UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU

FACULTATEA DE EDUCATIE FIZICA SI SPORT

What means discipline in sport?

PROF COORD: Asist. Univ. dr. Laura-Adela Ponta ELEV:Spataru Marius Ovidiu
 UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU
FACULTATEA DE EDUCATIE FIZICA SI SPORT

Discipline in sport, is often defined as the ability for an individual to exert

self-control and behave in a manner that is compliant with the rules and fairness
of the sport they are participating in. Whilst discipline can be seen as an actual
action, its basis starts from a mental decision to comply and adhere to
instructions and rules required to achieve the most from the sport. Fortunately
this means discipline can be often learnt or encouraged.

Most athletes looking to reach or remain in the professional level will realise
that they need to be disciplined in the mental, tactical, technical and physical
areas of their sport.  According to Johnny Lewis,” be 100% disciplined and you
have a good chance of success.  Without it, you will never reach great heights
whether in business or sport.” A lack of discipline can often be the edge the other
team requires to gain the upper hand e.g. a footballer getting a red card for
unprofessional behaviour or a rash tackle forces his team to re-shuffle and try to
play with one less man for the rest of the match, giving the other team an
advantage.

Lifestyle choices also have an influence on the way an individual approaches

discipline. Most young athletes or sports people will usually be exposed to more
money or opportunities than the average person their age, which lends to various
habits which could be inefficient or counterproductive to their development as a
professional. A disciplined approach to their training and lifestyle is essential to
ensure their growth is not limited in the sport.

Discipline is important for any sports person to achieve the results they
require, either in training or during competition. It can be seen as the fuel that
drives development and growth and provides one of the other most important
factors for success, which is commitment. Sports discipline should be taught and
practiced either from an early age or as early as possible, it is essential that
sporting bodies emphasize the importance of discipline and clearly communicate
the consequences and risks of breaching disciplinary rules, as a possible deterrent
for others that may decide to ignore the rules.

Why is discipline in sport important?

Human beings have a general affinity and instinct towards self-preservation,

and would therefore generally show traits of greed, selfishness, envy, pride, self-
gratification etc without any rules or boundaries. Discipline enables a person to
 UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU
FACULTATEA DE EDUCATIE FIZICA SI SPORT

think past his or herself and more for the society or team, considering the
common good and how his or her behaviour can affect the progress the team in
the long term.

The effective discouragement of poor behaviour and attitudes towards the

sport or others within it is another role of discipline. By providing encouragement
and reasoning as to why discipline will assist the pursuit of their sporting career,
this can hopefully provide more inspiration for more sports people to adopt a
cultured lifestyle from an earlier age.

One of the main benefits of discipline in sport is that it provides a vivid

demonstration of how hard work coupled with discipline can help an athlete
reach their goals. ‘Teaching by transference’ is a very good example of these, as
younger athletes who perceive their role models leading a disciplined lifestyle are
more likely to adopt the same as they develop also.
 UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU
FACULTATEA DE EDUCATIE FIZICA SI SPORT

BIBLIOGRAFIE

Sport Nova

Wikidata