Sport and Moral Development: A Review of the Most Important Empirical Findings on the Impact of Sports on Moral Development

Today, the idea that sport in its various forms can contribute to the evolution of the moral and ethical education of individuals is universally accepted. A look at some recent debates indicates that this idea also has serious opponents. Relying on empirical findings in recent decades, some sports psychologists have serious doubts about the ethical functioning of sports, at least in some forms. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the most important empirical findings in the field of the impact of sport on moral education. Using a descriptive method this research studies the most important empirical findings in this field. The findings show that empirical studies which mostly conducted at championship and competitive levels, do not provide a clear picture of the impact of these sports on moral education and development.