.5 hour sessions.
Description:
In 2016 news broke of the biggest abuse scandal in sports history. Over 365 cases of sexual abuse, situated in contexts of emotional abuse, have come to light in USA Gymnastics. The response to the story has revealed that abuse is not just reserved for the sport of gymnastics, nor for elite-level athletes, nor just for girls. In the stories streaming in from a variety of sports, we hear a common narrative. Coaches, parents, and athletes turn to popular notions of “success” in sports, and what is necessary to achieve it, to explain harsh training environments, strict obedience, neglected injuries, silence, and acceptance of behaviors that would be questioned outside of the gym.
It's time to ask ourselves what our goals really are in competitive sports and what “success” really means. Which risks and sacrifices are we willing to endure to achieve our goals, and where do we draw the line? How can we distinguish between discipline and abuse? How do we empower young athletes to have a voice in this conversation and in their own training?
This conversation is appropriate for parents of athletes, coaches and teachers, athletic directors or owners of gyms, therapists and counselors, athlete-advocates, and college-age athletes at least 18 years old. (The content, though experienced first-hand by many minors, can be emotionally difficult and at times graphic, which is why I am putting an 18 year-old age-requirement on participation).
Online via Zoom.
When:
By reservation. The workshop consists of three 2.5 hour sessions.
Description:
In 2016 news broke of the biggest abuse scandal in sports history. Over 365 cases of sexual abuse, situated in contexts of emotional abuse, have come to light in USA Gymnastics. The response to the story has revealed that abuse is not just reserved for the sport of gymnastics, nor for elite-level athletes, nor just for girls. In the stories streaming in from a variety of sports, we hear a common narrative. Coaches, parents, and athletes turn to popular notions of “success” in sports, and what is necessary to achieve it, to explain harsh training environments, strict obedience, neglected injuries, silence, and acceptance of behaviors that would be questioned outside of the gym.
It's time to ask ourselves what our goals really are in competitive sports and what “success” really means. Which risks and sacrifices are we willing to endure to achieve our goals, and where do we draw the line? How can we distinguish between discipline and abuse? How do we empower young athletes to have a voice in this conversation and in their own training?
This conversation is appropriate for parents of athletes, coaches and teachers, athletic directors or owners of gyms, therapists and counselors, athlete-advocates, and college-age athletes at least 18 years old. (The content, though experienced first-hand by many minors, can be emotionally difficult and at times graphic, which is why I am putting an 18 year-old age-requirement on participation).
What to Expect:
This workshop began as a Conversation Project for Oregon Humanities in 2017-2018. It is different from the other philosophical workshops offered at Curious Soul in some important ways. Instead of reading philosophical theory, we read news articles, web pages, and watch short online videos about ethics and abuses of power in sports-settings. From these resources, we will outline and discuss the ethical problems that need attention, and the various ethical positions that are at work in the stories and in the calls for reform. Like the other philosophy workshops, we will devote time to using our resources and discussions as a spring board for our own critical and creative work of articulating and putting into practice a "lived philosophy" and a "lived ethic," in this case in the competitive environments (like that of sports) where abuses of power are so frequent. This is not easy work, but the basic premise behind the workshop is that ethical commitments and practices are not things we can wait around for someone else to require of us. It's our responsibility to figure it out, and to act. Let's work on it together.
This workshop began as a Conversation Project for Oregon Humanities in 2017-2018. It is different from the other philosophical workshops offered at Curious Soul in some important ways. Instead of reading philosophical theory, we read news articles, web pages, and watch short online videos about ethics and abuses of power in sports-settings. From these resources, we will outline and discuss the ethical problems that need attention, and the various ethical positions that are at work in the stories and in the calls for reform. Like the other philosophy workshops, we will devote time to using our resources and discussions as a spring board for our own critical and creative work of articulating and putting into practice a "lived philosophy" and a "lived ethic," in this case in the competitive environments (like that of sports) where abuses of power are so frequent. This is not easy work, but the basic premise behind the workshop is that ethical commitments and practices are not things we can wait around for someone else to require of us. It's our responsibility to figure it out, and to act. Let's work on it together.
About Your Workshop Leader:
Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a former professor of philosophy and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She's a specialist in ethics, and has long considered the intertwining issues of values, power, justice, and gender. She is also a former club and college gymnast, and has a long-standing passion for the question of what success really means in competitive sports. Monica is committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and she's always looking for ways to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the local community. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul. She also collaborates with Portland organizations like Oregon Humanities and Literary Arts.
Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a former professor of philosophy and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She's a specialist in ethics, and has long considered the intertwining issues of values, power, justice, and gender. She is also a former club and college gymnast, and has a long-standing passion for the question of what success really means in competitive sports. Monica is committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and she's always looking for ways to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the local community. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul. She also collaborates with Portland organizations like Oregon Humanities and Literary Arts.
Readings:
Links to news articles, websites, and online videos will be sent a week in advance to participants by email.
Calendar:
Week 1: TBA
Week 2: TBA
Week 3: TBA
Preparation:
For each meeting, participants should read and watch in advance the resources we'll be discussing, consider some questions Monica will send by email to help us focus, and come with some passages to talk about.
Rates:
Links to news articles, websites, and online videos will be sent a week in advance to participants by email.
Calendar:
Week 1: TBA
Week 2: TBA
Week 3: TBA
Preparation:
For each meeting, participants should read and watch in advance the resources we'll be discussing, consider some questions Monica will send by email to help us focus, and come with some passages to talk about.
Rates:
- Regular Rate: $199 for three workshop sessions (7.5 hours total)
- Friends Rate: $150 Are you signing up to take the workshop with a friend? Click on the "Friends Rate" button for a significant discount.
- The workshop has limited space. The minimum number of participants is 5, and the maximum is 15.
- Registration closes a week before the first session (which is when readings and reflection questions are sent to participants by email)
- Register by clicking the appropriate button below and following instructions to use PayPal. Thanks!
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