ABSTRACT
Most adults who played sports as children assert without hesitation or qualification that sports build character. Asked to identify the specific virtues that sports build, the majority identify virtues related to achievement, such as hard work and perseverance. Some mention social virtues, such as teamwork and unselfishness. Sports likely instill a work ethic and teach life lessons about persistence and teamwork (Shulman and Bowen, 2002), but whether they help to develop morality is a question that is rarely investigated or even asked. No one brings up justice spontaneously. In fact, when asked whether participation in sports taught them fairness and other moral virtues, such as honesty, most athletes and coaches scratch their heads. It is instructive to note that in a 2010 blog while still at the height of his celebrity, Lance Armstrong listed three traits to describe his character: strong, helpful, and optimistic. He never included justice or honesty. What does this say about the virtues that we tend to emphasize in sports and the consequences of losing sight of morality as a component of character?
